The Binding String

F O R T Y - S I X

"Ishita." Ishita was keeping her umbrella near the security guard chair when she saw Raman coming running towards her.

"Raman aap yahan....Roohi kahan hai?" (Raman what are you doing here? And where is Roohi?)

"Andar. Main bas abhi hi aaya, I was waiting for you." (She is inside.....I was waiting for you.) The restless and anxious Raman replied racking his hands in his moist hairs. The couple entangled their fingers and rushed towards Dr. Archana cabin eager to see their daughter. They stepped together in the pediatrician cabin where Mr.and Mrs. Bhalla was seated with a worrisome face. Raman straightaway approached the doctor where Ishita eyes started to search for her little daughter. "Doctor where is Roohi? Mummyji kya hua? Kahan behosh hui Roohi?" (Doctor where is Roohi? Mummy Ji, what happened to her? Why she fell unconscious?) Ishita lips shivered with fear and anxiety scanning the entire cabin as she couldn't spot her daughter.

"Puttar Bhalla Ji school chod kar aaye the usko. Uske aadhe poune ghante baad hi phone aaya ki bacchi gir padi. Raman ne hi kaha use yahan lekar aane ko toh hum log le aaye beta." (Puttar we received a call from her school after sone forty minutes later when Bhalla Ji came back dropping her. They told us that your daughter fell unconscious and we took her here.) Santhosh Bhalla briefed everything in a single go still looking at Dr. Archana who was not saying anything.

"Calm down Ishita. She is at another side of the partition, at the examination table." Raman and Ishita shared a teary eye lock and together they walked towards the examination table. Their little daughter was lying there, apparently sleeping or resting. She was looking absolute angelic in the white frock which had frills around, Ishita assumed that frock must be for the event she is going to perform today. Her soft thin lips were painted with a red shade of lipstick which she felt not the right one for a little kid like Roohi, there were some traces of mascara also which was smeared around her eyes. It was easy to assume that someone from her school made Roohi dressed for her performance. Ishita hands shivered as she forwarded her hands to take her in her arms.

"Mam you're wet. It might make her ill." The nurse stood beside sleeping Roohi stopped Ishita.

"I'm her mother. Woh theek ho jaayegi meri godi mein aakar." (I'm her mother. She will get fine when I will take her in my arms.) Ishita asked with a determination dying to hug Roohi close to her heart.

"Mam she is fine." The nurse assured her and ishita walked back where Doctor Archana was seated examining some reports.

"How it happened Mummy Ji? Roohi tho ghar pe thi na. Doctor, how's Roohi? Why she is lying like that? Aisi kyon padi hai woh?" (But why she didn't get her conscious back?) Ishita bombarded questions within a single breath. She had no patience left within her to wait anymore, her heart was sinking even more and everything around her was making her dizzy.

"Calm down Ishita and please sit down." Doctor Archana signaled the couple to sit and kept her report aside.

"Doctor at least tell us ki Roohi ko kya hua hai?" (Doctor please tell us what exactly happened to Roohi?) This time it was Raman who broke his silence unable to bear this uncomfortable silence.

"Mr. Bhalla things are not right with Roohi and I have messaged Mrs. Bhalla to meet me immediately. Have you checked my message Ishita?" Ishita nodded her head in denial like a dumb where Raman took Ishita phone from her hand and started to ho through unread text messages, "Rajan shared the symptoms he observed in Roohi and on the basis of those we took samples a few days back. I hope you guys remember about the same Ishita."

"Yes I do remember but I have no clue about your calls or messages. And what made her lost her conscious?"

"Woh raat bhar se bukhar mein thi Ishita aur issi ki wajah se Roohi aaj subah apne school mein faint ho gayi thi. Tumhe is baare mein kaise kuch nahi pata chala?" (She was burning with high fever since last night and due to that reason, she fainted today morning. Don't you know about that?)  Dr. Archana shared the information leaving the young parent shocked.