Chapter 3 - Beyond the shadows

"My thoughts were destroying me.
I tried not to think but
Silence was a killer too"

We get very used to the sadness
unlike happiness ,We don't cherish it for a while and let it go.

We hold it ,the pain, sufferings, agony
ache and keep it with us even when
we are happy and never the nice versa.

The thing is we romanticise pain
and not happiness. Have you ever played a flute?
No?
Yes?
Might have seen someone playing it at least right?  When you blow air in it,
it forms a tune, a melodious tune.
But you need to try to make a tune for that Otherwise it's just noise
and not music.

Till the time we don't try all we keep within us is pain. I ask Why do we remember every bad thing happened to us?
Why don't we remember every good thing?

I am sure the later will be uncountable ,Like the first time your parents smiled because if you,
The first movie you watched,
The first time you bought something for someone, The first time you made a child eat,the first time you had an ice cream alone in a balcony reading a romantic novel, The first time someone said that you are beautiful,
The first time you cooked,
The first time you wrote something
The first....
Just so many firsts and after that.

Take a paper, crumble it and throw it
as far as you can and with that
throw away to your every misery

Make paper boats ,Frogs and aeroplanes hang them or play with them And keep them.

May be we don't need anything
to remember pain, We might not need themto remember
all our happiness.

Tick tok

Tick tok

Time 11:30 p.m
New york
Same day (Almost 4 hours after the video conference ended)

Manik was pulled into an emergency surgery himself and so he couldn't keep a tap on the surgery going on in India.

Later when he walked out of the E.R completely exhausted his mind drifted to India.

India his mother land. The place where he was born and spent most of his childhood. He loved India just as much as he loved New York. This was the thing with Manik.

The moment he goes to a different place, he make the place his. India was his country and so was New York.  Where ever he went he gave a part of him to that place. Be the hospital he did his internship, the college he went, the schools back in India , everyplace had a special place in his heart. It was his place.

He noticed the time. Most probably the surgery would have been completed.
For a second he thought that they should have informed him about how it went but Manik never held grudges, he knew how hospitals worked.

But that does not mean he can't call right?  Picking up his phone he dialled the number of the hospital.

No sooner someone greeted him with a formal voice which he politely asked for Dr Nandini or Dr Singhania who so ever was available.

Caller - Yes sir, just hold on a second.

Within a min the phone was handed to someone and he was greeted with an exciting voice

"Hello Mr Malhotra"

To say Manik wasn't disappointed would be an understatement but the thing which shocked him was why?  Why was he disappointed? Why did he wanted Dr Murthy to be on call?
Coming out of his own thought he replied as politely as he could

Manik - I was hoping to hear it from anyone of you. I just wanted to ask, how did the surgery go?

Dr Singhania - Oh my god,  Nandini didn't call you. She was so excited to tell you that the surgery was a success. In fact as soon as the surgery was completed she rushed out to inform you about it. She might have got an emergency. I am so sorry Dr Malhotra that was so unprofessional of us. And thank you for being so kind and helping us. The surgery was a success.

Manik was relived but he was confused why?  Because the surgery was successful or because Dr Murthy thought to inform him the first thing after surgery.

May be a bit of both.
It wasn't that he liked  her or anything, if was in very simple language respect and sometimes all you need is to respect someone to take measures you never thought you would take. As for Manik he had no idea till now the measures he will /could take for her soon. Too soon for anyone's liking.

Manik - That's a great news. Congratulations to you and your fellow doctors.

Dr Singhania - Thank you. Congratulations to you too. Doctor just hold on a sec...

Manik could hear in the background shouting a name ' Navya'

Dr Singhania ( In background) - Navya have you seen Nandini? She was suppose to call Dr Manik but he didn't receive any calls from her.

And he heard a female voice replying to Dr Singhania which he assumed to be of Navya...

Navya - I don't know, I am calling her since  past one hour, she isn't picking up the phone. I searched the whole hospital, asked everyone. She has never done anything like this before.

Dr Singhania - Oh dear don't worry, did you check the Children's ward?

Navya - each and every corner of the hospital. I know it's not a big deal but I don't feel good about it. I don't know.. I just...

He could hear the fear in her voice which unknowingly made him afraid too.

Dr Singhania - Dr Manik, I'll talk to you later. Thank you so much for cooperating.  Looking forward to more such surgeries togther. I need to take a leave now and find my most precious student .

Manik - That's  not an issue, find Dr Murthy and do tell her to call me. I need and want to wish her personally .

Dr Singhania - For sure. She has been praising you all the hours in the O. T. about all your interesting surgeries and everything making me and Navya finally to snap and shut her up.  ( he added with a laugh)

Manik blushed. He had no idea why but he liked it when someone complimented his works. He had looks to die for but that was not his priceless possession, it was his work, his hard work and his struggles that has made him what he is.

Before he could reply a background voice interrupted his thoughts as well as his reply

Voice - Dr Singhania , I am ACP Shivani Roy , I need to see the CCTV footage of the entrance of this hospital. It's urgent.

Dr Singhania - Sure,  what's the matter ma'am?

No one knew that the next sentence will change their life forever...  For better or for worse we don't know. But it will change.

Spots of red has already entered her white world.
But the questions is
Is it the colour of love...

Dr. Nandini Murthy has been  shot and kidnapped.

Or blood...?

Tick tok

Tick tok

.....silence......

"They say nothing lasts forever but they're  just scared that it will last longer than they can
love it"

..........

Published on -29th July 2020

Hold your breath.... The roller coaster just started
.

How did Nandini got kidnapped?

And how will red enter the world of white?

Who do think might have shot and kidnapped her?

Jaanne ke liye padhte rahiye Breathe -Hope is scarier than death.

Uppar diye gaye gyaan ke liye maafi chahte hai :)
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Till then stay happy, stay blessed and stay safe ✨