4- JUST A KNOWN STRANGER

"In English, death has a rare sound, and the only ordinary word that rhymes with it is breath"

Have you seen someone dying right in front of you? 

Someone you don't know?

Have you experienced the sudden stillness within you when just like everyday you go out, you are in a car listening to your favourite song and boom...

You see a bus crushing a bike and the one who was driving the bike is on the road just beside the wheel of the bus, bleeding.
And all the cars stop, everything stops, you don't hear the horns, you don't hear the people shouting, you don't see the bus driver running off
but you don't get out to help or even call an ambulance and you know it's not your fault, you are just stilled.

Hours, days and sometimes months you see that face bleeding, you get nightmares even when you never saw that person.

The intensity increases when the person is slightly known , may be friends friend whom you met at a party and talked just once.

Why am I saying all these things ?

Because that was the case with Manik.

6 days, 7 nights, innumerable nightmares and just one name "Nandini"

Regardless to say, he had seen a lot of deaths in front of him, some on an operating table too but then when you feel you are immune to this that's when something unexpected happens.

6 days since Nandini was missing.
6 days since he last smiled
6 days since he last sat down without any troubling thoughts.
6 days since he slept peacefully.
6 days and all of it filled with her.

What was she to him? 
Just someone whom he talked once, someone who gained his respect in the first virtual meet itself, someone who was so intelligent that it made him so proud of her, someone who was so hell bent in saving a person without caring much about herself which made him in awee of her, just that someone whose eyes had twinkled when they had found the solution and just that someone who shy away and lowered her eyes when he praised her.

So who was she? 

Just a certain someone.

Just a known stranger

Time : 10:52 A. M
Destination : New York Grace hospital

Manik's Cabin

Manik - Cabir, did you talk to Navya? Any news about Nandini?

Cabir - I called her 2 hours back .No news yet.

Manik - 2 hours is a long, very long time. Call her again please.

Cabir and nodded and called Navya again.

The ring went unanswered.

Cabir - might be somewhere, she will call when she sees the missed call.

Manik sighed and rubbed his temple with his hands to lessen the pain of his throbbing forehead.

Cabir - Manik, don't get so worked up. I know it's shocking, but things like this happens and no one can stop it and neither can we stop our lives. Time and death does not wait for anyone. You need to be back to normal. Calling India every hour, hardly eating or sleeping , it will affect you and your patients too. You can not stake your life. I know it's hard to digest but we have to try.

Manik looked at Cabir with an undecipherable look in his eyes, he knew Cabir was not wrong but that does not mean he was right. No matter what he does, she is always there at the back of his mind. May be it was just the shock, may be if he wasn't there on the phone call with Dr Singhania that day, he wouldn't have been so worked up and tensed.

May be...

Or

May be not.

Manik - Time does not wait for anyone, but DEATH will.

The conviction in his voice shook Cabir off-guard. He had known Manik since his childhood, more than 2 decades, he knew Manik tends to get attached with people easily but no one had an impact on him to this extent specially after just one virtual talk.

To say that Cabir was not worried about Nandini would be an understatement, he was. But deep down somewhere in the corner of his heart, he was worried about Manik too.

The one talk he had with Nandani, it took just one call, just her voice and he felt uneasy with all the happenings  even when he was not an emotional person like Manik , he felt bad, he was worried but looking at Manik he was more worried.

The chain of his thoughts broke by the phone call.

Manik looked at Cabir with so much hope in his eyes that Cabir was almost scared to pick the call.

He didn't  had the heart to break his hope. He closed his eyes and just for a second hoped that his hope wins.

And Hope is scarier than death.

Cabir picked up his phone looking at Manik who through his eyes signalled to keep the speaker on.

Cabir - Hello

Navya - Hello, Cabir Sir (Since Navya was a junior of Cabir and Cabir had asked her not to call Dr Dhawan)

Cabir - Navya , any news of Nandini.

He could feel the tiredness in her voice, the helplessness, the tears, the weakness everything. It was not easy, he could not even imagine himself in the place of Navya and Manik in the place of Nandani, it gave him goosebumps just to even think about "not thinking about it" .

Navya - I....  No... I don't... ( and that's it, she had been strong for very long, she has kept her hope alive since past 6 days but there was no news of Nandani. Nandani, her best friend, her soul sister ,and now she was loosing all her hopes. She just needed something, anything to keep her hopes alive )

Cabir - Navya, she will be fine and will be in front of us soon .Very soon.

Navya - Yes. I'll call later if I get any information. Thank you Sir for a keeping a check and doing everything you can do even when she is practically just known stranger. I'll just go to the police station now. Thank you again.

Cabir hmm-ed and then kept the phone only to look at Manik and the disappointment in his eyes.

Few mins later...

There was a knock on the door and Cabir got up from the chair to open it.

Manik's eyes were closed as he leaned backwards on the rotating chair and huffed,a sign that he was tired.

A soft touch of hands ruffling his hairs made him open his eyes to look at the pair of eyes looking at him with concern.

Manik - Mom, what are you doing here?

Nyonika (Manik's Mother) - Since you have made this hospital your home, I had to come here. Look at you Manik, what have you done to your self?

Manik - maa, I am fine. You sit please.

Nyonika - did you eat anything?

Not getting any answer she gave an annoyed look laced with worry.

Nyonika - I have brought some food for both of you. Have it and Manik I want you at home today and no excuses.

Manik smiled, for the first time in 6 days he smiled, although just a little but the lady in front of him had the power to do anything. She was his mother, his life and his everything.

He got up and made her sit on the chair and himself sat on floor keeping his head on her lap.

Nyonika's hand automatically moved towards his hairs and she started ruffling it softly.

If Manik and Cabir were worried for Nandani, Nyonika too was worried. For everyone. She knew her son too well. If the news has affected him so much, there must be some reason, something was eating him from inside.

Nyonika - She will be fine Manik.

Manik - I hope so maa , I just talked to her that day, just a few hours before she was so happy, her eyes were shining because she had a solution, a solution to save a life, she looked happy and you know Dr Singhania said that she rushed out of the OT just after the operation to inform me mom. Then how come all of a sudden she is no where.

Just no where... Just a min before she walks out of the OT and is no where to be seen.

The turmoil he had inside himself was very clear to Nyonika and she knew no amount of words could make him feel better but just her presence, so she kept stroking her hair. They both didn't realised when Cabir silently left the room to give Manik some very precious time for himself.

The voice from the Indian news channel in the background of his cabin disappeared

"Dr Nandini Murthy who went missing on Tuesday, 12th November is found near a secluded area in greater Noida. Report says that she is found dead but it is yet not comfimed..."

And the almost inaudible voice faded in oblivion as the exhaustion of 6 days overpowered his senses and sleep took over her consciousness.

"The woods are lovely,dark and deep .
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."

Robert Frost.

Published on -15th August 2020.

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

Unedited.

How was it?

Next chapter will be very important for the story.

How is Nandini?

Dead or alive?

I personally hope she is alive :")

How about Nyonika (I love her)

What will be Manik's reaction?

For that stay tuned and keep breathing.

*

Till then stay safe and stay blessed.
And stay safe. Don't forget to wear masks.

Happy Independence Day 🇮🇳