Whispers Beyond The Veil

Chapter 1

The fluorescent lights of the resident's lounge buzzed with the oppressive energy of a thousand unfinished charts and lukewarm coffee. A manila folder, thick enough to double as a doorstop, landed on the table with a dull thud, sending a tremor through the room. Kisha slammed her laptop shut, her hair practically vibrating with indignation.

Across the table, Adaa, perched on a stool with a steaming mug cradled in her hands, took a cautious sip. "Uh oh, what monstrous paperwork beast did Kabir unleash this time?"

Kisha glared at the folder as if it held the kryptonite to her already frayed nerves. "The Agarwal family reunion charts. The entire lot. Apparently, Kabir suddenly remembers he has a 'pre-existing commitment' this weekend."

Adaa choked on her coffee, a surprised splutter escaping her lips. "The Agarwals? As in the five siblings, the geriatric Doberman with a heart murmur, and enough medical anxieties to fuel a hypochondriac convention?"

"The very same!" Kisha groaned. "He wants us to spend the entire weekend wading through their medical history, all because little Timmy needs his tonsils out and the entire clan thinks it's a government plot to steal his singing voice."

Adaa, ever the responsible one, sighed. "Well, someone's gotta do it. Besides, free food and a chance to witness the legendary Agarwal chaos? Sounds like an…interesting sociological experiment."

Kisha's eyes narrowed. "Free food? Adaa, you know I can't stand baingan ka bharta! And chaos? I create enough chaos on my own, thank you very much."

A sly smile crept across Adaa's face, a plan slowly forming in her mind. "Alright, alright, Kisha. But think about it – a bonding experience with the most dysfunctional family in Hyderabad? What could possibly go wrong?"

Kisha's lips pursed into a stubborn line. "Wrong? Try a lifetime of therapy bills for witnessing the Agarwal brand of medical drama. Plus I have a football match on Saturday yaar,I don't even have someone to drop me there... Or wait I think I do" Kisha's eyes darted to Rohan Khanna's cabin.

"Who's paired with me on this reunion?" Kisha asked excited.

"Dr Rohan Khanna, why do you ask?"

"Watch me escape all of this" She said and walked away.

Kisha sashayed into Rohan's office, a whirlwind of smiles and mischief. Rohan, usually buried beneath a mountain of paperwork, looked up with a start. A blush crept up his neck – a reaction he couldn't quite explain and blamed entirely on the heat wave scorching Hyderabad.

"Well, hello there, RK," Kisha purred, her voice dripping with a sweetness reserved for special occasions. "Busy saving lives, I see?"

Rohan stammered, momentarily flustered. "K-Kisha! What brings you by?"

Kisha sauntered towards his desk, her every step calculated. "Just a friendly colleague dropping by to see the resident heartthrob. You know, make sure you're not drowning in all that paperwork."

Rohan choked on his own spit, a strangled sound that escaped his lips.  "H-heartthrob? Kisha, please."

Kisha stopped right in front of him, her eyes sparkling with amusement.  "Oh, come on, RK!  Don't be so modest.  Everyone knows the entire nursing staff has a little crush on you."

Rohan felt his cheeks burning. Was she… teasing him?  He couldn't tell if he should be flattered or flustered.

Kisha leaned in conspiratorially, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Speaking of crushes, did I hear a little birdie chirping about someone wanting to avoid a certain… family reunion this weekend?"