He dashed into the hospital, bundling with everyone on his
way. Not having any concern to make an apology to any of them, he was too
occupied for that. Concern! Worry was all over his face. He padded into the
corridor. Rushed and checked every room, every corner.
A lady passed a puzzled look at his moves and made him halt
the very instant. She arched her brow at him furiously. She was a lady dressed
in the white uniform. Probably the nurse. "What is the matter young
man?" She queried with a stern tone.
"I need to find someone." And she instantly
breathed rather flared her nostrils once trying to compose herself.
"There is the receptionist at the reception from whom
you can seek help." She spoke while pointing towards the direction of
reception. But did she really think he was that easy.
"No." He almost screamed leaving the nurse
wide-eyed. "There is no one there. And I really need to reach out to her.
Why don't you get it? She needs me. She must be in pain." He shrieked. The
thought of her pain was the enough to cause him pain.
"Relax!" The nurse tried to calm his nerves.
"What is her name?" She asked softly, when she knew he needed to meet
whoever he wanted to meet.
He cried her name and he was reminded of her smiling face -
filled with love and concern - as his tongue rolled her name and his eyes held
moistness. "Accident case." He added.
"Okay! Come along." By now even she knew the
seriousness of the case.
Passing a few wards, he reached the wards where she was. He
could see her through the glass attachment at the door. She lay lifeless, the
team of doctors struggling to operate her rightfully. Making sure they would be
able to save a life. Save her life.
He held defeat in his eyes. Looking at her in a state he
would never wish to, was death. That's how it felt. Death of him, to see her in
blood-oozing pain. To have her hurt. To see her so numb to the world, the
surrounding. Laying so still. So lifeless. It just broke him. Every bit of pain
that she went through, he could feel himself suffer the same. Having her in
such an unwanted state in front of his eyes killed him. It was death to see her
lifelessly still. Not moving at all.
The nurse decided to leave him on his own. She knew she
couldn't be any help to the gentleman in front of her eyes. As he did nothing
but stare at the lady who was being operated, helplessly. She left him with a
pat on his back - kind of reassuring him that he need not lose hope and he had
to be strong. For him. For her. For both of them.
He didn't realize to what extent he had been looking at her
with longing in his eyes - longing to have her chirping around him. He wouldn't
complain if she jovially spun across the room, while he would try to put all
his attention to his work - as she continued playing a distraction. He wouldn't
ever let furry creep across his face when she would behave the immature naive.
He would just want her back - as she was. Back to life. And if that meant he
would have to put his life at stake, he would do that too, now.
She ran behind him,
chasing him - across the room. There wasn't a damn thing that they had spared
while their chase game. The entire house was a mess - a complete freaking mess.
And she would make him clear that all by himself. He knew that. She didn't bother.
It was him who was a complete cleanliness freak, while she was a free messy
bird. She wouldn't give a damn about the world and live her life - cherish
every moment of her life.
Throwing a pillow in
his direction, she hit him. "You are going to drop me home. Get that
straight."
"I am sorry,
hon. I genuinely can't. Have an important meeting at the office. Need to be
there." he said with ease while neatly settling the pillow back at its
place.
"You know I
wanted you to drop me home." Her voice dropped and her heart fell.
"Mom and Dad would be so glad to see you there."
She had already made
promise to her parents that this time her trip back home she would get her
deary husband along. He hadn't met them since quite a long time. She fumed
realizing since how long he hasn't met her parents. Maybe, now they wouldn't
even recognize who their son-in-law was. But here he didn't bother. He was all
concerned about his meetings, his office, his work - everything they discussed
or that held importance in his life was his. They had discussed this plenty of
times when she had expressed her concern over the topic. And the conclusion he
would draw was that she was overreacting. He would conveniently run away from
the issue stating it to be her fault. And then the topic was dismissed for the
time being.
Worried. Horrified. Scared. All because he knew he was
nearly close to lose her. At least the circumstance gave him the feel - the
bitter truth slapped right across his face - about how important she had been;
and also about his stupidity towards her. His negligence towards her - her
wants, her needs, her feelings. Nothing concerned him - nothing at all. He had
just been a reckless person to look at anything beyond his interest. He wasn't
looking at anything beyond his career, his lifestyle and his requirements from
life.
He had neglected her without any doubt - now he was clear
about that fact. But today he could even see what it had been for her. She had
given in everything of hers' for this man who had nothing to take care of her
needs. He had exploited her for his demands yet not been able to look into
those eyes that craved for his concern and care. His love.
He shook his head waning the thoughts as he felt someone
tapping on his shoulder. Looking at the source, he found a middle-aged guy
passing a concerned look at him. His teary eyes blurred the image yet he
strainingly figured out that it was the doctor. "Are you with her, young man?"
the doctor inquired as he glanced back at the operation theatre where she was.
"Yeah! Doctor. I. Am. With. Her. She. She is. My Wife. She
is fine, right?" He stammered while venting out almost all his worries while in
return all he could get was an assuring pat across his shoulder and a
sympathetic look from the doctor. His world was slowly shattering, breaking as
though been hit by some thunderstorm.
With a sharp breath inhaled, the doctor calmly spoke, "I
won't say anything that is exaggerated and hypothetical. No fake assurances."
that statement by the doctor made the tears streaming down through his eyes.
The ones that he had battled for long, with a hope that she might just wake up
any moment and hold him lovingly close to her. The doctor continued looking at
his state, "The thing is we have operated her and she seems to be out of danger
though. Yet we would like to keep her under observation for the next few hours.
Also once she regains her senses, we would like to have some tests done. Just
to check if there is any side effect of the medication and treatment she is
been provided." That seemed fine. Nothing to worry about. The confusion had
risen to a level where he couldn't understand why the other man - the doctor -
had to be so pathetically sympathetic to him at the start.
"She has gone through one of the worst accident cases. She
would need to time to heal, physically as well as mentally. You would need to
support her both ways." And with that the doctor left him as his eyes drifted
towards her. She was still lying so lifelessly.
He was about to usher in when his cell phone rang that
really pissed him off. But he had to attend it - to make sure he isn't
disturbed further. Sparing a glance at the caller ID, he accepted the call and
held the phone to his ear, "Yes!" His voice firm.
"Dude! You have an important meeting to attend." The other
person informed with much urgency.
"Handle it. I won't be there, mate." His eyes never leaving
the sight of hers.
"You don't mean it." the voice pitched higher losing the
calm. "This is important and you better know it." Panic screaming through the
words he uttered.
"I never said I didn't know. All I meant is that you have to
handle it by your own." He tried to reassure his friend, who was losing his
temper.
"You just can't back off at the last moment. There's nothing
that can be more important than this meeting." His friend yelled back at him.
"There is." His eyes settled at her form so tenderly as
though his gaze would place scars at her already wounded form. He wouldn't let
any harm touch her from here on. "And above all, I never said I am backing off.
I just have something that can't be left unattended. I have set my priorities
and you have to deal with it. The meeting as well. Handle it. I know you will,
mate." His eyes gently moved across her taking in all her pain, trying to heal
her through the gentle graze of his eyes.
"Do I get an option?" His voice screamed irritation.
"No." He chuckled lightly at his friend's state. "Good bye."
And he hung up without even listening to the other side. He had better things
to attend for now. With his priorities clearly sorted, he moved to hold his
beloved wife wanting to ensure to her that he would be there by her side.
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