TO THE STARS THAT LISTEN

CHAPTER 13: Her choice matters?

Ira

I had a night shift again but thankfully not in the VIP wing but I did have to go there on round once. I just hoped to not see him again. Not right now at least. First I needed to think of a way to make him say no to this alliance.

"So, the guy who your parents want you to marry who also turned out to be your pilot and co-passengers cousin is your patient's brother-in-law and your other patient's son. Let's talk about fate there, huh." Ansh said in a sarcastic tone. I knew he would bring this up sometime after he didn't say anything last night at the hospital when I returned from the rooftop. He too was on a night shift with me so I asked him to pick me up on his way back to work. We were waiting for the traffic light to turn green on his bike.

"Don't even get me started on fate. I am having soo unexpected meetings with his family it's getting all so weird." Who the hell meets their potential husband's cousin on their flight, and the rest of his family in the hospital? that too because you are treating them.

"Don't you worry Iry." he called me by my nickname, "If you too are destined to be together, nothing can stop it."

Exactly why we shouldn't be destined.

We reached the hospital in the evening and went into our respective departments. I took my routine round around the general ward before logging into the VIP wing. Thankfully he wasn't in the lobby or the stairs which meant he was in the suite. I took the electronic tab from nurse's station before taking a deep breath and opening the door to the suite 'You can do this Ira'

Thankfully, he was not there. Both the ladies lay on the bed kept 1 meter apart. Towards the wall and beside Ahaan's mom sat some other middle-aged woman with the baby in her hands. On the sofa sat some elderly man and a woman, both of whose faces quite resembled that of his father's, both working on their phones. I made my presence aware by a light knock on the now-open door and everyone's attention shifted to me. "Hello, how are we doing there?"  I fake-smiled walking inside with a nurse on my heels.

"Better than before. All thanks to you and the rest of the team. Of course." Mrs Jindal said. Saanchi Jindal.

"All right let's give you both a checkup then." I said and turned around to the elderly woman sitting on the seat, " Could we please have some privacy?" 

"Yeah sure I will just sit there on the couch. Do you need to check the baby too?" 

"No ma'am. Not right now. I will afterward." I said plastering a smile on my face. She nodded and moved to the couch sitting with the other two people.

"Aman Ji, Aradhna? Aap log apne phone se bhi nikaliye and meet this baby!" I heard her saying. So I'm guessing she's his chachi, the man, his chachu and the other lady on the sofa, his bua? That's all I could get from the article 

(...stop checking your phone both of you...)  

The nurse drew the curtain, separating the sitting area from our side.

"Ma'am I will need to check your pelvis. Can you lift your gown please?" I asked his mother. She did as I asked.  I checked her hip for any sign of infection.

"I don't see any infection and even the swelling has reduced. Is your pain more or less than it was in the morning?" I asked lowering her hospital gown before updating her records.

"It's less."

"Okay then." I turned to the nurse and resumed speaking, " Let's reduce the pain meds and have her bandage changed. I have also updated her other meds so administer them accordingly." and she nodded. 

"Alright Mrs.Jindal. I am sure the other doctor must have told you this. We will start with your physiotherapy in about 2 weeks, until then you have to limit your movements and stay put for the next 2-3 months." 

I moved on to the other lady and asked her to lift her gown to check her incision. She did and after checking it. I said, "There is no infection ma'am. How is your pain?" I asked while checking her heart flow with the ultrasound machine.

"The incision still hurts. But there isn't any other issue."

"The stitches are fresh that's why they hurt. It will fade with time eventually but don't worry I will alter your pain meds dosage.", I turned to see the nurse still bandaging Mrs Aastha, so, I started changing her dressing.

"I kind of listened to you talking to the other doctor last night," she confessed in a whisper and my hand froze midair with the bandage still in my hands. She sensed my discomfort as she continued speaking, "It wasn't intentional, I swear, I was trying to sleep but I could hear you." this time she had my full attention. "I am sure your parents have already told you about our decision but I just wanna say that there isn't any pressure from our side. If you don't want this marriage then we will respect your decision but if you do accept it, we would love to have you in our family. Everyone already loves you and you wouldn't have to worry about your work. We are all very open-minded. Every woman in our family works and we respect each other." She ended saying and I gulped. My choice mattered?

I just gave her a slight smile and a nod with a thank you and finished dressing her wound. The nurse then opened the curtains and brought the baby to me. I gave him a quick scan too. He was healthy. So I gave him to his mother and asked her, "When did you last feed him Mrs.Jindal?"

"Almost 2 and a half hours back and please call me Saanchi."

"Um... ok, Saanchi. I think you should feed him again. The nurse here will help you with it." with that I give them all a smile and move out of their room. I deposit the tab back at the nurse's station and start moving back toward the main hospital building when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I take it out and see Vaani's name pop up so I pick it up.

"Oh God, I have missed you so much," I say and hear her voice from the other side.

"Me too babe. So come out in the parking lot right now and let's hug out your stress."

"You are in the hospital parking lot? Stay there I will come and find you." I say and hang up.

I reach outside and move towards the parking lot to see Vaani sitting on a car's hood with a paper bag in her hand. She jumps down as soon as she sees me while I walk faster and hug her tight.

"Aww baby. Everything will be okay", she pulls out of the hug and says, "Come on now let's eat this while you tell me what happened." she holds up the paper bag and takes out two boxes of hazelnut brownies. 

"You brought brownies!" she knew all my favorites.

"Uh huh..come on now tell me everything." we both sit on the car's hood and I tell her everything from the flight incident to all the three profiles to the accident and now what Saanchi said. "This turned huge huh? You can't say no because of your parents...his parents, in fact his entire family loves you. So, now only he can say no." she bites into the last piece of her brownie 

"Yeah and I don't know how to ask him to deny this," I reply cutting into my brownie and I feel a hand on my shoulder.

What the hell?

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