Social Distancing (COMPLETED)

Chapter 16

The flights have been cancelled; all international and local planes. Airports are empty now. The city and state borders are closed to stop the movement of people from one place to another.

The numbers on the scale is scaring everyone. Thousands of people are getting affected each day. And hundreds are dying.

Everyone at the hospital are running around, not a moment of free time. To say that Amulya was tired, would be an understatement. She has been at work since yesterday morning, she could not leave, and she has been at the hospital for almost fifteen hours now; working fourteen of them. She got to sleep for an hour, when Pierce has forced her to do so. And again she was up and running.

"I'll take over doctor" Amulya said to Pierce who was rubbing her forehead, as if that would help get rid of the headache that was forming.

"God sent you are" Pierce said, getting off the chair, nodding to Amulya before she walked towards the call room hoping to get some rest.

Amulya snapped her gloves, fixing her mask before tending to the patient. It's time to get back to work.

It was two in the afternoon, when she got back home. She did not need to go back till the next morning. Happy that she gets to sleep, she got down the lift and headed towards her apartment.

Alaric was sitting in his balcony catching up with his writing. He wanted to finish the book soon. He saw a movement from the corner of his eye and turned to see Amulya walked out to her balcony.

She was in a loose tee shirt and pants; her hair was still wet from the shower she probably just took. Her eyes were tired. She was in desperate need of some sleep.

"Did you just get off from work?" He asked making her jump. He quickly apologized and looked at her for an answer.

"Yeah, longest I ever worked" She sighed. "I went there last morning. I thing I am going to pass out" She chuckled.

Alaric was shocked; he did not know how to respond to the revelation. He was concerned for her. If this continues her health is going to get bad. When he told her that, she just chuckled and said, "That is not my priority right now"

They talked for less than five minutes before she couldn't stay up anymore. When she went back into her bedroom, it took her less than a minute to fall asleep after her head hit the pillow.

It was late night when she woke up again. She was hungry. She looked through fridge to see if she had something to eat. But there was nothing tasty, except the left over Gulab Jamun. That would do.

She put some on a bowl, topping it with some ice cream and sat down to eat. Her phone was now fully charged, so she switched it on. She saw that there were more than twenty missed calls from her mother, just that day.

Her heart sank. Was something wrong? She quickly dialled her mother who picked up, not caring it was midnight.

"Amulya" She said, "Where have you been? Why aren't you picking up the calls? I was so worried."

"I was at the hospital mama, my phone died. Is something wrong?"

"No, I was just worried when you did not answer. How are you? You should have come home before the flights got cancelled."

"Mama, it's not safe. And I have work, I can't just abandon everything I have studied for and stay home." Her mother was silent for a while.

"I'm Sorry, Amu. I am just worried that you are there in another country, with no ways to come back home, and you are always with the affected people. I am just scared for you"

"I will be fine, Mama. Don't worry about me. How is dad?"

"Your dad is good, he is sleeping−"

"Of course he is, it's midnight" Amulya gave a totally unwanted comment, knowing that, if she was there her mother would have scowled at her.

"Yeah, sorry for being worried about you" Her mum said sarcastically.

"Any way mama, are you staying at home? Don't let Papa to go out. You can ask Sudarshan uncle to get groceries or anything you guys need" she said thinking about their neighbour back at home.

"I have been doing that for weeks, Doctor. Now can I talk to my daughter?" Amulya laughed at her. She dearly missed her mother. Even though sometimes she was really glad she was in a different continent and does not have to see that woman every day.

The next morning, as Amulya locked her door, she noticed Alaric's door was open. They hadn't talked a lot these days. She noted to herself that she has to make time to talk to him, but she did not know why she wanted to do that.

She saw Alaric was sitting on the kitchen table, working on his laptop. He never keeps his door open, so this surprised her. She looked at the watch to see she would not be late to work, if she spent a few minutes here.

She knocked on the open door, startling Alaric, who was lost in his own world.

"Morning" She told him, not really knowing why she knocked in the first place.

"Good morning" He said, quickly saving his work and closing the laptop and walking towards the living room.

"Off to work?" He asked to which she nodded.

"How are you passing the time?" She asked him wanting to make a small talk.

"I got a lot of writing done, and did you know that an average person spends almost three hours and nine minutes sitting in the loo each week?" Amulya's eyes were wide and for a second she did not know what to do with that information. She just stared at Alaric for a few seconds before bursting out laughing, which he soon joined.

"Oh my god; you have too much free time on your hand" She said between laughs, which died down when she Spotted a movement behind him.

A tall, skinny girl walked up towards them, from a room Amulya assumed to be the bedroom. Her hair was in beautiful curls, still a bit damp, showing she just showered.

"Who is this?" the girl asked, as she stood next to Alaric.

"This is my neighbour, Amulya." He turned to Amulya and said "This is Reagan"

Amulya smiled at the beauty in front of her.

"Nice to meet you" She said.

"You too" The blond did not spare a second glance towards Amulya when she turned towards Alaric, "Thank you so much for last night, Alaric. I got to rush now" Quickly kissing the guys cheek, she left, leaving a stunned Amulya behind.

"I'm late to work, I got to go" Amulya said and hurriedly left, even if it meant that she has to share a lift ride with the beauty.

Neighbour. Amulya thought. That what I am to him; that is what I will ever be.

She quickly scolded herself for the thoughts she was getting and carried on with her day.

Not the time or place to get jealous.

~*~

22.04.20

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