The doctor gently lifted up the top of the lady and gently pressed the Transducer (Kind of jockey like structure connected to the ultrasound scanner) on the upper abdomen of the lady.
Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the scan and immediately took out her notepad and jotted down a few things, before turning to the head nurse.
"Take her blood and send it to the lab for a blood profile."
"Yes, Doctor."
While the doctor was instructing about the blood tests, the Chief of the ER who heard the commotion came over to take a look at the ultrasound and immediately frowned.
He quickly looked at the nurse accompanying him and said...
"Attach her to drip and administer painkillers."
The nurse immediately hurried off, while the Doctor approached the Resident.
"Quickly, inform GS."
"Yes, Professor!"
The Resident fished out her mobile from her scrub pocket and started dialing the General Surgery.
********************
Dev's Cabin
After the supper with his friends, Dev had to lead another emergency surgery which did not end until 3 in the morning, exhausting him completely.
While he was sleeping on the single convertible sofa in his cabin, the sound of his mobile ringtone woke him up.
He was completely awake and alert as he picked up the mobile from the coffee table and connected it without a second's delay.
"Hello..."
"Professor Dev, we have an emergency in the ER, suspected Gall Bladder Rupture."
"I'm coming."
Dev answered quickly, as he stood up picked up his coat, and walked out of his cabin while wearing it in a fluid motion.
As waiting for the elevator would be time-consuming, he took the stairs and reached the ground floor, crossing the garden in between and reaching A-wing in a jiffy.
He entered the ER on the ground floor and the Resident quickly guided him to the patient.
"What is the condition?"
Dev asked the Chief of ER, as he simultaneously viewed the scan taken earlier, a small crease forming on his forehead.
"We induced painkillers and NSAIDs just now, but it doesn't look good."
"Is the family here?"
"Yes, the parents are here."
"Move her to the GS and prepare the OT. Call her family to my cabin."
The first part of Dev's instruction was given to the GS Resident behind him who was huffing slightly because of being out of breath and to the nurse, the latter part was given to the ER Resident.
********************
1.00 p.m.
By the time Dev was done with his surgery, it was already lunch time making him famished since he did not have anything after his supper which was more than 12 hours ago.
He went straight to the canteen after his surgery where he made his way to the counter while greeting the other staff on his way.
Since it was still early the crowd was minimal and Dev got his order quite quickly.
Halfway through his lunch, his mobile started ringing making him quickly wipe his hands in the tissue and fumble around to take out his mobile from his pant pocket of the scrub.
Taking out his mobile he looked at the caller ID and picked up the call.
*On Call*
"Hello, Badima [1]?"
"Where are you, Dev? You did not come home since last night."
Dev's Badima, Aradhana Chandrakanth's worried voice came through the other side of the call.
"Sorry Badima, I couldn't inform you. I had back-to-back surgeries, so got a little busy."
"Then when are you coming home?"
"One of my patients is in observation, I'll be home by 4 or 5. You needed me for something?"
"Yes, about the matter your Dadaji talked to you about... Your Dadaji and Dadima believe that if you take a look at the girl, you will be able to decide more efficiently."
"Alright. So?"
"So, we will be visiting the girl's family today evening by 6 for which you need to come home early and get ready."
"Badima..."
"What is it, Dev? Tell me, don't hesitate, are you perhaps not ready for the marriage yet?"
"No Badima! It's just... Isn't it happening very fast? Like Dadaji talked to me about marriage just yesterday and today..."
"We all liked the girl, especially your Dadaji and Dadima, so they think if you two meet and like each other we can proceed with the preparations while you both can have your time as well."
"Badima... The girl, did she also agree to the marriage? Or is she forced..."
"You can ask her that yourself, right?"
"Yes..."
"Then do so. Come home early alright?"
"Yes, Badima."
Saying this Dev hung up the call and placed the mobile on the table while deep in thought.
"Back to earth!"
Kunal's voice suddenly came from beside him as he joined his best friend for lunch.
Startled at the sudden intrusion, Dev's head jerked towards Kunal in alarm making the latter look at him questioningly in confusion.
"Where are you lost?"
"Huh? Oh! Nothing, I was thinking about what Badima said."
"And what did she say?"
"We are going to meet the lady and her family today evening."
"You mean Gauri Bhabhi's cousin? Why so soon?"
"Yes. Don't know but looks like Dadaji wants this."
"So, you agreed?"
"Hmm. I have nothing else planned."
"Have you taken a look at yourself in the mirror, you look nothing less than a sleep-deprived, haggard peddler on the street! You are going to scare her like this."
Kunal exclaimed in exasperation as he regarded Dev with contempt clear on his face.
"People don't look any better having back-to-back surgeries and continuous shifts for 3 days straight."
"Well... You should hurry home and clean up. Catch some sleep while on it."
"I still have a patient in observation, I'll leave in an hour or two."
"Suit yourself, join me for round two?"
"For lunch?"
"What else?"
"I'm too full to continue any longer. Enjoy your lunch."
Dev said with a small amused chuckle as he stood up while Kunal simply shrugged at what the former said, already half-expecting that answer.
********************
Varadhan Mansion
5.45 p.m.
All the family members except Geeta were seated in the living while talking among themselves.
That was when they heard the sound of heels clicking against the marble floor making them look up at the start of the stairs to find Geeta standing there about to descend while talking on the phone.
Almost all of them including Dadu and Dida were shocked beyond words as the family looked at each other in confusion.
Geeta who was observing all the chaos silently from the top of the staircase descended elegantly while still being mindful of the conversation on the other side of the call.
She took her seat on one of the single-seater sofas while observing all the panic that surged through her family as her Dadu simply pinched the bridge of his nose in helplessness and exasperation.
"Naina, the schedule sounds fine just remind me about the Berlin a day before, and at what time is our flight tomorrow?"
"..."
"Alright, also connect me to Leonard, it's high time now, I should have a nice talk with him."
"..."
"Try until he picks up or just sue him tomorrow."
"..."
"Put me up on hold and try calling immediately since I have some time on my hands."
"..."
Putting the call on speaker she placed it on the coffee table and then leaned onto the sofa while looking at her family calmly.
Just then one of the maids entered the living room and served Geeta her regular cup of expresso, which the latter took and sipped elegantly.
"What's the occasion? You all are home early and here at the same time?"
Geeta asked calmly as she gently blew into her cup to cool down the expresso.
"You... Why... Why are you dressed like this?"
Gayatri Varadhan, Gauri's older twin who was the first to find her voice asked in bewilderment and exasperation to which Geeta simply raised her right brow in questioning.
"Dressed like what?"
"You aren't dressed appropriately, Princess."
Charulata said in a helpless tone as she looked at Geeta uncertainly, unable to understand her reaction.
"As far as I know, I'm dressed the same way I'm supposed to for a gala, unlike you all who are... unnecessarily decked up in traditional, unless you all are going to some wedding."
"Sweetheart, it is alright to dress in Western other times but today you should dress up in traditional as well since this is the first time they will be meeting you. Putting in some effort in the dressing this one time is the least we could do."
"Dida, who is this 'They' we are talking about?"
Geeta's statement stunned everyone would be an understatement they were simply dumbfounded, trying to gauge whether she was messing with them or simply clueless.
"Brat! Don't you know that your potential groom and his family are coming to visit you today, in fact now?"
"I did not even know I had a potential 'Groom', let alone them visiting today."
Geeta deadpanned just as the call which was on hold became active again.
She picked up the mobile and turned off the speaker, before placing it near her right ear, while giving a cold, icy look towards her family, her warning clear.
As if on cue, the sound of a fleet of cars stopping right outside the entrance was heard making the already anxious family even more anxious as they looked at each other in panic.
Meanwhile, Geeta simply observed them calmly with a cold expression.
"Charu and Gayu, help Princess get ready, I'll send Gauri upstairs as well."
Divya quickly instructed as the elders hurried to the entrance to welcome the Chandrakanth family.
Helplessly looking at the backs of the elders the youngsters turned towards Geeta only to find her looking at them with a bone-chilling look which frightened them out of their wits.
'She is Scary!!!'
On the other hand, Geeta was almost on the verge of tearing apart whoever was on the other side of the call it was pretty clear from how dark her expression was.
"Leonard..."
'Uh Oh!'
Geeta sneered so icily that Charulata and Gayatri abandoned any idea of approaching her which they gathered with all of their courage and willpower.
"Keep those sorry a** excuses to yourself. If you think any of those will be able to redeem you, then think again and again until you come to the realization that... You. Are. Doomed."
"... Sshhh... When I'm talking no one interrupts."
Geeta spat so coldly that the people around her involuntarily shivered.
"You know it well, if you used your head instead of your d*ck, what happened last night would've never happened in the first place."
"But you just had to do what I hate the most... f*cking up your job while busy screwing your mistress."
"Even after people reminded me time and again about your messy private life I gave you a chance to prove yourself on the work front but you let me down, now it's time to pay the price."
"Since you let me down, I'll personally send you off to the depths of hell... You. F*cked. Up."
"..."
"Oh, Leonard! Gabrielle never gives people second chances. Naina, make sure our lawyer's letter reaches him in an hour."
"..."
After a curt hum, Geeta hung up the call, picked up her now cold cup of Expresso, and took a sip of it, only to frown and place it back down.
While Charulata was busy calming herself and gathering the courage to walk up to Geeta, she was nudged by her husband making her look at him in annoyance.
Meanwhile, Chaitanya who sensed his wife's annoyance simply motioned towards the entrance where the rest of their family members along with Chandrakanth's family were standing.
Gauri and Hridaan looked back at them in confusion and disbelief as their eyes traveled from them to Geeta and then back to them.
Whereas the elders of the Varadhan family simply closed their eyes in defeat and helplessness as Dadu simply chuckled in amusement.
Chandrakanth family on the other hand were too stunned to speak as they gaped in shock, while Dadaji simply had a soft smile on his face.
Devina Chandrakanth Trivedi, Dev's older cousin's sister was so flustered she did not know what to do and hastily closed her son Arav's ears to prevent any of the bad words from getting to his innocent heart.
Gauri who saw this, asked her daughter Madhumika a.k.a Mika to take her cousin upstairs to play with her other two cousin sisters, Madhubala a.k.a Bala and Madhumathi a.k.a Mathi.
Yet, instead of doing what her mother asked her to do, Mika ran to her favorite Massi and jumped on her excitedly, completely ignoring the freezing temperature around her.
Whereas Aarav who was dragged along by Mika, stood there awkwardly not knowing what to do.
********************
[1] Badima is the title used to address Father's Older Brother's Wife in Hindi.
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Hey Lovelies!
Rise and Shine!!
Or is it too late for that phrase?
Well Nevermind!
I'm back with another update after beating up my procrastinating a** to write a chapter overnight... Ooofff...
Now its your turn to let me know if it is GREAT Or NOT!
Now, the important part...
The hospital scenes and medical terms depicted here are all my knowledge from the one and only google...😅😅
So if it is incorrect please do correct me and guide me with the what is appropriate.
I would also appreciate any other correction or criticism unless and until it is constructive ones! 😁
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Until the next update...
Happy Reading!!!