8~ The toddler
Meeting Akriti in that restaurant was unexpected.
And what was more surprising was that for a moment I felt that she actually cares for me, likes me.
How tenderly she had checked my hand and had run her soft fingers on my palm, trying to relive my pain.
She even had a cute pout on her face when I told her about the little accident I met with.
I felt that she was worried, not like you worry for your newly made friends but the type of worry you share when your close ones are tensed.
I almost grinned when she asked if Dr. Mehta was my girlfriend, I could already sense something off from her tone.
Why would it matter to her though? We are nothing for now.
I couldn't ignore the happiness in her tone when I told her that Dr. Mehta is just a colleague and we were here for work.
I don't know why but now my day seems brighter.
I looked back at my injured hand and smiled.
She had so softly touched me, lightening up a series of sparks over my whole body.
"Adhyay? You listening? We are one doctor short!" Adrija screeched over my ear, bringing me back into my hospital cabin where she was standing in front of me with her arms on her waist. I don't know what she is speaking about? Why are we one doctor short?
I looked expectedly at her, urging her to repeat the whole of her sentence since I dozed off, thinking about her best friend.
She glared at me and yelled, "We have to go and check up the kids at orphanage remember?
And we are one doctor short! Out of fifteen, we only have fourteen! Adhyay! Where are you lost?"
I closed my mouth and nodded, my throat running dry. I picked up my diary and flipped the pages to check which doctors were supposed to go the orphanage. I looked at my sister again who had a very furious look on her small oval face.
"S-so? W-what am I supposed to do? Isn't there any paediatrician who is not on duty?
" I hesitantly asked, though I was supposed not be scared of my little sister.
She fisted her hands, like she wanted to murder me.
Actually, she would have if I weren't her brother.
More than that, she fears aunt Ridhi who of course loves me more than her.
"I think that your injury has affected your brain, stupid", she taunted, glaring at me. I looked at my hand and then at her taunting her back, "That's physically impossible, as a doctor you should know. Wait! You are a dentist, how would you know?"
Her glare at me intensified and she banged her hand on my table.
Looking in my eyes like a ferocious lioness, she said, "First of all Dr. Adhyay, Dentists are much more sought after than surgeons like you.
Nearly every one gets cavities in their entire life.
Second, kids nowadays always need a dentist to fix their zig zag teeth up because smiles matter, not to you of course.
Third, even official reports say that students nowadays are more inclined towards BDS rather than MBBS.
And fourth, you yourself begged me to stay when I had decided to open my own clinic.
Didn't you increase my salary for the same, huh? "
I stopped the urge to roll my eyes at her monologue.
She always does this, it's not a new thing for me.
She always reminds me how I had to compromise with my self respect to convince her to stay.
Not just me, this hospital is hers also.
I only have the 25 percent ownership of this hospital.
The rest 75 is divided among Hrishit, Hrishika and Adrija, since our fathers no longer want to handle the stress.
"Okay fine, I'll accompany you. I don't even have patients right now", I finally said, accepting my defeat. She pursed her lips, thinking about my idea.
"Fine", she said and stormed out of my cabin. When I didn't move even a bit, I heard her shouting, "Are you coming or not?"
"Yes yes, just a second", I yelled back, grabbing my laptop bag with my left hand.
Shutting the door with a thud, I ran behind my sister.
She looked a too eager to go to the orphanage.
Well, she herself takes care of this. Every month she screws my brain up blabbering about how cute the kids are and she feels so sad for them.
Once, I suggested her to adopt one but then her cheeks turned into a darker shade of red and she denied saying that she is not ready for kids yet.
However, I beg to not believe her since I know that my best friend wants a daughter.
He says that sons are a pain in the ass and daughters are obedient and cute.
I dunno if my parents wanted a daughter for the same reason?
Maybe, that's why they love Hrishika more than me and Hrishit.
"Everyone has gone already! They didn't even wait for me, that's so bad", she cried when I reached at the parking area of the hospital. She pouted and mumbled, "Now I will have to go with my idiot brother".
I scrunched my eyebrows and shrugged, saying, "Then go alone, I want to sleep, so I'll go back home and rest for a while."
She blinked her eyebrows at me and yelled, "No way! There are around sixty children, each doctor sees four so if you go back home and see, our work load will increase. Come on, brother".
"You only said that you didn't wanted to go with me", I said with a shrug. She rolled her eyes and forwarded her palms saying, "Keys".
"No way! I am not giving you my car to ruin", I yelled, checking whether I still had the keys of my car. I put my left hand in my pocket and found that they were there, safely.
"Then you drive", she said with a smirk.
I groaned and took out the keys of my car, though I knew how rash her driving is.
I don't understand how the hell can one drive so bad that it scares literally everyone?
Uncle and Aunt still don't trust her with a car, they totally avoid giving her the key unless it's too important, same goes for Yash.
A drunkard Yash can even drive a car ten times better than a sober Adrija. How is she so chaotic?
She grinned and sat in my car, mocking, "Brother, are you getting in or should I start driving?"
I grumbled and sat inside the car, muttering curses inaudibly. I just pray that she doesn't gets us into an accident. I don't want any more injuries now, I am already doomed with this stupid wound of mine. I can't even do anything with my right hand.
She started the car and I gripped the handle attached on the top of the window with my left hand.
For once, she didn't speed up the car, maintaining an average speed throughout.
I almost had a heart stroke when she suddenly accelerated the car midway.
She laughed loudly like she had cracked one of the funniest jokes in the world.
I glared at her and gritted, "Drive slow you old hag".
"Hag! How dare you call me hag, you idiot! I am still younger than you, you are an old hag", she shrieked and slowed down the car. I rolled my eyes at her silly antics. How is my whole family so dramatic?
"By the way, you will be extremely disappointed to know that Akriti likes someone already", she suddenly said with a smirk.
I looked at her, not ready to believe her statement.
Akriti likes someone? Really? But yesterday, she didn't seemed like she likes someone.
She had also held my hand so gently and almost like she wanted my wound to disappear.
"W-what? Don't kid with me", I deadpanned. "You are joking right?" I asked and started laughing. Adrija has literally no sense of humour, now she expects me to believe that suddenly Akriti likes someone when she herself confessed that she doesn't believes in love day before yesterday?
"Are you done?" She seriously asked and I stopped laughing, looking at her oval face. Her eyes were focused on the road but she said, "I am not kidding, she said that Adhyay".
My mouth fell in an O as I tried to absorb the new piece of information Adrija gave me.
But how? And why? Couldn't Akriti wait for me to confess?
It wouldn't have felt so bad if she was the one denying me but since she has already told Adrija, all my hopes after yesterday have shattered.
I was thinking ways to propose her but now, it's all gone for good.
She likes someone who isn't me, great! Now what do I do?
Make an entry like a villain from Bollywood films and force her to marry me.
No way! Looks like, I will have to spend my leftover life gazing at my Akriti and her family from far.
"I don't know how you doze off so often! Adhyay!" Adrija's screech brought me back and I nodded, though my heart was crumbling. I am getting old, my heart pains, my poor heart.
"But she isn't sure yet, which gives you a chance.
I beg you, please just confess everything before it's too late.
I told her the same thing. I don't even know who that stupid man is!
" Adrija calmly said, very uncanny provided that it's Adrija.
She gets frustrated at the smallest of things, for example my best friend.
Whenever she sees him with alcohol, it's him and her slipper.
She is far more dangerous and lethal than my mom.
Even my mother and father don't argue like these two.
And there is nothing fierce in that, their arguments are as comical as them.
Last time I visited their house for dinner, they were arguing about a silly TV show.
As usual, I didn't get anything to eat, instead I was expected to take side of one of them.
Now come on, how can I choose one of them when both are important to me?
One is my best friend and the other is my sister.
If I take one's side, the other will get angry and the irony is that at last they both will team up and instead corner me.
"But how is that possible?" I exclaimed, pulling my hair with frustration. I should have confessed earlier. Now she is slipping away, far from me. How do I end up losing my everything? I can't see Akriti with some other man, what will I do? I love her and I won't be able to move on from her.
"It's possible the same way that you fell in love with her", Adrija answered simply like nothing could be more easier than that.
I glared at her and said, "Okay, then you tell her to not start business with that idiot.
Make any sort of excuse, like you don't get good vibes from him and etc etc.
She will surely listen to her best friend".
She whined and exclaimed, "Why should I become the Cupid? You'll made me look bad in her eyes. Look Adhyay, you are my brother but sorry, I can't do this to my friend when I haven't met the man".
I snorted and yelled, "But you are my sister!"
"Do you ever intrude in Yash and mine relationship? No right, then how can I?" She explained, her eyes still focused on the road. I kicked the glovebox and shrieked, "That's different!"
"It's the same Adhyay. Be calm and think. Would not I look too eager to get her set up with my brother? She will think of it as a trap and then we both are busted. The better way is that you confess everything and leave it onto her", Adrija said.
I continuously looked at her wondering when she started talking so maturely. I never expected this wisdom from her. She is the most childish in our whole family and everyone always complain about her mischiefs. But today, her matured talks have given me a shock.
"But Adrija yaar", I tried to argue but she shook her head strictly. That means that now I will have to myself get my love story on track. She is not going to help me out.
"You are useless", I muttered, looking out of the window.
"Just like you", she snarked and took a turn.
We both kept silent, not the either one of us speaking a single word.
What type of sister is she? Can't she help out her brother?
It won't hurt her if she does. And I don't think Akriti will mind her commenting on her new crush.
As far as I know, girls love discussing about their love lives with their best friends.
Hrishika is the same. She never discusses anything with me or Hrishit but everything with her best friend.
It was her best friend from whom I came to know about her new crush on her senior and after that, I warned that silly boy to keep away from my little sister. He was a dumb kid of course.
"We are here, get out", Adrija roughly said and I made a low guttural sound. I so want to kill her right now.
Nevertheless I got out my car and started walking towards the orphanage. The orphanage looked old, on contrast to how I had imagined. How can children live there? The condition of the building was shabby and there were patches of paint everywhere.
The condition grew grimmer as I entered inside the hall.
There was a pungent smell in the whole hall and rows of kids getting themselves checked out by my doctors.
At the moment, all I felt was sadness for the kids.
At this tender age they are left by their own to live at a shabby orphanage without any love and support.
Their parents deserted them as soon as they were born, leaving the kid for the hungry world to devour.
At every step of life, they have just witnessed sadness and dejection. Does any child deserves this?
"Hey! Don't just stand, help the doctors. Check the infants, they need more attention. I am sure we can use a neurosurgeon right now", Adrija mocked, specially quoting the word neurosurgeon with her fingers. I didn't reply back, because I didn't paid any heed to her.
I walked towards the other doctors who were busy checking the kids.
Like the orphanage, the kids too didn't look any better.
They looked starved, sleep deprived, sad and in longing for some love.
My heart melted at the sight of a young girl crying when the paediatrician tried to give her the injection.
Her fat tears did something to me, I felt a pain in my heart.
Unknowingly, my feet took me to the toddler and I took her in my arms. I gently patted her back and whispered, "Calm down, nothing will happen".
She looked up at me with teary eyes and shook her head.
Her lips were turned into a cute pout. A smile broke on my face seeing the little girl's cute expressions and I softly said, "Okay, no one will give you an injection, now stop crying. I'll give you a big chocolate to eat".
The paediatrician raised her eyebrows at me. I smiled and forwarded my left palm. She placed the injection in my palm and stood there with her arms crossed. I gently asked, "Do you want a chocolate?"
She nodded, pouting. She tried to peek at my hand but I was swift enough to hide the injection behind my back.
"Hand? What izz in youl hand", she cutely asked and I bursted out chuckling at her smart question.
I tucked the injection in my pant pocket and showed her my left palm.
Her eyebrows scrunched and her lips turned into a bigger pout as she mumbled, "You bill also poke me".
The doctor beside me giggled and I laughed at the kid's tiny complaint. How is she so cute?
"No sweetie, do you see the injection anywhere? It's gone, no one will poke you with that monster", I animatedly said. She bobbled her head up and down.
"Plomise?" She mumbled, forwarding her little finger. I blinked my eyes at the girl, she is really smart. How can I promise her when I want to poke her with the injection?
"Promise", I said but didn't specify what I was promising. She instantly smiled and asked, "Choco?"
Almost surprised, I looked at the paediatric, asking with my eyes if she had a chocolate. She shook her head and shrugged. Ahh! Come on! The toddler looked at me with expectant eyes while I thought of a way to distract her again.
"I don't have choco right now", I hesitantly mumbled. The girl glared at me and stomped her foot.
"You ale bad", she furiously said but like I had expected didn't move a bit. I sighed and said, "Okay, I will bring a choco for you. Don't go anywhere, right?"
She nodded, still glaring at me. For some reason, I found this glare too cute.
Everything about this girl is cute. She really is an angel.
How could her parents desert her? If I was her father, I would have never let her go away from me.
I would have pledged to keep her safe. If she were my daughter, I would have made sure to give her everything she desires, from toys to fulfilling her all dreams. She would never feel the absence of anything.
But, unfortunately, her parents were cruel enough to leave her here.
How could their hearts allow them to do this? Anyone's heart would melt seeing her.
"Choco", she exclaimed and pushed my leg, trying to get me move. I chuckled at her attempts and nodded. Maybe I shouldn't give her a chocolate but I can't even deny her right now. I went to Adrija. She was checking a boy's teeth.
"Is it fine now?" She asked, removing her apparatus from the boy's mouth. He nodded silently and held his cheek saying, "It hurts".
"Aww it will hurt a bit, but it will be fine. Just don't eat tough things like nuts", Adrija advised. The boy nodded and hopped away. Adrija, now looked at me and asked, "What happened?"
I asked, "Do you have chocolates?"
She nodded and said, "But I am not giving it to you". I scrunched my eyebrows and asked, "Why?"
"Because you'll eat it", she said. I made a sour face at her allegations. In a rough tone, I said, "Not for me but for a kid. I don't eat chocolates anyway".
Even though she did hesitate a bit, she then finally gave me a Cadbury Silk bar saying, "Don't eat it, it's for the child".
I snapped, "I am not the cruel". She rolled her eyes and pushed my shoulder, urging me to go.
I hate you Adrija, I wanted to yell but instead, I plastered a fake smile of my face and said, "Do your work with attention".
Without letting her answer, I went to the little girl. She was sitting on a chair, shaking her legs, lost in the world of her thoughts. I bent down in front of her and placed the chocolate bar on her lap. She quickly took the chocolate and looked at me, smiling. I smiled back and said, "Now okay?"
She nodded and pointed at the chocolate, asking me to tear the wrapper. After unwrapping the chocolate, I handed it to her and she started munching it. I took the opportunity to slip the injection out of my pocket and swiftly injected her. At first, she flinched and then her eyes started watering.
Oh no!
The next step was her loud cries and me being tensed. I took her in my arms, the chocolate still in her hand and rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down. I am such an idiot.
"Sushh, nothing happened, it was just an ant", I said, trying to calm her down but her cried tiny red louder. She tried to wriggle out of my hold, but I didn't let her. Acquiring the nearest chair, I sat with her on my lap and said, "Don't cry bacha, it was just an ant. Look, nothing happened".
I rubbed her soft frail arms and slowly her cries subsided. Her head dropped on my chest and she sniffed. I kissed her forehead and whispered, "Do you want to finish your choco?"
She nodded and sat upright, wiping her tears. She looked in my eyes and with her tiny hands started munching the chocolate furiously, like she was telling me that she was very angry with me. I chuckled at her cuteness. I think after Akriti, she is my favourite.