To Where It All Began ✔

11. The End Of the Dead End...

8:30 AM, 30th March, Outhouse

Amna woke up from her sleep as the alarm on her phone rang and sat on her bed deeply pondering about yesterday's incident, grabbing her bedsheet tightly.

"What exactly happened yesterday? That man, is he really the one? What if he is not and all my thinking is absolutely unnecessary? Shreekant may be right... I was really afraid that day. Anyway, what the hell happened to me when he was...? Amidst all the danger what nonsense am I thinking? I must better be careful, even though I have started trusting him I must not let my guard down... After all, there are many things I don't know about him"

As she was about to get down from her bed, she heard a loud knock on the door, "Who is knocking at my door this early?" Her eyes widened, terror slithering her veins, "Is that man back again to do his intentional deed?"

She cautioned herself against opening the door that any cost and tried getting up from the bed with the phone in her hand. Placing her foot slowly on the ground she stood up and thought, "Ahh... It still pains. But is much better than yesterday." She hid behind the door and dialed Shreekant's number for help.

The ring went and she heard a ringing tone sourcing from the other side of the door and a familiar voice, "Amna! Amna! Why are you calling me? I am just standing outside your door"

She breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door to find Shreekant standing with another middle-aged man holding a tray with some casseroles, plates, and a jug of water. Clearing her throat, she asked, "Shreekant! What are you doing here so early in the morning?"

"I came to check on you, so how are you feeling today?", he gestured to the man at the same time to keep the tray in the room and leave.

"Much better, I will be completely fine in another day", she uttered spontaneously.

"Good to hear that. Actually, I brought the breakfast upstairs in case you have trouble walking down because of the injury, By the way, why were you calling me?"

"Ah... That, I thought the masked man is back and he is knocking at my door"

"Are you again thinking about yesterday's incident, didn't I tell you, he is not the one and not to panic unnecessarily. And, why will the masked man knock on your door? Will he wait for your permission to come inside?" He again tried to mitigate her fears by his logical reasoning, "Don't think too much... Okay" and she reciprocated him with a small smile nodding in agreement.

"Amna, another thing... We have a guest who would be visiting us today evening, around eight"

"Guest... Who?"

"The thing is Ratna Aunty called me and informed me that Vinod Uncle, whom you gave medical aid that day, is coming to Mumbai for some work. He wanted to thank both of us, especially you for what you did and as we left for Mumbai in a haste, he couldn't get the opportunity to thank us properly. So he wanted to meet and thank us personally. I will be picking him up from his hotel to have dinner with us tonight in the Outhouse "

"Oh... That is really nice of him, I will be ready in the evening"

"Well, then I am going to the office. Call me if you want something and don't get panicked, this place is very safe. There are security guards all around."

He then turned around and walked away along the corridor while Amna's lips arched a gentle smile as she closed the door of her room.

8:20 PM, 30th March, Outhouse

Amna freshened herself and dressed in a plain austere fashion to meet her guest for the day. She always felt happy and contented whenever her patients or their kith and kin thanked her heartily and gave her blessings. Although she had faced a couple of rantings and chiding from the patient's party, in case the patient's condition didn't develop the way she wanted, still, those comments seemed feeble and useless in front of the love she had for her profession.