The story till now: Parvati Aaji is busy going through a photo album when Dr. Umesh enters the ward. Dr. Umesh is conducting his daily checkup when Dr. Damle comes in. Dr. Damle sits besides Parvati Aaji and asks her, "How are you, mom?"
"How are you, mom?" Dr. Damle asked.
"Shri beta,I am very fine. You came after almost a fortnight this time." Parvati Aaji had a clear tone of complaint in her voice.
"Actually, mom... I was busy. Please try to understand."
"I understand. But... I get bored here... How long are you going to keep me here?"
"Aai.. when you had to be admitted here, you were in the best room of the hospital. Do you remember? But then you said you wanted people around. So I put you here.. Now it's to your bad luck that there aren't any patients here except a few. But then, you don't have to get bored right. I installed TV in this room just for you..."
"I totally understand. How long would I have to be here..."
"Aai, you are not well. There are some things....", Dr. Damle was short of words, "I am working on your reports. You have to be here for some time now... please. Try to understand."
"What's wrong with me, Shri? Is it cancer?", Parvati Aaji asked. Cancer was probably the only life-threatening disease she could think of. She had lost her husband to it.
"No..", Dr. Damle snapped, "you'll be fine in a couple of months. Don't worry. There's nothing wrong with you."
Parvati Aaji sighed, "you are the doctor. I am just a patient here. And I get bored. Then I grab Dr. Umesh and sing my sad tale to him. He is a sweet fellow, always give me a patient hear."
Dr. Damle smiled. There was something going on his mind though. He got up and said, "I'll go now. I'll come again tommorrow. Take care of yourself, mom..." He touched her feet and left the ward.
That night after dinner, Parvati Aaji slept early. She was very happy to meet her son. She was going to sleep calmly today.
At around four o' clock in the morning, something woke Parvati Aaji up from her sleep. The lights of the room were turned on. She looked back in the direction of the door. She saw doctors moving in and out. They were in quite a hurry.
"What happened...", she muttered.
"Please sleep Aaji, there has been an accident on the flyover today. There was a major pileup of cars. One patient will be admitted here..." a nurse said.
Parvati Aaji could not sleep after that. The words had scared her. She could visualize cars one above the other and the gory scenario.
She looked to her right and saw a group of wardboys bringing in the stretcher. She saw ruffled hair. It was a lady on the stretcher. Actually, a girl, in her late 20s. Parvati Aaji stared at her face. The girl was unconscious and had a stream of blood oozing from her forehead.
"Aaji.. please sleep...", the nurse noticed Parvati Aaji looking at them and knew the sight wasn't pleasant for Parvati aaji. But Parvati aaji wasn't paying attention to her words at all.
She saw the girl being placed on the fourth bed. The girl was wearing a black gown and beautiful pearl earrings. She must be going back home from some party. The makeup on her face was out of shape with the blood and the dust on it.
As bottles of blood and teams of doctors rushed in, Dr. Umesh wrote on the case paper for Bed number 4: "Name: Kanika Mukherji Age: 26years."
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