"Why would someone just blame her for kidnapping his infant?" an employee whispers to the other in the hallway.
"Who knows? Might be she would have done something out of anger. We all know how her temper is." the other says.
"But she can never go this far though?."
"Maybe or maybe not." they walk away whispering and gossiping.
The entire staff is murmuring and gossiping while assuming about the situation that led to yesterday's chaos.
Anna overheard them while exiting the elevator but did not said anything. Walking towards her room she ignored what Jenny was telling her about her schedule. Throwing her bag on the couch she sits on her chair holding her head down with both her hands, in embarrassment. Trying hard not to cry anymore but she can't help it. All her reputation and image which she build in these years working hard, is gone in a puff. The employees will keep talking like this behind her back but she cannot tolerate their judgemental eyes peeking from here and there.
"Come inside." she told Jenny via intercom.
Knocking the door then opening it she enters, "Yes madam." she says.
Adjusting her hair she says, "Gather all the employees in the grand hall right now."
Looking at her in confusion Jenny didn't dare ask anything.
"Do I need to repeat myself." she says in a stern voice.
"No Madam. I'll gather everyone within 10 minutes." says Jenny and rushed out.
Getting up from her chair she start marching from left to right thinking as to what should exactly be said to close this chapter once and for all.
Taking a deep breath she enters the hall, dressed in her lilac suit with dark pink shirt, open curly hair, straight facial expressions with medium makeup and no accesories except her single chain danglers. As she enters the entire room became silent as if no one is there. Reaching at the mic she holds it in her hand checks if it's working. Running her eyes through the entire room she asks, "Is each and every employee present here?"
Handing over the list Jenny nodded in yes.
"I heard you all are having questions and are curious about what happened yesterday. So come on ask me directly now. Why waste your time in talking behind my back rather than ask me here now. I'm giving you an open chance to do so. You all work for me and yet you have guts to speak like this about me behind my back and make assumptions. Do I pay you for backbiting me?" she says in a loud voice.
There is still complete silence and everyone is standing head bowed ashamed. "Is it really necessary to know everything about someone's life and relations. Then listen I'll tell you what and why all that chaos happened yesterday."
As she says this everyone looks at her confused.
"The person making chaos yesterday was my ex fiance with whom I have no relationship now. Six months before we came across each other because of an accident which involved him and his pregnant wife. His wife gave birth to a boy but went in coma after the accident. He left his son at the hospital and went back to his city and returned few days back. While he was away the hospital staff and doctor attending his case took care of his child. But now he wants his child back to take with him while doctor is not trusting him with the child because of his irresponsible behaviour six months back. The doctor attending his case is my uncle and this makes him think that I'm taking revenge on him by keeping him away from his child. I myself am not sure why does he think this way when I have nothing to do with his family. But I guess he needs someone to put a blame for his mess so he created the chaos yesterday. " she stops and looks at them.
Everyone still puzzled but at least they got their answers. " Now if your curiosity is satisfied return to your work." says Anna with a raised eyebrow. Everyone apologizes for their behaviour and one after the other left the room. As she also steps down to go she blacked out for a second and stumbles, Jenny rushes and held her arm. "Are you alright Madam?" she asks slowly with a worried expression.
Maintaining her balance she replies with a nod and went to her room, Jenny following her with a worried face. It is clear from the way she is struggling to walk that she is getting dizzy, but still not asking for help. Jenny closely follows her to the room and left only when Anna sat on her chair.
Quickly she returns with a cup of coffee and some refreshments, knocking the door she enters. Anna is sitting in her with her head resting on her palms.
"Madam please eat something." she insisted.
Looking at Jenny with heavy eyes she says in a very low and heavy voice, "Keep it here. I'll have it."
Keeping the tray on the table in the corner she stand near her in order to help her walk till there.
Anna looks at her in confusion and asks, "Why are you still standing? Go do your work."
"I'll help you out Madam. You are feeling dizzy you might fall." she replies slowly with her gaze lowered.
"No I'm fine."
"Reaching out to the side drawer of the cupboard in her room Jenny takes out her medicine and held it out to her with a glass of water. " Keep it I will take it." again she says the same thing and covered her face with her hands.
" Madam please take the medicine now." she insisted but deeply scared.
Anna glares at her hard enough to creep her out but still she remain standing with her hands out holding medicine and water.
" Fine. Give." Anna says and gulps down the medicine.
Keeping the glass aside Jenny says, " Please eat something, Madam."
Nodding she replies, " Yes I will."
Jenny left smiling and closing the door slowly.
Watching her left she then putting her head down on her table closed her eyes.
Her phone buzzing in her bag continuously since morning but she didn't realised about it in her fatigue.
"Where is she?" Jim ask Isabelle on the call.
"She left for office this morning and I presume she should be there if not out for meeting." she informs.
"I have been calling her since morning but not even a single call is answered. Are you sure she if fine?" he asks anxiously.
"I hope that she is fine because last night also she was so down that she didn't had dinner and in morning she left silently, even I found it later that she had left when I went to her room." Isabelle tells him worried.
"I'll go check in her office. In the meantime if she comes home please do inform me." he says fastening the seatbelt.
"Yeah."
Keeping the phone aside he starts the car and rush to her office. Standing in front of elevator waiting for it seems like a forever wait to him at the moment so he flew through the staircase.
"Is she in her room?" he asks Jenny gasping for breath.
"Yes sir."
Listening this he moves towards her room when Jenny calls him, "Sir."
"Jenny I don't care if she's in a meeting. I promise I'll not disturb her if she's in middle of her work. I just need to see right now." he says all in one go.
"No sir she is not in any meeting. The thing is...." and she narrates the entire encounter happened today. Listening to the entire matter he became more worried about her and runs towards her room. Stopping at the door he knocks and waits for her response but when no response came he knocks again and enters but stops there. Anna is still in her head down position so he calls her, "Anna" in his soft way.
But still no response, closing the door slowly he walks towards her. Standing beside her caressing her hair slowly, he again calls her, "Anna". with a heavy heart. He knows how hard it would have been for her to face her employees today but still she managed to stand in front of them to clear her position.
He keeps looking at her with teary eyes. His caressing woke her up and as she moves her head he wipes his face and putting on a smile says, "Today sleeping over work."
Lifting her head up she looks at him, her eyes are swollen and red, her face is gone paler than before while she puts on a smile. Sitting on his knees in front of her he says, "I'm sorry for not being here today."
" Stop being melodramatic Jim." says Anna getting up from the chair to get water.
Getting up from the floor Jim walks behind her and talking the bottle from her hand sit on the couch and asks her to sit too.
" I'm not in a mood for chit chat." she says taking the bottle from his hand and gulping down half of it in a go.
"Lets eat something." he suggests.
Looking at him with a raised eyebrow she glares hard to make him understand that she is in no mood. But instead of replying he just kept looking at her with his soft eyes into her empty eyes. She got into the moment but turning towards her table she walks away.
"Why aren't you coming Anny?" he asks childishly tapping his feet on the ground.
But before she could turn towards him she started feeling dizzy and her vision becomes hazy as she reaches her table. Hardly for a moment she could manage to stand. And she fell on the floor with a thud. Rushing towards her he picked her up and lays her down on the couch.
Calling for an ambulance he kept calling her but no response could be seen from her. He kept holding her hand the entire time until they reach the hospital. His tears didn't stop for a moment and his heart started aching once again
They reached the City Hospital and as the staff is well aware of her Dr.Maxwell is immediately informed about her. He came instantly and started her treatment, while Jim waits outside the room.
"Jim is this you?" Dr. Maxwell asks as he comes out of the room.
Nodding in yes he stood there in silence waiting him to complete what he was saying.
"She had a nervous breakdown. Did something happened?" he asks seriously.
Looking at him he replies, "Marcel happened."
Shaking his head in disappointment he said, "I heard what scene he caused yesterday. I gave him his son yesterday itself." he tells.
" Did he left?"
" Yes he surely left the hospital yesterday."
" What about his wife?"
" Poor child is still here in coma and I cannot risk her life by letting him take her." Maxwell says pitying her.
" Can I meet Anna?" he asks.
" Not now. She's under sedatives and needs rest. Her blood sugar level is below normal and her pulse rate are far higher. She need strict mental and physical rest. I haven't seen her like this in a long time." Maxwell says in disappointment.
" Yeah she never give up easily. She must have been very stressed out lately."
" Yes. But as it's you so just go in there and make sure not to disturb her." says Maxwell keeping his hand on Jim's shoulder smiling and then left.
Entering the room tip toed and closing the door slowly he walks towards her. Old memories kicking in hard and making him anxious and uncomfortable. He has seen her like this a long time ago too and even though such long time has passed he realised that the way he felt at that time seeing her like this was just the same as he's feeling right now. Sitting on the chair near her bed he just keeps looking at her with his deep, soft eyes in a way which he didn't even realised. He watches her such lovingly that he himself didn't knows.
While she is lying there in hospital dress, hair dressing on one side of her pillow. Her breathing is still not normal while other things returning to their normal pace slowly as medicines works.
Suddenly Jim's phone buzzes he quickly gets up and left the room trying to be as silent as possible.
"Yes Isabelle !" he says in a low voice.
"I'm sorry to disturb you Sir but Madam is not picking up. I'm dead worried for her. Did you visited her?" she asks sounding very worried and anxious.
"She's in the hospital and I'm with her." he informs.
"What? Why?"
"She had a nervous breakdown and she's unconscious at present."
" Which hospital? I'll just come." she panicks.
" Isabelle it's already quarter passed 7 and it will not be safe for you drive at this hour. Don't worry we are at City Hospital and his uncle had attended her well. We are hoping her to wake by tomorrow morning with all her vitals back to normal. So don't worry and take care of Lisa in the meantime. Don't let her rush here." he says politely trying to convince her.
" But how did all this happened out of the blue?" she asks.
" I'll tell you the entire situation but not right now. I have to be with her." he says.
" Please take care of her and do tell me if anything is needed."
" Yeah." saying this he ends the call and went back in.
Around 10 the doctors again came to check her and informs him about her vitals returning to normal. But she still being unconscious is only thing that is worrying them.
As doctors left he again sat next to her with disappointed heart. Taking a deep breath, he hold her hand in his and says, " Wake up now. I'm waiting for you."
Giving her a soft kiss on her forehead he sat back, holding her hand in his, caressing it slowly and looking at her with eyes full of love.