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Lovely & Wonderful Story Dear 👏😊
Hi everyone! I am here with the second chapter. I am a little late, as this chapter gave me a lot of trouble. Enjoy!
Chapter 2: I Cannot Resist Your Call
"Ram?? Yeh le..." Vikram passed his friend a cup of coffee, who was sitting vigil outside the ICU since last afternoon.
"Thanks," mumbled Ram, accepting the coffee and looked towards the ICU once again. He needed the coffee badly, to keep his head clear and to keep him alert.
Vikram glanced at Ram and realized one night had aged his friend by at least five years. He looked totally drained and at a loss of how to process the situation which was gradually spiralling out of their control. Just then his phone rang.
"Haan Mr. Mehta...ji...aap please jaake baat kijiye client se. Nahin, mai aur Ram aaj nahin aa payenge. Ko bhi problem ho, call me," spoke Vikram on phone, "the meeting is in the evening. I've mailed you the presentation. I'm sure you'll be able to handle it."
"Vikram", said Ram as he hung up, "tu jaa...mai sambhal lunga yahaan. Ghar jaa...thoda rest leke phir sham ko chale jaana...I'll be fine."
"Ram, I am not going anywhere," said Vikram in a no non-sense tone.
"Her flight must have landed by now...isn't it??" asked Ram after a couple of minutes, sceptically looking at his buddy.
Ram and Vikram rushed into the emergency of Lilavati Hospital and made their way to the central desk.
"Excuse me...I am Ram...Ram Kapoor. 20 mins pehle I got a call...about an accident case," Ram spoke hurriedly.
"Just a second Sir...could you please tell the name of the patient and how are you related??"
"Krishna Kapoor...she..uhm...she is my mother."
"Yes...she was brought into the ER half an hour back. She was involved in a massive car crash. We tried to reach her next of kin. Couldn't get hold of the first name on her emergency contacts list. Then we called you up. Filhaal toh who surgery mein hai. Aap please formalities fill up kar lijiye. I'll get a doctor to see you by then."
"Sure...mai abhi kar deta hoon...err...excuse me...could you please tell me who was the first name on her contact list??" asked a curious Ram.
"Yes...a certain Priya," replied the receptionist.
"Right...thanks." Vikram did not miss the sudden stiffening in Ram's stance at the mention of Priya's name.
As Ram & Vikram
reached the surgery ward, after fulfilling all formalities, they found a junior
doctor waiting for them.
"Mr. Kapoor," the young lady spoke, "I am Dr. Aditi Verma. I attended your
mother at ER. I'll tell you everything. Aur phir aapke kuch queries ho toh,
please feel free to ask. Dr. Agarwal, our foremost trauma care specialist, is
already on the case. We are doing our best Sir."
Ram nodded and said,
"Please tell me everything...kuch mat chupaiyega."
Vikram interspersed, "Ram...tu..."
"I can handle it, Vikram."
By the time the young doctor finished, Ram had no idea how to react. He was being told his mother, whom he was estranged from the past twenty years, just might not make it.
"Mr. Kapoor, I'll get back now. Jaise hi koi information ho, we'll let you know. Tab tak aaplog please waiting lobby mein intezaar kijiye. And as I said, thoda waqt lagega," the doctor walked away.
"Ram...Ram!!!" Vikram shook his friend by his shoulders to bring him out of his stupor, "Tujhe Priya ko phone karna chahiye yaar."
"Haan...sahi bol raha hai...karta hoon main," replied a visibly shaken Ram.
An hour later
"Ram ..." Priya was out of breath by the time she reached the hospital. She had to battle the wretched Mumbai traffic and yet made it in record time from her classes.
"Priya! Thank God tum aa gayi. Yaha par...I...I just don't know what to do," Ram ran a hand through his hairs, nervously.
"Calm down Ram...aise toh", Priya started.
"How the hell am I supposed to calm down??" Ram raised his voice. "Maa...I haven't even seen her in the last 16 years...aur Doctors ka kehna hai ki..." he couldn't continue any more.
"Kya kaha Doctors ne??" Priya put her hand on Ram's shoulder and asked in a tensed voice.
"It was a massive accident Priya. Head injury hui hai & she has lost a lot of blood. Aur phir...unka left shoulder...it was crushed badly," Ram sat back, totally defeated and sapped of all hope.
Priya shuddered in fear, as her mother-in-law's smiling face flashed through her mind.
"Priya..." Vikram called. Priya turned around to see Vikram standing, equally shaken. "Mai woh bahaar gaya tha...Neha ko phone karne."
Priya nodded sombrely and realized she had to take some decisions on behalf of her husband, who was increasingly starting to drown in despair. And she couldn't blame him, could she?? She knew Ram didn't like talking about Krishu-ji as it reminded him of his loneliest days, but there was no denying he loved her. At the bottom of his heart, there was a corner which made him yearn for his mother.
"Humein Apeksha ko phone karna hoga...use jald se jald batana bahut zaroori hai," said Priya, in a voice which invited no further discussion. Ram looked up to see his wife but didn't say anything. Vikram spoke out "Priya...mere khayal se tumhara phone karna hi thik rahega. Agar Ram ne kiya toh, pata nahin woh kaise react kare. Aur phir ghar pe bi toh batana hoga, isn't it?"
"You're right Vikram. Mai hi karti hoon. Aur ghar pe koi nahin hai. Mummy-ji aur Mamaji Europe gaye hue hai. RIshabh kal sham ko hi Dadi ko leke Punjab ke liye rawana hua," said Priya.
"Priya, tum Apeksha ko phone kar lo. Aur kisi ko abhi kuch batane ki zaroorat nahin hai," Ram finally said after a long time.
It was early evening in Sidney, when Priya called Apeksha. She would take the next available flight to Mumbai and would reach by next day noon.
"Ram...tu uski chinta mat kar. Priya gayi hai na airport. She'll manage it," Vikram tried to assure his worry-stricken friend, "Unhe aane de...phir dekhte hai."
Ram nodded understandingly, still unsure how his sister would react to seeing him here.
Precap: "Why are you even here??? Waise bhi aapko toh hum pasand nahin. Chale jaiye na, apki so-called family ke paas!"
I'll ensure the story picks up pace from the next chapter onwards. Please share your thoughts!
Cheers,
Sreya.
Originally posted by: Raya_some
beautifully written .. RaYa romance was cherry on the top .. continue soon .. Waiting eagerly :) :) :)
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