Forever yours

Regaining the Trust

Sorry for the long wait dearies! Have been so caught up with work & a ton of other commitments! Enjoy!

Part 26

Naina was very disappointed at her father's behavior and though she wasn't happy even with her brother leaving her, he had conveyed to her that he entrusted her care to Sameer and that she would be fine with him. He had handed him the report files before leaving.

She gave a lost look to Sameer and settled back in the chair to wait for her turn. She looked down lost in her own thoughts but Sameer's gaze never wavered from her. He knew she was hurt but tried to mask it as best as she could and was failing miserably. He couldn't fathom that any other parent could be like his mother who could abandon their child so easily in their hour of need. He now understood her precarious situation at home even better and thought that while he lived alone most of his life and she was surrounded with a crowd, she didn't have her own parent with her. But at least some of her family genuinely cared for her like Chachaji, Chachiji and Preeti. He too had his Nanu and MP. So, somewhere they both were sailing in the same boat, and hence, she might have understood his loneliness much better than he could sometimes understand himself.

A few minutes later, the nurse came out to call her name and she went inside with the report files clutched in one hand. Sameer wanted to follow her but didn't think appropriate to go in uninvited, which she didn't. So, he stood vigilant by the door.

"Naina Agrawal", doctor asked and she nodded.

He scanned her reports and then looked up to her. "Tumhari dressing kholke ghaav check karna padega. Dekhte hai kya stithi hai".

The doctor signaled the sister to prepare the examining chamber, which was attached on one side of his vast cabin.

Naina was made to seat comfortably, hand resting one side, without touching the armrest, while the nurse prepared the instruments and doctor donned a mask, hair cap, and gloves. He then started removing the bandage slowly careful of the touch and trying to avoid any hurt and pain. He examined the burnt area and saw that the healing was better than expected. The abrasions were healing, while the severe burns had already started forming abscess filled with pus and water that need to cleaned to accelerate the healing of the wounds and push the skin regeneration.

"Naina, lagta hai tumne apne haath ka bahut achcha khayal rakha hai. Meri umeed se kayi zyaada jaldi recovery ho rahi hai...aise hi khayal rakha toh samay se pehle ghaav bharne lag jaayenge. Par iske liye yeh abscess clean karne padenge, jismein thoda dard hoga. Agar tumhare ghaav gehre hote toh main anesthesia dekar surgery kar deta cleaning ke liye, par agar tum thoda dard bardasht kar lo toh uski zaroorat nahi padegi".

The doctor waited for her to affirm but she was so nervous and scared and couldn't reply. She wished someone from her family was here, at least Chachaji or Chachiji and then she wouldn't have felt so alone and scared. While she had paid attention to what doctor commented on her healing, the necessity to carry out a procedure similar to surgery scared her to the roots.

She reminded herself of her brother's words, "tu fikr mat kar Naina, Sameer hai na tere saath".

"Kya mere saath jo aaye hai, wo yahan aa sakte hai, jab aap mere ghaav ki treatment kare? Unhone hi mere haaath ka bahut khayal rakha hai." Naina asked timidly if Sameer would be allowed to be by her side.

She gave his name to the nurse and doctor nodded giving permission.

Nurse came out & Sameer straightened from his leaning position by the wall near the door.

"Sameer Maheshwari aap hi hai?" the nurse asked.

"Ji", he responded with some panic if Naina was ok or not.