Happy Navratri to Everyone! :) Been a little busy with..well, a lot of things honestly. Also, the current track of the show is such a mood kill. I thought things would start getting better once he learns of Akshara's sacrifice but it got worse. Abhimanyu must get his brain back from whoever he rented it to because boy! His road to redemption is going to get extremely tough if he sees through with this divorce regardless of who gave the papers first.

Anyways, I am here with another light track to momentarily escape the chaos of the show..

.........

Pre-read: The story takes place a few months after Sirat and Kartik's demise. Kairav and Vansh are in US for studies and Gayatri has left the house with Vatsal. Goenkas who are left in Udaipur are struggling with raising the two girls who have recently lost their parents.

Akshara is nine , Arohi is seven, Abhimanyu is thirteen

Note: I don't know the age at which they lost their parents so just assume what I am assuming :)

...........

Mumma please...Mumma mat jao na chodkr...Mumma!!

Suhasini woke up. It was usual for her to wake up to Akshara's screams. It was really painful for her heart to see her great granddaughter go through so much at such a tender age. She tried to wake Akshara up.

Suhasini: Akshu? Uth na beta...Akshu?

Maine kuch nahi kiya!! Aru maine kuch nahi kiya....tu galat samajh rahi hai Aru!!

Her sobs grew louder and Manish ran inside the room followed by Swarna. They were really concerned about her growing nightmares . They tried waking her up and she finally did. She looked around with moist eyes before realizing what had happened.

Akshara: sorry, maine aab sabko fir jaga diya na...I am sorry Mimi...

Suhasini: Nahi Akshu, beta hum toh jag hi rahe they...

Swarna: Phir se bura sapna dekha beta?

Akshara nodded.

Swarna: Idhr aa, mere saath bahar chal...hum na thodi der chat pr baitenge..tujhe accha lagega...

Swarna takes Akshara away.

Manish: Maa, mujhe ab Akshu ki chinta hone lagi hai..

Suhasini: hume bhi...Aru toh apna gussa aur dard nikal deti hai bahar. Pr uski baaton ka bohot asar hota hai Akshu pr.....ye chup rehti hai pr iske mann ka dard bhadta hi jaa raha hai...

Manish: Haan maa, maine Gayu se baat ki thi Akshu ki iss halat ke baare me...Usse lgta hai hume doctor se milna chahiye....

Suhasini: hume bhi lgta hai...Akshu ko bure sapno ke saath saath panic attacks bhi aate hai....sans nahi le paati khud se...iska ilaj hona zaruri hai....

Manish: Mai kl subah hi ek appointment book krta hoon..

While they plan to take Akshara to see a doctor Swarna walks with her and makes her drink warm milk post which Akshara sleeps in her room with her head in her lap.

...........

Manish got Akshara an appointment with a doctor at Birla hospital. She was a children's doctor and would access Akshara's issue and see what kind of treatment would be helpful. The appointment was after a few days.

...........

The next day, Suhasini was at the temple and got late as there was a pujan where she lost track of time. As it was almost time of school end, she thought to pick the girls herself. She went to the school and saw all the children had left. There was hardly any person left in sight.

Suhasini: arey, hum late ho gaye aur lgta hai ye dono bus me hi chali gayi...koi baat nahi..

She was about to instruct the driver to leave when she noticed a child sitting on the pavement, crouched. She identified Akshara's school bag and body structure. She got down the car and called her but got no response.

Suhasini: Akshu? Beta, idhr dekho...

This is when Suhasini realized something was wrong. She made Akshara look up and saw the huge tears in her eyes. Her face was stained with tear marks but what worried her more was her red nose and puffy face. She was gasping for air and clutching her heart tightly.

Suhasini: Akshu!! Sans lo beta...dekho hum hai yahan, sb thik hai...

Akshara tried and tried but she couldn't even say a single word. Suhasini asked the driver to help her and got Akshara inside the car. They drove towards the hospital. Their family driver picked Akshara in his arms while Suhasini ran towards the reception as fast she could.

Suhasini: Doctor!! Humari bacchii ko sans nahi aa rahi, urgently doctor ki zarurat hai!!...

Reception: (Looks at Akshara) kya hua hai Ma'am?

Suhasini: Vo hum kaise kahe? Hum doctor thodi hai, isse sans nahi aa rahi...humari appointment bhi hai do din baad ki...

She gave the details and kept looking at her almost unconscious child with worry. The receptionist asked a nurse to handle. The nurse directed the driver to a ward.

Receptionist: Ma'am, un doctor ki appointment toh baad ki hai...but I'll arrange another one for your child. Tb tk vo wahan rest kr skti hai and nurse will try to handle her..

Suhasini was stunned. She understood the doctor they wanted to meet wasn't available but such a big hospital did not have available doctors for walk in patients!? In the ward, Akshara's face was red by now and she had fainted.

What had happened was that some VIP patient had come for routine check up and the hospital administration had put a lot of doctors and nurses for his purpose. He was being escorted with one of the owners himself. Harshvardhan was made aware of a doctor wanting to leave as a child patient had come in but he stopped him for the VIP patient.

Suhasini saw many doctors go towards that ward and walked to the receptionist angrily who informed her that a doctor had been allotted to Akshara and she should wait. Suhasini lost her cool.

Suhasini: KAISE LOG HAI AAP? AREY KOI MAMULI BAAT NAHI HAI JO WAIT KR LEIN, SANS NAHI AA RAHI THI USSE, AB BESHOSH HO GAYI HAI...MTLB SAMJHTI HO ISKA?

Meanwhile, Akshara opened her eyes. As usual, her panic attack had been really bad and she did not know what to do. She did not even realize that they were called panic attacks. Her body had to eventually shut itself to handle that but now her chest hurt a lot. She got down the bed and tried to look for Suhasini.

Akshara: (thinks) Mimi doctor ke cabin me hogi shyd...

She went in the hall and then entered the first room she thought was a cabin. It indeed was a cabin but to one of the senior most doctors of the hospital. Akshara entered and her head was still heavy from the blackout so she tripped on her own feet.

'Thud!'

Abhimanyu: KON HAI?

A thirteen year old boy wheeled the chair behind the desk and faced the entrance. He was wearing a doctor's coat that was too large for his frame but he had rolled up the sleeves so that his hands were free. He turned and saw a young girl on the floor. He jumped off the chair and went towards her.

Abhimanyu: Tum yahan kyu ho? Aur giri kaise???...

He bent down and helped her up as she was not moving much herself. This is when it clicked to him that this girl must be his uncle's patient and clearly wasn't well. The inner enthusiast in him squared its shoulders.

Abhimanyu: My uncle is busy but he says I am his junior doctor. Dr. Abhimanyu Birla! Tumhe wait krna hoga unke aane ka, vo surgery kr rahe hai.

Akshara sat on the couch with his help. Abhimanyu bought her a glass of water. Akshara drank the glass and looked at him. Abhimanyu had never seen prettier eyes. Akshara herself felt a strange sense of comfort.

Abhimanyu: Kya hua tumhe?

Akshara: My chest hurts Abhi..

Abhimanyu fumed. He did not like this.

Abhimanyu: Dr.

Akshara: w-what?

Abhimanyu: Dr. Abhimanyu...

Akshara: (rolls her eyes) Dr. Abhi..

It was strange how he did not mind her calling him Abhi though. Something he did not even let his own father say.

Abhimanyu: Kya hua hai tumhe? Chest pains? Aur kuch?

Akshara: I could not breathe....

She said and her breath hitched as Abhimanyu suddenly got super close to her face. His curious eyes were boring into her face. She could even count his lashes as he scanned her face.

Abhimanyu: You are breathing..

Akshara frowned.

Akshara: off course I am breathing! Mai insaan hoon. But mujhe kabhi kabhi problem hoti hai sans lene me...samjhe!? Nakli doctor!

She pursed her lips and huffed. She crossed her arms and relaxed back into the couch. Her feet clad in school shoes and socks were now dangling in the air.

Abhimanyu: Kya kaha?!

Akshara: Nakli doctor!

Abhimanyu: Mai Nakli doctor nahi hoon samjhi na...

Akshara: Accha?? Toh...Toh tumhara stepschope kahan hai phir?!

Abhimanyu marched towards his uncle's desk and took the stethoscope and put his round his neck.

Abhimanyu: Ye dekho! By the way, isse stethoschope kehti hai...buddhu ladki!

Akshara: whatever! Itna chota doctor nahi hoti...

Abhimanyu: Tbhi to junior hoon na...bada hokr senior doctor ban jaunga...pr mai banuga doctor hi..smjhi!

Akshara: Ohoo, pr tb tk toh tum Nakli hi hue na..

Abhimanyu: Tumhe tumhara ilaaj krwana hai ya nahi?

Akshara: Kisse? Tum ilaaj karoge mera?

Abhimanyu: Aur kon hai yahan...chalo mujhe apni issue batao...

Akshara frowned and looked at him. Somehow felt frank and remembered how Swarna always told her to voice her trouble clearly to doctors so she told him about her breathing troubles and pain in the chest. Abhimanyu heard her attentively. He took the stethoscope and tried to imitate what he had seen most doctors do.

Akshara: Tum sach wale doctor ho?

Abhimanyu: Tum ilaj se mtlb rakho na....accha batao usse pehle kya hua tha?

Akshara got silent. She recalled how her day started- with usual glares from Arohi. Arohi was rude to her at home but it got worse at school where no elder was around to stop her. Akshara was getting bullied there by her sister and her friends. Arohi had taught all her friends to call her a killer as well. After school as they were about to get on the bus, Arohi said some things and then she could not breathe.

Akshara: (tries to avoid) usse kya mtlb? Mai bol rahi hoon problem aur tum idhr udhr ki baat kr rahe ho...uff mera hi time waste ho raha hai, mujhe mimi ko dhoondna hai...

Akshara got up and ran out of the cabin.

Abhimanyu: WAIT!

He ran after her and then took out some colourful candies from his pocket that he himself had packed in an airtight packet.

Abhimanyu: Next time jb bhi dard ho na to ye le lena...

Akshara: Tum dawai bhi dete ho?

Abhimanyu: duh! Every doctor does...

Akshara took the packet and scanned it carefully.

Akshara: Ye!! Ye to popins hai!!

Abhimanyu blushed in embarrassment. No one had confronted him on his medicine yet. But then, most his patients had been the hospital staff or his family members.

Abhimanyu: arey ye meri special medicine hai, lekr dekhna tum..

Akshara: thik hai.. (mutters) Nakli doctor!

Abhimanyu: OYE!

Akshara poked her tongue out at him and was about to answer when she was pulled and hugged.

Suhasini: kahan chali gayi thi Akshu??? Hum doctor lene gaye they aur tu ward se gayab ho gayi!!!...

Akshara: Mai thik hoon Mimi, sorry. Mai apko dhoonde aayi thi..

Suhasini: Koi baat nahi beta! Ab dard kaisa hai?

Akshara: Thik hai Mimi...

Suhasini: chalo...

On her way out, Suhasini bashed the doctor who was supposed to attend Akshara and the receptionist. She cancelled her appointment for later and left with Akshara.

............

Later,

Harshvardhan was informed about the chaos Suhasini had created and the fact that Akshara had left without treatment.

Harshvardhan: Goenkas kitna bada naam hai sheher ka! Pehle nahi keh skte they?? Koi intern ko hi bhej dete!!!

Receptionist: so-sorry sir..

Harshvardhan: Do hell with your sorry!! Send them an apology mail and request for another appointment. Say it's a free check up from our side.

.............

At night,

Akshara was on a video call with Kairav and Vansh.

Suhasini: aaj toh jaise taise sambhal gayi bacchii, pr ilaj toh zaruri hai..

Manish: Haan Maa, pta nahi kyu uske saath ye sb? (wipes his tears) Birla hospital se apology mail aya hai aur reschedule bhi krna chahte hai appointment. ..

Suhasini: Koi zarurat nahi hai uss lalachi hospital me ilaaaj krwane ki...saare doctors us ek admi ke beech pagal ho gaye aur humari phool si bacchii...

Swarna: Pr maa, maine baat ki thi Akshu se....vo keh rahi thi kissi doctor ne usse dekha tha, jb vo apko dhoodne nikli thi...

Suhasini: accha? Humne to nahi dekha tha pr...

Manish: Maa, vo keh rahi hai toh hoga koi...hume appointment book kr hi leni chahiye...Birla hospital sheher ka best hai ...aur iss tarah ka treatment hr hospital krta bhi nahi hai...

Suhasini: thik hai phir...

...............

That night, Akshara picked out her favourite coloured candy from the packet and ate it. She felt like a bad kid for eating sweets so late. Her badimumma never let her. She felt greedy and popped on more before tucking away the packet under her bed. For the first time, she fell asleep thinking not of Arohi's taunts or the incident that happened months ago but relishing the sweet aftertaste in her mouth and the person she met that day. Few kilometres from her house, Abhimanyu slept with his head in his mother's lap thinking of his newest patient.

Two kids, innocent and kind, unaware how mysteriously fate works.

................

This was more of an introductory chapter. Abhira's childhood and story will unfold in later parts. Do you like the concept?

xoxo