chapter 26
AT AROUND 2 AM A VAN WAS PARKED ON THE SIDE OF MMSH 2 MEN WERE REMOVING THE SCREWS OF A WINDOW THAT WAS JUST ABOVE THE GROUND LEVEL WHEN IT WAS UNSCREWED THEY LOADED SOME PACKAGE THAT WAS GIVEN TO THEM FROM INSIDE THE HOSPITAL THROUGH THE WINDOW AND INTO THE VAN.THE MEN THEN CLOSED THE WINDOW AND WALKED AWAY FROM THE VAN.
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"Dad do you believe me?" Shruthi was sitting next to him. He hasn't spoken a word to her from the day he landed at the hospital
"Dad please please talk to me this is like a punishment to me."
Her father looked at her "A punishment huh? So you think you are neck deep in problem and my silence is like a punishment?"
"No Dad I didn't mean that"
"Honey you need to know that I, have already put you in a kind of uncertain situation and you choose to take a path that will put your life in danger. After all that happened to you, you think I'm punishing you?" he was emotional and angry
"Dad please understand me i didn't know that he was Sks son"
"I don't understand why i still allow you to make decisions, I don't understand why I still support you and I don't understand why I let you to be far away from me."
"Dad I'm so close I'm actually now inside the circle so I can find out why or how they are still undetectable"
"Have you ever thought what if you were wrong? What if the Em Fort is actually a good medicine?"
"Dad!" shruthi was shocked "you were the one who raised me to question people who do wrong, now you are questioning my intention"
"Yes I'm! have you asked yourself this question before?"
"I have Dad I have. every time I fall I ask the same question but next step opens a new door. I have many time decided to give up, but I think about you, I have never seen you step back from anything . Even when my life was threatened you did your duty Dad. How do you want me to react? give up and come back home and lock myself at home", Shruthi spoke with such confidence and Walked away to be near her mom. Her Father looked at her in awe and wonder
"Do you still think you needed a son who would have protected her?" Varshini who was silently observing the father and daughter conversation asked.
He shook his head and smiled "This girl there, my girl! I'm proud of her, but she is fooling herself by denying herself a chance to live a happy and normal life"
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Rishi found himself on a flight to Delhi, one hour drive from Delhi airport he reached Medicare Hospital. It was huge and he had no idea where and how to find her.
He found Pooja, "Hi I'm Rishi, I'm looking for our mutual friend Shruthi", he said
"Shruthi Sharma or Chawla?" She asked
"She is not from north indian she is from Tamil nadu, one of her family member is admitted here" he asked
"Sorry no idea", Pooja gave him a suspicious look and walked away.
There were cine celebrities and Politicians and Bureaucrats walking in & out of the Hospital so he was sure that getting an information was difficult. He decided to wait in the Cafeteria. On his way out he saw Mr.Vishwanath the indian panelist of the International bench of FDA.
"Hello Sir! i know you, I admire your work and I'm.."
"Rishi and Congratulations on your engagement", Vishwanath shook his hands
Rishi was shocked "How do you?.."
"Son its my duty. MY wife is admitted here, come on let me introduce you to her. Just give her some motivation to stay strong. One shocking news and her Heart gives away. you are a psychiatrist right?" Vishwanath kept walking towards the elevator and Rishi kept up with him.
"Actually I'm a forensic psychologist", Rishi didn't want to lie to a man who is at such a position
"All spouses are criminal in one way or the other", He laughed
When they entered the room "Meet my wife Mini", he said but Vishwanaths wife signalled them to keep quiet, pointing out to a women who was sitting in the chair and was resting her head on the patients bed and had her hand hooked to Mini's hands.
"Thats my daughter, she rarely sleeps, so the mom is over cautious", Rishi smiled at Mini and she resembled someone he knew. When his eyes traveled down to her daughters he was surprised. "Are you? Is that?"he expressed his shock and the woman who was sleeping got up
"Shruthi?"
"Hey Rishi", she said in a sleepy voice and yawned
Rishi was in for another shock
"Son! its usually the girl introduces you to the family, i didn't this she would do it. So this is Me, Vishwanath father of Your fiancee and this is sowdhamini alis Mini Mother of Hi.. Shruthi",
Shruthi was wide awake now.
"Hello Darling", Rishi hugged her and kissed her cheeks "Missed you", he said
Shruthi tried to pull out from his embrace but he held on to her
"Dad why did you?" she asked
"How can i leave my future son in law wondering all alone, not knowing where to go. He came for you so I brought him to you."
Her mom and Dad were enjoying the discomfort of their daughter felt.
"Your mom was a good friend of mine", Vishwanath told Rishi
"You knew her?", Rishi let go of shruthi and she felt a bit disappointed and sat next to her mom.
"Yeah we both did our Under graduation together, and then after i came to FDA Nileema's contribution was worth mentioning. Such dedication," As he was talking Rishi felt proud of his mom. But he wanted to handle the problem at hand
"But Sir i thought Varshini was Shruthi's Mom, She never told me a word"
"Varshini is the wife of my elder brother and she is her guardian. Just call me Vishwa, no Sir please."
Rishi understood why Shruthi had uttered the word 'my Dad is going to kill me', when she found about his Dad
"Look Rishi with the patent and approval of EM fort pending I would like to keep it that way hope you understand," Rishi shook his head in affirmation.
"Well will be here longer? I have got some meeting to attend, catch you up for dinner", Vishwanath shook Rishis hands and left.
Shruthi saw her family gel in with Rishi. He had become a pet to her mom. Shekar uncle just loved Rishi and Varshini was always a fan of him.
Rishis eyes never left his Shruthi she looked pale & weak and her eyes were red and tired and sunken, as if she hadn't slept in a long time. He wanted to be near her. His anger had vanished the minute he saw her.
Shruthi went out of the room she felt suffocated with all the Love her family was pouring over Rishi not knowing the risk.
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"Do you think, the Witch Doctor would have been the one who ordered the hit", Prashanth asked Mercina
"No i don't think so", she said sipping her evening tea
"Why? we were the ones who failed her plans"
"Her? how do you know she is a female", mercina asked
"Rishi guessed it"
"Yeah psychos", she smiled
"Well tell me how are you so sure it wasn't the Witch Doctor?"
"Well..", Mercina thought for sometime and answered "she is like my well wisher, she exposed you in her article just to make me stop from getting fooled by you."
"What? So you know her personally"
"Sort of", she replied with no emotions
"Thats a break through, let me call my Dad", he took his phone
"And i will deny whatever i just told you", Mercina's eyes were cold now
"Listen Messi, i need to talk to me normally and not in codes"
Mercina showed some files of Ct scan of uterus and ovaries "what do you see?" she asked
"Ovulating and non ovulating overies"
"Yeah they are mine, the former was the one i took when i was in college trying to understand my Dysfunctional uterine bleeding and the later is also mine a year after taking EM fort my DUB stopped and so did my ovulation," Mercina had no reaction in her face
"How about we take a test now", Prashanth asked
"There are records dating till last month", she said "if interested also read this", she she opened another file with all the updates and research of EM fort by the Witch Doctor. "Then decide which side you are on".