Kartik looked at her and said, "If you want, you can share your problem with me."
Tears started rolling down Shefali's kohl-lined eyes. Seeing her get emotional, Kartik gently said, "Look, I'll give you free advice. The world only makes those cry who are already crying. So, wipe your tears and tell me what happened."
Shefali slowly nodded and took out a handkerchief from her sling purse to wipe her tears. She said, "My father has been admitted to the City Hospital in Delhi for the last five years, and he suffers from a mental illness called dementia. His memory is weakening day by day."
Kartik, with his arms crossed, was listening intently to every word she said. Shefali continued, "My father has never let me face any hardship. I don't even remember my mother; she left me when I was very young. But my father is my entire world. He's been my mother, father, brother, sister, and friend—everything."
She left her sentence incomplete and started crying again.
Seeing her cry, Kartik felt uncomfortable. With tear-filled eyes, Shefali said, "I'll get to the point. My father also has a kidney problem. He needs dialysis, and I need money for it. I don't know what I'll do if something happens to him. I can't figure out how to arrange so much money."
For some reason, everything she said touched Kartik's heart deeply, and he could feel Shefali's pain. He too had experienced the fear of losing loved ones.
Kartik looked at her and asked, "Can I help you with this?"
Shefali softly said, "Could you lend me 10,00,000 rupees? I'll repay you bit by bit, but it'll take some time."
Without asking further questions, Kartik pulled out his checkbook from his coat pocket, signed a check for the amount, and handed it to Shefali, saying, "There's no need to return this."
Shefali, looking at him, said, "How can it be that you don't want this back? You've given me such a large amount—surely, you must want something in return?"
Kartik replied, "Just save your father. I'm not doing this for a favor; I just don't want anyone to lose someone they love. You're a good person, Shefali. Keep it, and always stay happy."
During their conversation, the bus had arrived.
Shefali quietly looked at Kartik, who gestured with his eyes toward the bus, and without saying a word, she boarded it. As soon as she got inside, the bus started its journey.
Kartik stood there, arms folded, watching the bus until it disappeared from his sight. Neil quietly came up to him, stood close, and said, "The bus is gone."
Hearing Neil's sudden voice, Kartik snapped out of his thoughts and, taking a deep breath, stood up. Their car once again merged into the heavy Delhi traffic.
Neil shrugged and said, "I feel like dedicating a song to you."
Kartik, covering his ears with both hands, said, "Forgive me, I don't want to hear your singing right now."
Neil removed his hands from Kartik's ears and said, "Hey, if you listen, you won't want to stop!" Without wasting time, Neil quickly opened his Instagram and played a live show of a girl singing, "Tuu hi yeh mujhko bata de chaahu main ya…"
The girl's voice was so melodious that, despite refusing, Kartik couldn't help but listen. "Who is she?" he asked.
"I don't know, man. The page says her name is Kiara. I just saw her today and loved it. Her face isn't visible, so who knows, she might be a local singer, but she's amazing!" Neil continued excitedly, "I dedicate this song to you! I can see my brother settling down!"
Annoyed, Kartik said while looking ahead, "It's not what you think. I just consider Shefali a friend. She's a bit innocent, and there are very few people like her in the world. They are as they appear, inside and out. At least you shouldn't say things like that!"
After a while, the phone in the car started ringing. Neil checked the phone and said, "Hey, did you buy a new phone without me? But it looks so old!"
Kartik replied, "It's not mine. I think Shefali left her phone in the car."
Neil said, "Then pick it up and let her know she left her phone with you."
Kartik thought for a moment and said, "No, it doesn't feel right to answer someone's phone like that." By then, the ringing had stopped.
Kartik thought for a moment and instructed the driver, "Turn the car towards City Line Hospital."
"Okay, Prince," the driver said, and the car took a turn.
Neil turned around, looked at Kartik, and said, "Your Highness, can you tell us why we're going to 'Shahar Pankti'?"
Kartik, confused, asked, "Shahar Pankti?"
Neil, smiling, said, "We mean City Line, Your Highness."
"We're going to return the belongings that were left behind in our carriage to their rightful owner at City Line Hospital," Kartik said with a grin.
Neil folded his hands and bowed his head, saying, "Hail to the Prince! As long as you're around, your people will never be unhappy! Hail to the Prince!"
Both of them burst into laughter.
***********
Meanwhile, Shefali had reached City Line Hospital. Upon arrival, she completed some formalities at the reception and entered the elevator next to it. Today, she was extremely happy because now she could get her father's operation done.
Reaching the fourth floor, she rushed to her father's bed in the general ward, only to find another patient there. She panicked. Looking at the attendant with the patient, she asked, "This was my father's bed. Where is he?"
The attendant replied, "I don't know where your father is. My wife has been in treatment on this bed for the past seven days."
Hearing this, Shefali became even more anxious. She rushed to the nurse in the general ward and pointed towards the bed, saying, "My father, Mr. Shrikant Joshi, was there. Where did he go?"
The nurse casually glanced at her register and replied, "The patients whose bed payments haven't been made have been moved to the top floor."
Shefali, annoyed, said, "At least you should have informed me," and without waiting for the nurse's reply, she hurried out of there.
As Shefali was running, she suddenly bumped into someone in the corridor. At that moment, Shefali was in a rush, and the worry on her face was clearly visible. Without looking at the person she bumped into, she said, "I'm sorry," and then ran towards the elevator.
The person she bumped into was none other than Kartik.
Kartik called out to stop her, saying, "What happened, Shefali? Where are you rushing off to?"
Recognizing his voice, Shefali turned around to look at him. Her eyes were filled with tears. Seeing her so distressed made Kartik feel uneasy. Without meeting his eyes, she said, "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't realize it was you!"
Before Kartik could say anything, Neel, in his usual teasing manner, chimed in, "It's okay, our prince isn't some god who just descended from Mars!"
Kartik widened his eyes and gestured for Neel to be quiet. But hearing Neel's remark, a small smile appeared on Shefali's face.
Kartik took her phone out of his back pocket and handed it to her, saying, "You left your phone in the car." Meanwhile, Neel, already engrossed in a phone call, had walked away.
Looking at Shefali, Kartik asked, "By the way, where were you rushing off to in such a hurry?"
Shefali furrowed her brows and quietly replied, "They shifted my father to the top floor. They gave his bed to another patient. I was going to see him on the top floor."
After a brief pause, she added, "Since you're already here, why don't you come with me to meet my father?"
Kartik nodded in agreement and accompanied Shefali to the hospital's top floor. The sight there sent chills down Shefali's spine because many sick patients were left lying on the floor. The condition was terrible. Seeing this, Kartik also felt uneasy. Reaching the top floor, Shefali began searching for her father among the many patients. There was no one to take care of them, and Kartik followed her closely.
In one corner of the floor, an elderly man sat in a wheelchair. He had become so weak that he could barely hold his head up. Upon seeing him, Shefali ran towards him and said, "Baba, how are you?"
The old man was too sick to even speak. Shefali took his wrinkled hand in hers, and recognizing her touch, he glanced at her.
Looking at him, Shefali said, "Now you'll get better, Baba, you'll be just fine."
Seeing the terrible condition of the patients, Kartik also became emotional. Shefali said to her father, "I'll talk to the doctor right now. You'll get the best treatment here." Saying this, Shefali gently let go of his hand and went to the third floor with Kartik.
As soon as they reached the third floor, Shefali spotted a doctor coming out of the special ward. She ran towards him and said, "Sir, there's no one to look after my father, and he's become so weak. Why did you leave him in such a condition?"
The doctor looked at Shefali closely, and his gaze fell on her beautiful legs. Noticing this, Shefali pulled her feet back. The doctor said, "You didn't pay for the bed."
Shefali, slightly angry, responded, "Just for a few bucks, you left him like that? Don't you people have any humanity?"
Kartik stood there with his arms folded, watching the doctor.
The doctor noticed Kartik and asked Shefali, "Is he with you?"
Shefali replied, "Yes."
The doctor, looking at Kartik, said, "Gentleman, explain to your girlfriend that in a hospital this big, nothing works without money."
Shefali, raising her voice, said, "He is not my boyfriend!"
Hearing this, the doctor smirked and asked, "Then who is he?"
Shefali replied, "He is my friend."
"Hmm, well that's convenient!" the doctor said, once again ogling Shefali's legs and shamelessly assessing her figure with his eyes.
The way the doctor was staring at her made Shefali extremely uncomfortable. Kartik also understood the doctor's sleazy intentions. Kartik asked the doctor, "Can you help us?"
The doctor, rubbing his cheek, said, "If you want, Shefali, I can help you. There's one way you can get your father treated for free. You understand what I'm saying, right?"
As soon as the doctor said this, Shefali gritted her teeth in anger and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?!"
The doctor, glaring at her, replied, "You're the one who asked me for help, so I made you an offer."
At that moment, Kartik, standing right there, called Chauhan Uncle on the phone and, once he picked up, said, "Uncle, can we buy City Hospital?"
On the other side, Uncle replied, "Of course, Prince. Why not? But why do you need to?"
Kartik, looking at the doctor, said, "Nothing serious, Uncle. Just came across a good offer! Tell the founder to get the papers ready, and have the procedure sorted as soon as possible! Oh, and make sure the hospital's new name has 'Mittal' in it, in honor of the new owner!"
Uncle said, "It will be done as you wish, Prince."
With that, he hung up the call. Kartik folded his arms and stared at the doctor. Hearing Kartik's conversation, the doctor gave a sarcastic smile and then said to Shefali, "I think your crazy friend needs more treatment than your father. Talking about buying City Hospital! Hahaha."
For a moment, Shefali was shocked by Kartik's words, but since she knew Kartik's true identity, she also crossed her arms and smiled at the doctor, just like Kartik.
The doctor was confused as to why both of them were staring at him like that.
Moments later, Kartik's phone rang again—it was Chauhan Uncle. As soon as Kartik answered with a "Hello," Uncle's voice came through, "Prince, as you instructed, it's done. We've made an offer to buy City Hospital for double the price, and the founder has agreed. Now we just need to follow the procedure!"
Kartik gave a big smile and said, "Fantastic!" With that, they ended the call.
Kartik smiled and, looking at the doctor, said, "Now, you're speaking with the owner of this hospital!"
The doctor couldn't believe his words. Making a face, he walked away. A few moments later, a few other doctors from City Hospital approached him, shocked, and said, "We can't believe it, but in just 15 minutes, Kartik Mittal has bought our hospital!"
Hearing this, the doctor's face went pale. Meanwhile, Kartik had also called the police.
As soon as the police arrived, the doctor realized what was happening and fell at Kartik's feet, begging, "Please forgive me, I had no idea you were this powerful. I never would have said such things otherwise. I'm so sorry."
Kartik calmly and boldly said, "You don't deserve forgiveness. If you had said something to me, I wouldn't have cared. But you tried to take advantage of a girl's helplessness, and that's what I didn't like. I will make sure your suffering is not eased."
With that, the police arrested the doctor.
Kartik turned to Shefali and said, "Now, your father will receive the best possible treatment. We'll hire the best neurologists and nephrologists."
Shefali wanted to say something to Kartik, but before she could, Kartik walked away. However, there was a sense of relief on her face, knowing she no longer needed to worry about her father.
A little while later, after checking on her father, she left the hospital. It was already night, and she had booked a cab for herself. Standing by the roadside, she was waiting for the cab, repeatedly checking the time on her phone.
Suddenly, a luxurious car pulled up in front of her, and someone inside rolled down the window and said, "Excuse me, Ms. Shefali! Do you really know the man behind Kartik's mask, or are you just another one of his victims?"
As soon as those words hit her ears, Shefali looked up in shock. Seeing the person in front of her, the ground beneath her feet seemed to disappear.
Who is this person that has left Shefali so stunned? And what is Kartik Mittal's secret? To find out, stay tuned