Subhadra Hegde walked behind a constable.

The place was darker than usual. Very dim bulbs lit the corridor they walked through.

Good enough.

The constable ended his journey before a cell.

" 10 minutes only, ma'am. " , he said flatly

" More than enough. " , Subhadra rolled her eyes and smiled.

The constable left Subhadra standing before the bars.

She grinned.

" Long time no see! How are you, Brother? "

The man inside the cell sat on a blanket spread on the floor. A low power bulb lit the cell adequately.

The man didn't care to stand up. He rather settled more comfortably, looking elsewhere.

" Seems my brother is angry with me for not turning up for a long time. Isn't it? What to do bro, huge responsibilities. "

The man now turned his face to Subhadra. His eyes emitted utter disgust.

He hissed.
" Why do you show up with your dirty face every now and then?? I have told you million times, leave me alone. At least spare me here!!! "

Subhadra pursed her lips.

" Tchh Tchh Tchh ...
Down brother! It's a jail. Not your favourite golf club, or bar.
Sad how even ten years couldn't make you straight....  " , Subhadra made a puppy face.

The man jumped up and almost pounced onto her, but the bars made him helpless.

Subhadra laughed.

A lunatic laughter.

" Easy brother!! Easy!! 
Look, I made mom's favourite halwa for you. With less ghee though. A doctor is a bad cook. You know why? "

" Get lost I said. " , the man clenched his teeth and groaned.

Ignoring his words completely, Subhadra passed a tiffin career inside the cell through the bars. The man kicked the box, spreading the whole food on the floor.

Subhadra Hegde's expressions immediately changed, from calm to fierce. Momentarily though.
The very next moment she was back to being the smily faced sister.

Cute one.

" Awww, my hot headed brother!!
I don't mind your little pranks at all. I know right, for the love of your.. oops our beloved mom, you'll pick it up from the floor and eat. Her recipe after all!

Even the floored food will be much better than the prisoner's dal roti ! I swear. " , she ducked her tongue out.

" Subhadra widow Hegde! Don't you dare call my mom yours!!! You bloody moronic witch!!! "

" Sshhhhh! Does someone slang a li'l sisi? 
Better, does someone slang that beloved sister, on the charge of brutally murdering whose rapist cum own cousin, you're in?? "
Subhadra batted eyelashes.

The man was Vaibhav Patel. Subhadra's own elder sibling.

He made a sarcastic noise. And then laughed.
" What goes around comes around. See! You turned a widow!! And that barbaric husband of yours, killed itself, crooked insect !!! I don't trust by the way. You murdered that dog.
I know very well. Within two years of conspiring against....... "

Vaibhav couldn't end.
A strong pair of hands held his neck. Choking him completely.

Subhadra Hegde's eyes emitted fire.
She hissed distinctly,

" Blabber whatever you wish against me sweet brother! But if I hear you tell a single bad word against my dead husband, I won't mind slitting your throat. "

She let him go because the constable arrived.

" Ma'am, ten minutes over. "

She smiled at him.
" How's your daughter? "

The constable nodded with a sheepish smile.

" By the way, I would request you to pick that halwa up from the floor and put it on his plate.
If he eats, well and good. Otherwise feed to some streetdogs. " , she said to the constable. He nodded.

Vaibhav Patel was panting inside the cell.

" Bubbyee brother!! I'll try showing up my face more often. It gives me immense pleasure to see you in pain. "
Subhadra Hegde left pouting.

Vaibhav Patel banged his fist against the bars. In vain.

---

Subhadra Hegde walked into the cabin of Hiranmay Ganguly, HOD, General Surgery.

" Good morning sir!! "

" Ohh Subhadra.... How are you?? When I heard you fainted yesterday I was like just tooo guilty!!!"

" You tell me how's the patient. "

" Good good. She's good. "

" What more then? "

----

Nayanthara Jaiswal often found her nightmares coming true.

She knew quite well, this turn of fate that pulled her back to Hyderabad after eight long years, won't serve any good.

Just a week in this hospital as an RMO in General Surgery. And she was going to resign today itself.

Why, god? Why even? How much more punishment would she have to bear?

Weren't eight years of nightmare enough that now, she had to work in the same hospital as the nightmare??
 
No. She'd work in any other hospital in Hyderabad, but not this.
She could not die everyday.

Knowing, that the nightmare was around.

Better, she would leave Hyderabad once again. She and her thirteen year old boy could manage a living even if she privately practised. When would her degrees and medals come to use otherwise? 

Nayanthara had already typed a resignation letter. All she had to do was to get it stamped by the HOD.

He was a kind man, would definitely cooperate.

Nayanthara knocked on the door and got into the cabin of Hiranmay Ganguly.

" Sir....  I wanted to.....  "
Nayanthara stopped speaking.

Hiranmay smiled,
" Yes Nayanthara! 
Subhadra, this is our new RMO.
Nayanthara, meet Subhadra Hegde, from oncology. She's a beautiful woman, inside out. "

The words hardly got into Nayanthara's ears.

As a deep brown pair of eyes slowly turned to and got fixed on her, the resignation letter slipped from her hand.

How far you run, your fear will chase you!

Her eight years long nightmare, stood before her eyes, alive and awesome...

" If you can't wake up from a nightmare, maybe you aren't asleep. "

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