Ayu and Ram accompanied the nurse to the pharmacy to collect the prescribed medicines. Once the medicines were in hand, they returned to the front of doctor's cabin. The nurse gestured for them to wait outside while she went in to show the medicines to the doctor. A few minutes later, she stepped out and nodded toward Ayu and Ram, signaling them to remain in the corridor while she headed toward the test center.
Ram and Ayu stood outside the test center, waiting patiently for Rekha's tests to be completed. They sit on the nearby bench outside the doctor's cabin, chatting quietly while keeping an eye on the door of test center.
Not long after, the same nurse emerged from the test center, pushing a wheelchair with Rekha seated on it. Spotting Ayu and Ram, she signaled them to follow her into the doctor's cabin.
Inside, the doctor asked Rekha a few standard questions about her health, noting down her responses. Then, she handed the nurse a slip, saying, "I've signed the slip. Take this to the reception and confirm which general room is available for the patient to be shifted to."
The nurse nodded politely. "Okay, ma'am," she replied, and began pushing Rekha's wheelchair out of the cabin. Ayu and Ram expressed their gratitude to the doctor before following the nurse to Ward 13.
Upon reaching the ward, the nurse, with Ayu and Ram's help, gently placed Rekha on bed, After adjusting the sheets around Rekha, the nurse looked at them and said, "Please wait here for a while. I'll go to the reception and confirm which room is available for shifting right now."
Ayu and Ram exchanged a glance and smiled. "No problem," they said in unison.
The nurse returned their smile before leaving the ward.
Ayu and Ram dragged chairs closer to Rekha's bed and sat down. Ayu checked his phone for the time and turned to Ram. "Brother, it's 8:30 now. While the nurse is sorting out the room, I'll quickly go and get breakfast packed. You stay here with Mom, and if the nurse comes back with the room details, handle it, okay?"
Ram shook his head, disagreeing. "No, bro. You stay here with aunty. I'll go get breakfast. I'll also pick up a notebook from the shop nearby so I can write our leave applications for school while we eat. That'll save us time."
Hearing the word "school," Ayu's face drained of color. He suddenly remembered that today was a school day, and Simran ma'am, their class teacher, was known for being strict. Any student taking leave without prior notice or informing her without a valid reason for leave was bound to face her wrath.
As soon as the thought crosses Ayu's mind, a bead of sweat trickles down his forehead. Wiping it away, he turns to Ram and says, "Alright, bro. You go get breakfast packed and bring a notebook too. I'll stay here with Mom."
Ram, noticing Ayu's anxious state, chuckles lightly and replies, "Don't stress, man. These hospital folks will shift aunty to the general ward soon. After that, I'll head home. On the way, I'll drop off our leave applications with Simran at school and let her know about aunty's accident. Don't worry. I'll be back soon with the breakfast."
As Ram is about to leave the ward, Ayu calls out to stop him. "Wait, Ram... one second."
Ram turns around, a hint of confusion on his face. "Yeah? What's up?"
Ayu walks up to him and says, "Just confirm with the nurse what Mom can eat right now."
Ram nods, "Got it. I'll check." He exits the ward and makes his way down the hospital corridor toward the exit. Midway, he spots a nurse coming from the opposite direction. Stopping her, he asks, "Ma'am, could you tell me what food would be suitable for aunty right now?"
The nurse replies, "You're with Rekha, right? If her tests are done, you can bring her broken wheat porridge. That would be ideal."
"Yes, I'm with Rekha. Thank you so much," Ram responds before heading out of the hospital.
---
Back in the ward, Ayu and Rekha share a lighthearted conversation, trying to uplift each other's spirits. Their laughter is interrupted by a nurse entering the room. She says, "I've confirmed it—Room 17 on the second floor is now available. If you're okay with it, we can shift ma'am there immediately."
Hearing this, Ayu quickly responds, "No problem at all."
The nurse nods and steps out for a moment, returning with a hospital attendant. Together, they help Rekha into a wheelchair. The nurse gestures for Ayu to follow as they wheel Rekha toward the lift. Within minutes, they reach the second floor and guide the wheelchair into Room 17. The attendant and nurse gently help Rekha onto the bed.
As Ayu surveys the room, he notices its simplicity. The white walls are pristine, with a faint smell of disinfectant lingering in the air. A small bedside table holds a jug of water and a glass. Nearby, there's a wooden desk with a bell embedded on its surface, seemingly connected to the hospital's reception. The bed is neatly made, with clean sheets and a soft pillow placed carefully.
While Ayu observes the room, the nurse adjusts Rekha's bedsheet and turns toward him. Pointing to the bell, she explains, "This bell on the desk is connected to the hospital reception. If the patient faces any issues and there's no one around, they can press the bell at any time to inform the staff.
Rekha and Ayu were sitting in the quiet hospital room, chatting and laughing. Rekha suddenly remembered something and turned to Ayu.
"Ayu, did you inform Ram that I've been shifted to this single room? If not, let him know, or the poor guy will be running around trying to find us."
Hearing this, Ayu realized he had completely forgotten to tell Ram about the room change. He nodded.
"Don't worry, Mom, I'll call him right now."
Pulling out his phone, Ayu dialed Ram's number.
---
Meanwhile, Ram had already finished packing breakfast and was wandering around looking for a stationery shop to buy a notebook. However, the streets were still waking up, and no shops seemed to be open. Disappointed, he began asking people leaving the restaurant if they knew of a stationery shop nearby, but all he received were dismissive answers like, "It's too early," or "I don't know."
Just as Ram was about to give up, he noticed an elderly woman walking toward the restaurant from a narrow lane. He approached her and asked politely, "Ma'am, is there a stationery shop nearby?"
The elderly woman smiled kindly. "Yes, I saw a shop opening just down this lane when I was coming here."
Grateful for her help, Ram thanked her and followed her directions. Along the way, the city was coming alive—store owners were setting up their shops, children with schoolbags were waiting with their parents at bus stops, and the hum of vehicles grew louder. Amidst this morning bustle, Ram reached the stationery shop and saw the shopkeeper organizing his inventory.
Ram walked up to the shopkeeper. "Excuse me, can I get a notebook and a pen?"
The shopkeeper nodded and handed him the items after a brief search. Ram paid quickly, stepped out of the shop, and started heading back toward the restaurant to collect the packed breakfast.
As he arrived at the restaurant and looked around for a taxi to take him to the hospital, his phone began to ring.
---
"Ring... Ring..."
Ram pulled out his phone and saw Ayu's name flashing on the screen. He answered immediately.
"Ram, where are you?" Ayu asked, his voice sharp.
"I'm just about to leave for the hospital. Do you need anything else?"
"No, nothing. I just wanted to let you know that Mom has been shifted to a single room on the second floor, room number 17. Head straight there when you arrive."
"Got it. See you in a bit," Ram replied, ending the call and waving down a taxi.
---
Back in the hospital, Ayu placed his phone on the side table and noticed it was almost out of battery, with only 5% remaining.
He thought to himself, If I go home to get the charger, it'll take too much time, and Ram will arrive with breakfast soon. But I can't let my phone die today; what if Rakesh Ji calls?
Determined to find a solution, Ayu turned to Rekha, who was resting with her eyes closed.
"Mom, I'll be back in two minutes. I'm just going to see if someone nearby has a phone charger I can borrow."
Rekha opened her eyes and looked at him. "Fine, but come back quickly. Ram will be here soon."
"I'll be right back," Ayu assured her with a smile and left the room.
---
Ayu first peeked into the room on the left, room 18. The door was open, and he saw a woman, around 30 to 35 years old, lying alone on the bed. Not wanting to disturb her, he decided against going inside and moved to the room on the right, room 16.
The door there was closed. Ayu hesitated, remembering his earlier thought. What if there's only a woman inside this room too? To avoid any awkwardness, he decided to look through the small window in the door first.
He spotted a boy and a girl, both around 18 or 19, chatting near the bed where an older man, likely in his late 40s, was resting. Feeling relieved, Ayu knocked gently and opened the door.
The girl, noticing him, stood up and asked politely, "Yes? Who are you?"
Ayu introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Ayu. My mother is admitted in room 17 next door." He held up his phone. "I was wondering if you have a C-type charger I could borrow. My phone is almost dead."
The girl glanced at the boy, who nodded. The boy approached Ayu and extended his hand.
"Hi, I'm Shivank Mishra, and this is my younger sister, Kiara Mishra. Don't worry, we've got a charger."
Kiara fetched the charger from her bag and handed it to Ayu.
Ayu took it without making eye contact with her, instead looking at Shivank. "Thanks, man. I'll return it as soon as my phone is charged."
Shivank smiled. "No rush. Take your time. If I'm not here when you return it, just give it to Kiara."
Ayu gave a faint smile. "Thanks again," he said and headed back to his mother's room.
---
When Ayu returned, Rekha was fast asleep. He plugged in the charger and was about to connect his phone when he remembered his mother's phone was also dead. Last night, Rekha's employer, Shalini Madam, had called her multiple times, and Ayu didn't want to leave her phone uncharged.
He connected Rekha's phone first and decided to wait. Sitting beside her bed, he began thinking again.
Why was Mom walking back from the haveli alone last night? Normally, they always send a car if she's called to the haveli, especially at night. What happened yesterday?
Lost in thought, Ayu didn't notice Ram entering the room with a bag of breakfast and the notebook in his hand. Ram looked at Rekha sleeping peacefully and then at Ayu, who seemed deep in thought.
Ram walked over and shook Ayu lightly. "Hey, Ayu, what's up? What are you thinking about?"
Startled, Ayu looked at him. "Oh, Ram, when did you get here? Why are you shaking me?"
Ram smirked. "I knocked, I called out, but you were too lost to notice. So, I had no choice but to shake you."
Ayu sighed again, shaking his head as he muttered under his breath, "Nothing… just some thoughts."
But no matter how hard he tried to brush them off, the unanswered questions about his mother and the haveli still lingered in his mind like a stubborn shadow.
Ram, who was observing Ayu, noticed the tension still etched on his friend's face. Deciding to lighten the mood, he smirked and said, "Oye, stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders! Think about this instead—Alok's coming back by evening. The real question is, are you going to tell him about that parking lot incident or not? Man, just remembering what we saw that day gives me chills. Imagine what'll happen to him when we spill the beans… He'll probably freak out!"
Ram paused for dramatic effect, as if already picturing the terrified look on Alok's face. And then, he burst into laughter, unable to hold it in.
Ayu, who had been lost in thought, couldn't help but crack a smile at Ram's antics. Soon, he too was laughing, the image of Alok's impending panic playing vividly in his mind. Their laughter filled the room, growing so loud and contagious that it woke Rekha from her sleep.
She opened her eyes to find Ayu and Ram laughing uncontrollably. Seeing them like this warmed her heart. As a mother, Rekha had an intuitive ability to sense the unspoken. She knew how much Ayu and Ram must have worried for her throughout the night, silently carrying the burden of her health in their hearts.
Watching her son laugh again after what felt like an eternity, Rekha's gaze softened. Even though she hadn't said a word, her expression conveyed a silent blessing: Stay happy, my child. You deserve it.
-------
.
.
.
.
To be continued.....