Part 64 Conspiracy

Arnav came to meet the doctor to find out about his father's condition.

"Please, take your seat, Mr. Raizada..." the doctor said.

Arnav sat in front of him.

"How is his condition doctor?" Arnav asked.

"We can say anything only after he regains consciousness."

Arnav frowned... what did that mean?

"Doctor please, talk openly no matter what"

"He is hit on the head. There is nothing to be hidden, Mr. Raizada. He is serious...We suspect that he may have gone into a coma stage because of the deep blow to his head"

Arnav was shocked. What would he do if Arvind went to a coma stage? How would he get to know about the problem between his father and Kishore Bijlani? Arnav so wanted Arvind not to go to a coma stage.

"Don't lose hope Mr. Raizada. Let's hope for good things to happen" the doctor said.

Arnav nodded his head affirmatively. Arnav came out of the doctor's room with disappointment.

That was when he saw Ratna coming with Khushi and Lavanya, all tears.

"Chotte... How is Arvindji?" she asked restlessly.

"The injury is deep. He has not regained his consciousness yet..."

"Hey, Devi Maiya... Why are you testing me?" She cried her heart out.

"Mom, please compose yourself... he is out of danger. You should be glad about it"

"I want to see him right away..."

"He is in the ICU. You can see him but you should not cry inside the unit..."

Ratna nodded okay and wiped her face with her saree Pallu.

Arnav took them to the ICU. Though Ratna said she would not cry, she could not hold herself to see him with his head bandaged and an oxygen mask over his nose. She closed her mouth with her saree Pallu not to make noise.

Khushi and Lavanya held her from either side in a consoling manner.

Lavanya gestured for Arnav to send Ratna out of the ICU. She would be crying if she was with Arvind because Lavanya guessed Ratna would not be firm all the time. Arvind's present condition would make Ratna weaker she guessed right. Arnav nodded yes understanding her thought.

"Mom, let's go out," Arnav said.

"No... I won't come anywhere. I will be here with Arvindji. Please don't send me out, Chotte"

"Mom, please understand. I will be with Dad until he gets conscious. I promise you are the one who is going to be with him after he gets consciousness. See, saline is given. He doesn't need your help now. You can be with him when he needs your help."

"But, Chotte..."

"Mom, be strong. You are our strength. If you lose your hope, how will we stand?"

Ratna hugged him and cried. Arnav touched her head.

"Mom, control yourself. Dad will be all right. Your prayers will not go in vain. This is ICU we are not allowed to be with him. We have to be sitting outside only"

Ratna broke the hug and wiped her cheek.

"Go home and come tomorrow morning, Mom. I will be here"

"I can't sleep peacefully even if I go home. You too know that. Yet, you are sending me home. I don't know why. It's ok... I'm going because I trust you, Chotte" Ratna said emotionally.

Arnav gulped down hard. He knew his mother trusted him. He didn't know how he was going to prove himself worthy of it. He didn't know why Arvind said his wife would die if the video was uploaded to social media. He was fed up with Arvind's condition. He told Ratna that they could not be in ICU. It was not true. He already had gotten the doctor's permission to be with Arvind in the ICU.

"Khushi, be with Chotte..." Ratna said.

Khushi looked at Arnav expecting his reply. As she expected, he said,

"No Mom, Khushi and Lavanya will be with you"

He looked at them and said,

"Both of you don't leave Mom alone. You guys sleep with her in her room" Arnav said.

They nodded ok.

"I will send you dinner," Ratna said.

"No, Mom. I will manage in the hospital canteen" Arnav said. He was not in the mood to eat anything.

"Eat something Chotte..."

Arnav nodded ok. He sent them home and came to the ICU. He sat on the chair that was next to Arvind's bed. He didn't know what was threatening his father which made him think of dying. He didn't get sleep. He was thinking about the problem. What would be Kishor Bijlani's reaction if he learned that Arvind was in a coma stage? Something clicked in his mind. He looked at Arvind and decided what to do. He went to the doctor's room and saw the doctor was getting ready to go home.

"Doctor I want to talk to you"

"Tell me Mr. Raizada..."

"Declare that my father is in a coma stage"

The doctor looked at him with confusion.

"But, it's not confirmed, Mr. Raizada"

"I know, Doctor. Just now I got to know that, it was not an accident but my father intentionally banged his car on a tree..."

"What do you mean?"

"Yes, sir... I suspect someone is behind my father's accident. I want to find out who it is. That's why I ask you to do that"

"But how the person will come out if your father is in a coma stage? He will come out only if he is fine, right?" The doctor asked the valuable question.

"Yes, doctor. I want him not to come out for a while. I need some time to manage the situation. That's why I want him to believe my father is in a coma."

The doctor thought for a while.

"You don't have to bother about the consequences, Doctor. I will manage if my father gained his consciousness"

"It's not a big deal, Mr. Raizada...! No one can say anything about the coma stage. The person who is in the coma stage can come out of it anytime"

"Then, why are you thinking?"

"Ok, I will declare it tomorrow morning"

"Thank you, doctor"

"Anything for you, Mr. Raizada"

Arnav smiled with satisfaction and left his room. He came to the ICU and took a seat next to his father again. He saw the doctor coming to the ICU.

"Sister," the doctor called the nurse.

"Mr. Raizada will be with his father. You can come here only when it's necessary. Now, you can leave" he said.

The nurse left the ICU even though she was confused. It was completely weird that the ICU patient would be with his son instead of a nurse.

After she left the ICU,

"Your father may get conscious anytime. I don't want anyone to know that as we are going to declare his coma stage. That's why I sent her out"

"Thank you so much, doctor. Be with him. Call me if he gets conscious"

"Sure sir"

The doctor left the ICU. Arnav sat on the chair. He called Rohan. He attended the call.

"Rohan, I want all the details about Kishor Bijlani. Where is he going... with whom he is talking, who are his relatives and friends, his company details, everything..."

"Ok, ASR"

"Make it fast. I don't know what you will do. I want it to happen soon"

"Done"

Arnav leaned on the chair and closed his eyes thinking about the happenstance one by one. He didn't know when he slept.

Arnav woke up from his sleep jerking. He saw Arvind moaning. He rushed to the door and locked the door. Sliding the curtain, he again came to Arvind.

"Dad... Dad, look at me"

Arvind slowly opened his eyes.

"Chotte..." he said weakly.

"Dad, why did you bang the car on the tree?"

Arvind was shocked. How did Arnav know that?

"It's an accident Chotte..."

"Dad, please stop lying. I know someone is threatening you that made you think of dying. Trust me, I will bring you out of the problem..."

"No, Chotte... you can do nothing in this... it's a serious one"

"Dad, I don't care how serious the issue is. What video did you talk about on the phone? Why did you say your wife will die if the video is uploaded on YouTube?"

Arvind was again shocked.

"Dad, there is nothing to be shocked... tell me the truth. Then only you can get rid of the problem. What's the video about? Why are you afraid of Kishor Bijlani? Tell me, Dad. What's wrong with you? Why are you afraid of him?"

"I did no wrong... he purposely trapped me"

"Trapped? Why? How?"

"He introduced me to me at a business conference. He invited me to a party. I went. He spiked my drink and made me faint. The next morning I was on a bed half nude. Kishor showed me a video he captured. A girl was sleeping with me in the video."

"Whaaaat?" Arnav was shocked to the core. he understood what made his father behave like a madman.

"He trapped me well. I could do nothing, Chotte..."

"Why did he do that?"

"To get you married to his daughter Hilma"

"Whaaat?"

"Yes, she liked you and wanted to marry you. He said that to me at our first meeting. I told them that you are waiting for your lost wife. He pretended to be unaffected. At that time, I didn't know he had a plan to trap me. He trapped me to trap you as his son-in-law. I'm sorry Chotte... I danced to his tune to save my respect. Or else, he would have uploaded the video to social media. I had no choice other than doing what he said" he panted hard.

"Dad...do you trust me?"

Arvind slightly nodded yes.

"Will you do what I say?"

He nodded ok.

"I know it will be hard for you but we have no choice. Pretend like you are in a coma. I will take care of everything"

Without thinking of anything, Arvind nodded ok.

To be continued...