"The reports are here." says Dr. Maxwell putting the file on the table in front of Jim.
Jim is fearing for the worst but praying for the best. His breathing got heavy while he manages to ask, "And?" swallowing the gulp.
Dr. Maxwell giving him a tense look, stood up from his chair and comes to him. Jim looking at him and getting tensed even more with the way he is looking and walking towards him. Trying to keep his calm he stands up, Dr. Maxwell holding him keeping his both hands on his shoulders, closing his eyes, taking a deep breath he says, "There is nothing to worry about. Reports are fine."
"I knew something bad is coming. It's all because of me...." he threw a fit panicking and mumbling. Maxwell just watching him and giving him time to process what he heard, stand there.
Jim keeps walking here and there and suddenly stops, looks at him and asks, "Pardon?"
He chuckled and says, "She's fine as per the reports there is nothing serious. She just needs to be here till the 48 hours completes." moving towards his chair.
Jim is so overwhelmed by this that he hugs him. Maxwell knowing about how worried he was and how much relieved he is now, smiles at him and handing him the reports he left for attending other patients.
Taking the reports he happily walks towards Anna's room but stops at the door. Isabelle telling her how he was with her this entire day.
"You know what he hasn't eaten either since yesterday. I know it doesn't hold a point in your eyes as you can go without eating for a long time yourself when indulged in work." Isabelle said.
" Why wouldn't it be a point in my opinion. I do whatever with me it's my madness towards my work. But Jim being like this and that too for me is not acceptable by me Belle. " says Anna in a heavy voice and continues, " I know him and I know his feelings too. But I can't let him get destroyed every day just after me. I don't want him to worry about me and that's why I stay rude to him." looking towards the other side trying to hide her tears she says in a breaking voice.
" No no don't do this to him. You can't just push him away like this for loving you. "
" No one loves anyone here Belle. Please don't make assumptions." she replies sternly.
" But.... "
Not letting her say anything further on this topic she says," My head is paining. Can we postpone this talk? "
Isabelle nods while Jim putting back his smile went inside.
" I'm here now you can leave. " he says politely giving his hand for taking Anna's hand.
Anna starting at him trying to figure out what to say it react but instead she stays silent. Isabelle handed over Anna's hand to him with a smile and left the room saying, "I'll be back with some refreshments for you two."
Caressing her hand gently, he asks, "How are you feeling now? Is there pain somewhere?"
"I'm fine." she replies slowly.
"Do tell me or the nurses if you feel any kind of pain or any thing unusual. Your uncle told me that you'll be here till tomorrow atleast." he told keeping the file on the side table.
"You should go now. Isabelle is here." says Anna in a heavy voice.
"Do you want me to leave? Why do you always asks me to leave?" he says.
"Because I think that there is no need for you to suffer in my every hardship."
" And what kind of friend would I be then?"
" Don't play with words, Jim." she says looking at him.
" Don't call my name like that Anna." he says avoiding her eyes.
" Why are you feeling guilty at what happened?" she asks turning towards him.
" Because I was responsible for taking care of you and I failed in doing so."
" Look at me !" she says holding his hand tightly.
Slowly he lifted his eyes towards her and then she continues, " Anything that has ever happened to me or is happening to me, is not your fault. You did nothing wrong and nothing wrong is happens because of you. Do you understand?" she says in a polite way smiling.
Jim being lost in her eyes didn't answered,rather he just lowered his head.
"Take rest Anna."
He says and in the same moment Isabelle enters the room. Leaving her hand he gets up and left the room.
Watching him go makes Anna's heart stop but she didn't say anything. " What happened?" asks Isabelle.
" Nothing." she smiles and reply. Then getting back to her sleep she rested for the entire night without getting up not even for dinner.
Jim after leaving the hospital went straight to his apartment, his head feels heavy from all the stress since the day of Marcel chaos.
Parking the car, he walks towards the elevator dragging his feet making sounds from his shoes while walking. He reach his apartment on the 7th floor dragging himself inside he hung the keys and coat, took a shower and wearing his cosy night suit just sit on the couch. Today he is not lost in thoughts and he didn't even lit the cigarette but rather he is confused about himself. "Why did I left? What on earth was I thinking? " he thinks touching his chin and wondering.
Suddenly he gets up and went to his bedroom, tucking himself in the blanket he says, "I think I should sleep now. Is she also sleeping? I wonder how she is?" he starts worrying about her once again and without any delay he calls Isabelle.
"Where are you?" he asks.
"I'm with madam. " she whispers.
"How is she?"
"You left a little while ago. Don't worry she's fine. I'll not leave her alone. I'm here." she assures him.
"Yeah. Okay." saying this he ends the call.
Laying towards his right side he hugs his pillow and close his eyes.
"He cannot sleep peacefully. Poor child." Isabelle says to herself.
Anna listening to all this after she was awaken by the phone ring, she pretends to be asleep. In order to avoid that topic with Isabelle. Her stomach feels hungry but she is not willing to get up so she just keep lying with eyes closed and soon she dozed off. Like Jim also sleeping like a baby after a few minutes of thinking and overthinking again and again about the reason why he left all of a sudden. He keeps replaying what she said to him and keeps blushing by the way she held his hand and looked into his eyes.
Cuddling with his pillow he fell asleep soon.
Winters are coming to an end with some warm air of spring it can be felt. The smell of the breeze, the chirping of insects and birds, the tiny little saplings all indicating towards the beginning of the spring. Getting up early, Jim is all set to go to hospital and meet Anna. Keeping the coffee to brew he cleans the house quickly, then opening the fridge he stands there and wonder what to have for breakfast. Taking out the milk and brownies he close it. Putting the milk into his coffee he sat on the chair and finishes his cake and coffee. "I think having cake for breakfast was not a good idea. I may gain weight like this." he murmurs to himself. Washing the dishes he closes the lights and picking up the cat keys he left the house. Locking the door he just take a second to remember if he is forgetting to do something and when sure about theirs nothing he then moves towards the elevator.
Dressed up in his favourite light blue shirt with black denims and long coat accessorize with brown leather strap watch and black reflectors. He sure gives some superstar vibes.
As he starts the car his phone starts ringing, hoping it to be Anna he picks up without seeing the name of the caller.
"Good Morning Sir." says a person in a heavy voice.
Frowning he looks at the number but no name then he again puts the phone to his ear and asks, "Who's this?"
"I'm the secretary of Mr. Richard Smith."
Jim remains silent and the other person continue, "This call is to inform you that your presence is mandatory at the Board Of Directors meeting today, scheduled to start about in an hour."
"I'm not coming. Kindly inform others." Jim says plainly.
"You cannot turn it down as this would lead to some strict measures against you. You Father told me to inform you personally through call as you haven't given your confirmation to our messages."
"I never attend any meeting but still things move on. What is it so important this time that my presence is utterly needed that even my Father is sending me messages like this, through his secretary." Jim says and his irritation can be felt in the way he speaks.
"I'm sorry Sir, but I'm doing what I was told. I don't know the details yet hence I would request you to come. There is something going on in the company and you being the major shareholder and the only heir of the company, must be aware of all this. No one is asking you to participate in the management but this meeting is important for the every shareholder." he finishes.
" I'll see if I can come or not." saying this he ends the call and starts his car. Continuously thinking about the situation and how come his father send him invite personally through his secretary. He never bothered to ask for his whereabouts and well being since all these years but all of a sudden why is his presence so important. Speedily driving towards the hospital suddenly he turned his car to the left instead of right. And now he's headed towards the company his father owns and he is heir of. Feeling nervous and anxious he just wants it to be finish soon because he cannot stand in the same room as his father. He is no more the way he was when he left home. He do not want any kind of nonsense to happen for which ultimately his father will blame him. He needs to keeo himself calm this whole time if he wants to maintain his reputation in front of his dad.
He wants to show him how far he has come and how much changed he is. He is going there to take this opportunity for showing everyone how pathetic their thinking was. He has zero interest in how much or in what way things can go west after this meeting.
He is unaware about what he is going to witness today that he will wish that he never visited them. He will regret his decision but time cannot be turned back so what's done it's done it cannot be changed.
As he enters the building everyone is amazed on his arrival as not even a single person was expecting him to come. Replying to the greetings of everyone he reaches the 3rd floor and enters the meeting hall. It is a big room with big oval shaped table at the center surrounded by chairs on all sides. Though all chairs were representing the high class of the company but few of them were aloof from the others, in their appearance and size also their power. There are only 4 chairs of Major shareholders in which three belongs to Jim, Richard and Irene Smith. The 4th one was once his paternal uncle but it is empty since he passed away and his shares got transferred to Jim and Richard in equal proportions making them two most powerful persons of the company.
Greeting everyone Jim sits on his chair next to his Mother's while they all waited for the Smith couple to arrive. In total there are 25 minor shareholders all seated in their respective places, arrived on time and eager about the agenda of the meeting. No one has been informed about the exact reason behind this meeting so it was no use to ask them Jim realised.
As the clock struck 10 the door opens and enters Richard Smith with some other lady who surely is not Irene. Everyone standing to greet him got confused when Irene entered a few moments later than them. Jim observing all this with a frown stands to greet him and then sits back. The lady is wearing a dark blue pencil dress closely hugging her hourglass figure, with same coloured stilletos accessorize with a chain and an infinity pendent with small hoops, black straight hair reaching the shoulder complimenting her subtle makeup. Jim avoiding looking at his father keeps looking down at the table but when his mother enters and everyone stood to great her he also stands up with a smile and then he notices her. It took a moment for him to realise but she surely is Cindy, his college friend.