Chapter 28 The Man Everyone Waited For
A heavy silence covered the waiting area.
No one dared to speak.
Every pair of eyes remained fixed on the ICU doors.
Rajveer silently prayed.
Savitri wiped away her endless tears.
Vivaan sat beside Arjun, holding his uncle's hand tightly.
"Dad will be okay... right?"
Arjun forced a smile.
"He will."
Vivaan nodded.
He wanted to believe him.
---
Nearly fifteen minutes later...
The doctor hurried back toward the family.
Everyone immediately stood.
"Doctor?"
Rajveer asked anxiously.
The doctor's expression was serious.
"We've completed the initial treatment."
"But Mr. Raghav Rathore's injuries are extremely complicated."
"The surgery cannot be delayed any longer."
A small ray of hope appeared on everyone's faces.
Then...
The doctor's next words shattered it.
"The specialist surgeon we need..."
"...is currently performing another emergency surgery."
Silence.
"We contacted his team."
"They informed us he cannot leave an ongoing operation."
"If his current surgery finishes soon..."
"...he will come immediately."
"But until then..."
"...all we can do is wait."
Savitri slowly covered her mouth.
"No..."
Rajveer looked devastated.
"There must be another surgeon."
The doctor shook his head.
"There are good surgeons."
"But for injuries like these..."
"...he is the best."
"The chances of success are highest in his hands."
The waiting area fell silent once again.
Every passing minute now felt even heavier.
---
Standing slightly away from everyone...
Aadhira quietly listened.
She slowly took out her phone.
Without attracting attention...
She walked toward the end of the corridor.
She dialed a number.
The call connected almost instantly.
A calm male voice answered.
"Good evening, ma'am."
Aadhira spoke softly.
"Doctor..."
"I heard you're in surgery."
"Yes."
"There is another patient waiting."
"I've been informed."
"My team said the condition is critical."
Aadhira remained silent for a moment.
Then she asked...
"The patient you're operating on now..."
"Is their condition immediately life-threatening if the surgery pauses?"
The doctor answered honestly.
"No."
"The surgery is important..."
"...but the patient is stable."
"I can safely complete the essential part and hand over the remaining procedure to my assistant."
Aadhira closed her eyes briefly.
"Then please..."
"...save the man waiting here first."
"He has a family."
"A child."
"They're losing hope."
There was silence from the other side.
Then...
"I understand."
"I'll be there as soon as possible."
"Thank you."
The call ended.
Aadhira quietly put away her phone.
Her expression remained calm.
As she turned...
She found Arjun standing a few feet away.
He hadn't heard the conversation.
Only seen her speaking with someone.
"Everything alright?"
he asked.
Aadhira smiled faintly.
"I was arranging something."
Before Arjun could ask further...
The doctor rushed toward them.
His phone still in his hand.
His eyes widened with relief.
"He agreed."
Everyone immediately looked at him.
"The surgeon is on his way."
A wave of relief spread across both families.
Savitri folded her hands toward the heavens.
"Thank God..."
Rajveer let out a long breath.
For the first time since the accident...
Hope returned.
---
Nearly forty minutes later...
The hospital entrance doors opened.
Several doctors quickly walked inside.
In the middle of them...
A man in surgical scrubs removed his mask.
Every doctor and nurse immediately straightened.
"Good evening, sir."
He gave a brief nod.
"Where is the patient?"
"This way, Doctor."
Without wasting another second...
He walked toward the ICU.
His confident steps immediately reassured everyone.
The family watched him disappear behind the operating theatre doors.
The red light outside switched on once again.
The surgery had begun.
---
Two nurses passing by whispered softly.
"I've never seen him leave one surgery halfway before."
"Neither have I."
"They say he never changes his schedule."
"I wonder what made him come."
The other nurse simply shrugged.
"Whatever the reason..."
"...Mr. Rathore is fortunate."
Neither of them noticed...
Aadhira quietly lowering her eyes.
---
Several hours later...
The operation theatre doors finally opened.
Everyone rushed forward.
The surgeon removed his gloves.
A tired smile appeared on his face.
"The surgery was successful."
For a second...
No one reacted.
Then relief swept through the corridor.
Savitri broke into tears.
Rajveer closed his eyes in gratitude.
Vivaan hugged Arjun tightly.
"Dad is safe?"
Arjun smiled.
"Yes."
"He'll need time to recover."
"But he is out of danger."
The entire Rathore family thanked the surgeon repeatedly.
He simply nodded politely.
"I only did my duty."
As he turned to leave...
His eyes briefly met Aadhira's.
Almost imperceptibly...
He gave a respectful nod.
Aadhira returned it with the slightest inclination of her head.
The exchange lasted barely a second.
No one noticed.
Except...
Vedha.
She frowned ever so slightly.
A strange feeling crossed her mind.
Why...
...did that look seem so familiar?
Before she could think further...
The moment was gone.
The surgeon quietly walked away.
Leaving behind a grateful family...
And another unanswered question.
End of Chapter 28
?? Author's Note ??
Hello, everyone!
I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my story and supporting me. Every read, vote, and comment truly means a lot to me.
This is my very first story, so I'm still learning and improving with every chapter I write. Your encouragement gives me the confidence and motivation to keep going and become a better writer.
Please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, theories, or suggestions in the comments. I genuinely enjoy reading them, and I'll always try my best to consider your feedback. Whether it's praise, constructive criticism, or your predictions about the story, you're always welcome to share!
And if you're enjoying the story, please don't forget to vote for the chapters. Every vote motivates me to continue writing and reminds me that you're enjoying this journey with me.
Thank you once again for being a part of this adventure. I hope you'll continue supporting Aadhira, Arjun, Vedha, and the rest of the characters as many more twists and surprises are yet to come!
With lots of love,
~ Your Author