Diya's POV
After talking to my parents my wandering thoughts came to a halt which was weirdly surprising. Hence, I stuffed all my things inside my sports bag and made my way out of the gym but not before messaging Khushi and Ria about my sudden leave at the mall. I told them that I will explain myself once I reach our apartment and they complied.
When I stepped out of the gym, it was already dark. Then sun had set leaving behind some of its orange rays giving the sky a twilight appearance. The birds we returning to their nest and so were the people living in this city. I took a deep breath and the dusk breeze hit my body making me shiver. Since I was just wearing a tank top, I wrapped my hands around my shoulders to make myself warm. When the weather started to get chilly, I took my ADIDAS jacket from my sports bag and pulled it over my shoulders.
I decided to walk to the apartment because the gym was located just five minutes away from our residence. I walked leisurely beside the busy streets while taking in the beauty of the evening and that's when I suddenly heard the sound of temple bells. When I snapped my head to the source of the sound, I saw a huge temple with a few fleets of stairs at its entrance. This has been the place that I had abandoned a few years ago. My younger version would have been happy to see this place but now I have nothing to do here.
" One should never forget to pray"
" We should always be grateful to god for the life that he has given us"
" We should never abandon God"
" He will bring you to your destiny"
" All you need to do is have patience"
The same voice kept on ringing at the back of my head making me feel nostalgic. However, I was able to push all those thoughts to the back of my mind much to my dismay. I will never come to you. Not now, not tomorrow and not in a hundred years. I said internally looking at the temple. It was actually a promise that I had made to myself. Suddenly, I wobbling and a shaky shadow of someone, formed due to the street lights, caught my attention. I quickly raised my head to look at the owner of the shadow that caught my attention. The person fainted and started falling from the stairs.
I gasped loudly and quickly raced to the person while the people around me gave weird looks. Not giving any heeds to them, I rushed to the person. It was a lady who was in her mid-fifties. She had neatly draped a saree over her, giving her a homely look. Luckily, I grabbed her by her shoulder before her head collided with the rough surface of the stairs. There were sweat beads on her forehead and she looked pale.
I checked her pulse and noticed that her pulse was very low. I quickly grabbed my water bottle and sprinkled some water on her face. Fortunately, she woke up with a jolt but unfortunately, the wet liquid was oozing out from her knees and elbows. I sighed in disappointment while inspection her wounds. " Aunty, I am really sorry. If I was a bit fast you would have not fallen" I said helping her to stand up. " Oh! Please, beta don't apologies. The fact that you are helping a stranger itself reflects your humanity. Thank you so much beta" she said in her faint voice and gasped at the blood coming out of her wounds. I quickly tore my jacket and wound it around her injuries to stop the oozing blood.
" Aunty, you are bleeding heavily and looking at your wounds, it seems like you might need stitches. Let's get you to the hospital" I said wrapping my hands around her shoulder to steady her gait. " No its fine beta. I will manage. You don't have to accompany me" she said but I cut her in between. " Aunty, please don't say like that. Would you let someone who has been injured to reach the hospital all by themselves? " that made her speechless and I started calling the cab.
Once the cab arrived we got in and the driver pulled his car to the hospital. During our ride to the hospital, she kept on looking at me with adoration while I checked her wounds every 5 seconds telling the driver to pick his pace. " What is your name beta?" she asked me with a lovely smile. " I am Diya Sharma. You can call me Diya" I said smiling back at her. " So Diya what are yo-" she was cut midway when the driver pulled in front the hospital making us jerk forward.
I quickly paid the cab much to her disagreement and pulled her into the hospital's entrance.
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After 30 minutes, her stitches were done and all her wounds were treated and bandaged. I finally breathed out in relieve taking in her current form. I guess along the way when you start practising and studying medicine, it kind of gets instilled in you that patients become your first priority and I am no excuse either.
Suddenly I frown at the lady in front of me as soon as I remembered something. Not understanding my sudden change of expression, she gave me a confusing look. " Aunty, your pulse was very low when I checked it earlier. How long has it been since you took your last meal?" I frowned at her. " Beta, I am fasting today. I think that was why I fainted" she said sheepishly.
" Aunty, I respect your believes but you should also take care of your health. No God would want his devotees to die or faint" I said firmly. " I understand beta. I should have been more careful" she said sighing deeply. " Its okay Aunty. Now let's get you home. Its already past 8.00" I said and was about to call the cab but suddenly she snatched the phone from me. I looked at her with wide eyes. She just shrugged and led me outside the hospital.
There, a black coloured Audi was waiting for someone. My eyes bulged out looking at the black babe and I instinctively took long strides towards it. What shook me most was when the lady slid inside the Audi pulling me along with her. I shot her a confused look while she smirked at me. Was I that obvious when I drooled over the car.
" Diya where do you live. I will drop you there" she said pulling from my current trance. " A-Aunty?" she giggled looking at my stuttering form and decided to clear the tension in the air. " Gosh Diya. You look so adorable when you give me that confused look beta" I frown at her playfully. " Okay let me explain myself. I called my driver while you went to get my medicines dear," she answered my unspoken question. " Since you didn't ask my name I will tell it by myself. My name is Mitra" she said buckling her seatbelt. Gosh, how did I even forget to ask her name? Stupid Diya. Stupid. I cursed myself while giving her a sheepish smile.
" Sorry A- " I was cut in between as she placed her forefinger on my lips which made my pupil to converge at her finger. " No formalities dear. Consider me as your mom. Now you don't deliberately say sorry or thanks to your mom, do you? " she asked raising her eyebrow suggestively. " No Aunty," I said giving her a toothy smile.
Then, Adam, her driver drove me to my apartment after I told him my address. During our ride home, she asked me a lot of questions about my hobby, my parents, and also about my future plans. I answered most of the question awkwardly because.....come on you know me. I still felt a bit uncomfortable describing myself to the person that I just met few hours ago. Therefore, I only answered her superficially and fortunately she didn't push me further to answer any of her questions.
When we reached the apartment I quickly got down from that expensive piece of heaven but not before asking her to take care of her self and I also thanked her for the ride. She engulfed me in a motherly hug and I returned her hug hesitantly. She gave her number telling me I could always call her if I was in need of any sort of help. Even though I said it wasn't necessary she shoved her number in my hand and gave me a don't-dare-to-challenge-me look which made me gulp audibly.
After they left, I stood in front of my apartment door taking in a deep breath before opening the door and prepared myself to face my friend's wrath. Here goes nothing.