Agape & Eros

The Backbone

Soon Ram and Shivi reach the hospital. Sara and Sandy were crying profusely in front of Meera's cabin. Mami was trying to pacify them. Mama and Akki were standing leaning on the wall. Shivi goes to Akki. Ram talks to Mama and tries to grasp the situation. He inquires about Priya. Mama informs him Priya has gone to the pharmacy to buy some medicines. She is insisting on doing all the work. 

Ram goes to find Priya. On the other side of the corridor, he finds Priya handing the medicines to the nurses and talking to the doctors in the corridor. The doctors tell her something and quickly enter Meera's cabin.  

Priya sits down on a chair in the corridor. She looks devastated. Ram sits by her side. 

Ram- Priya.

Priya- Mr. Kapoor. You are here? [Priya speaks wiping her tears, trying to hide them.]

Ram- Hmm. Shivi's also here. 

Priya- You didn't need to bother. They are not letting anyone meet ma. 

Ram- What did the doctor say? 

Priya looks at Ram. Her eyes are red. Her hair is open. One or two hairs are sticking to her face clearly indicating how much she cried. 

Priya- They can't say anything yet. They've given her the first line of treatment. So she's out of danger now. But she's still unconscious so they don't know how much damage has been done. She can wake up all fine or fully paralyzed. We don't know. 

Priya's voice becomes heavier. She lowers her head. Her hair strands cover her face but not the drops that fall from her eyes like the first drops of rain. 

Ram feels the urge to tuck those hair strands but then he stops as he thinks Priya might not be comfortable with that. He tries to console her. 

Ram- Don't worry. Meera ma will be completely fine. She's your mother. She's a fighter too. I will make sure she gets the proper treatment. Let me call my doctor. 

Priya- No let it be. She's in the right hands. I know the doctor here. She's one of the best. 

Ram- But my doctor is a famous one. 

Priya- Mr. Kapoor, fame isn't needed here right now. And she has already been given the medicines. We are waiting for her to regain consciousness. Let's not disrupt the treatment procedure here. 

Ram- Ok, if you say so... Have you eaten anything? 

Priya- No. Soon as I woke up, I found her lying on the bathroom floor and we rushed to the hospital. 

Ram- I'll bring something to eat then.

Priya- Mr. Kapoor, let it be. I don't feel like eating right now.

Ram- Priya, you need your strength. You need to eat. Sara di, Sandy, Akki must be hungry also. I'm going to bring food for everyone. 

Priya- Please don't bother. I'll manage. 

Ram- Priya, are you a goldfish? 

Priya- Sorry, what does that mean? 

Ram- I am asking you. Are you a goldfish?

 Priya- Of course not. 

Ram- Then why do you have the memory of a goldfish? We became friends last night, remember? And as a friend doing this bare minimum is my right. I am doing this. You won't stop me. 

Without further ado, Ram gets up to call Adi to bring some food. Priya fails to find a way to stop him. 

His "right as a friend" makes her speechless. People talk about rights when they want something. Nobody likes the right to give. Priya looks at Ram's retreating figure trying to figure out the man who is different than everyone else. 

At Kapoor Mansion, Nandini was searching for Shivi. She asked Tarun about her whereabouts. Tarun told her that Shivi went somewhere with Ram in a hurry. Nandini thought they would return soon. But after hours, she starts to get anxious. She calls Shivi only to find it unanswered. Then she calls Ram. Ram answers her call and informs her about everything.

Nandini shows fake concerns. 

Soon Kunal, Adi, and Bri come to the hospital with food for everyone. They all eat something. 

Priya is sitting there looking at the sandwich in her hand. She is having a tough time eating anything. After a few moments, she takes a bite out of it. Teardrops keep falling from her eyes onto the floor as she eats. Ram looks at the rest of the family and then looks at her. 

Ram speaks in his mind, "You are so devastated right now yet you are staying strong. Your whole family is depending on you. They are pacifying each other but you. No one's pacifying you. They all lean on you. But you have nobody to lean on. You are the backbone of this family, aren't you, Priya?"