14

Shondeep and Arnav were in Avinash's cabin next day morning. Papaji had to be admitted to the hospital again in the night in a pretty bad condition! His urination was completely stopped. But later he had responded to catheter. The upstream symptoms were visible which would affect his bladder and kidneys. Papaji's biopsy reports had come in too! 

"Is everything ok?" Shondeep asked and Arnav waited for the answer with baited breath.
Avinash shook his head and said "There is a good news and a bad news!" 

Arnav gaped in shock. "What?" he blurted.

"No! The biopsy has ruled out cancer!" Avinash said gravely. "Oh!" said Arnav with a sigh of relief.

"But..." said Avinash
"What?" Arnav got up with a jerk. 

"He surely has benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and needs another surgery immediately!" said Avinash. "He must have had this problem for a long time!" he said.

"Dr. Avinash! What are we waiting for?" asked Shondeep. Arnav was incapable of taking in anything.

"The OT is getting ready" said Avinash. "Arnav, you need to sign the papers!" Arnav nodded.

"Arnav, I am staying back. I was supposed to go back by night!" said Shondeep. He took over and asked Arnav to go to Papaji.

Papaji was clearly in pain. He fainted frequently. Khushi sat there holding his hand. The hospital staff had started preparing him for the surgery!

"Khushi!" whispered Arnav. She came out.

"He needs another surgery!" said Arnav. "What?" she screamed.

"Shh, Khushi!" he said holding her hand. "Listen to me! I am calling Aakash and no one else. We have to take care of this ourselves. "I am not telling anything about this to mummiji!" he said gravely. She nodded. She kept praying her devi mayya.

********** *********

Papaji was brought in recovery room after the surgery. He was still unconscious. Avinash was with them throughout! Khushi paced restlessly. "Khushi! Sit at one place!" Avinash told her. "You are irritating others!" he said. "Avinash! I had warned you, it is your responsibility! Look what has happened now!" she accused him.

"Khushi.. stop it!" Arnav got up looking apologetically at Avinash. 

"Its ok! Arnav, I am to be blamed!" he said.

"Khushi... he will be alright! Don't worry!" said Avinash assuring her. She looked away.
"Avinash, if anything happens to him, I will not spare you!" she came on to him raising her finger.

"Khushi... relax.. nothing will happen!" said Arnav stopping her in the middle. She broke away with a jerk.

"Khushi, you go home!" ordered Avinash "And let me do my work!"
"No! I am not going anywhere!" she said
"Then keep quiet!" said Arnav making her sit on the chair.
After five hours, papaji was shifted to the private room to everybody's relief.
"Aakash, you go home and send Di, if possible!" said Arnav. Aakash nodded. Arnav wanted someone to be with Khushi.
Late in the evening, Khushi and Anjali reluctantly went home. Shondeep dropped them.
That night Papaji's condition further deteriorated. He was immediately shifted to ICU. He was put on ventilators, external respiratory system. Arnav and Shondeep waited sitting on the chairs outside the ICU ward.
Arnav's phone vibrated.. "Hello, Arnavji..!" it was Khushi. "Is everything ok?" she asked. Arnav had no answer. He looked at the time, it was 2.00 in the night. "Khushi, what made you call at this time?" he asked her.
"I am feeling restless! I want to see him!" she said quivering! Arnav kept mum. Shondeep had dozed off in the next chair. "Khushi.. everything is ok! Now go to sleep and come here early morning!" said Arnav disconnecting the phone.
Avinash walked in early morning. He went to talk to the doctors after talking to Arnav and Shondeep. Both of them were little relieved seeing Avinash. "Papaji was in safe hands now! "They thought.
****** **********
"Ok! Arnav, the double surgery has put him in more trouble! He should stabilize by this evening. I will come in the afternoon!" said Avinash. Arnav nodded. He dialed Khushi's number. She was about to leave home. "Khushi call me when you reach hospital!" he said. She called. He went and told her about his condition. She was shocked and panicked. "Shh! Khushi, calm down. He will be ok!" Arnav said. No visitor was allowed in ICU. They waited outside. She had brought them breakfast.
"Arnav ji, should we call Raj Bhayya here? I mean, we have taken up the responsibility... but!" Khushi did not know how to say that Raj was his son.
"No Khushi, let us wait for some time! I am in touch with Elsa! We will see and then may be..!" Arnav could not complete his sentence.
Nurse came calling him. "These, you should get now!" she gave him the list of medicines. He went away.
She said after a while, "Sir, Arnav ji, go home and have some rest. Payal jiji is coming. I will call you if need be!" said Khushi. She had composed herself and was in control. "But.." Arnav started off. "No! Arnav ji, go home!" she almost ordered.
**** ******** *********
They had managed the hospital duties. Arnav even went to office these days. Papaji was recovering. He, for a change, this time gave less trouble to the hospital staff and was listening to their orders. Shondeep was to leave in the night. Anjali and Khushi were in the hospital. Arnav came from Office. Lavanya was with him. Khushi smiled at her and greeted her.
"Hello Lavanya ji, how are you?" she asked. Arnav was talking to Shondeep. Anjali was sitting outside papaji's room. Lavanya greeted everyone and went to talk to Shondeep. Khushi looked around and entered papaji's room.
"Papaji.. Lavanya ji has come!" she said looking at him. "So?" he asked. "Nothing!" she said.
"Khushi, help me get up!" he orderd. Doctor had advised him to walk for some time! He came out holding Khushi's hand.
Shondeep saw him and came hurriedly. "What is it?" he asked. Papaji kept his hand on Shondeep's shoulder and said, "You drop Anjali beti to her home while going to the airport!" Shondeep nodded.
"hello Uncle? How are you now?" asked Lavanya. Papaji smiled at her. She got engrossed talking to Arnav and Shondeep. Anjali and Khushi took papaji inside. "Khushi, I want you to stay tonight with me!" his weirdness had come back. He was getting normal. Khushi nodded.
"Ms Kashyap, so you are all set for the fashion show!" exclaimed papaji. She was excited.
"Yes uncle. I mean I came specially for that. It is nothing like joining back AR Group and working with ASR again!" she said in excitement.
"Oh! That is great!" he said waving at her to sit on the chair. "You know, I am with AR Group in this"
Khushi flared up her nose. Papaji glanced at her and said, "Khushi puttar, why don't you and Arnav go and have coffee? I need to talk to this beautiful lady about the show!" Khushi stomped out. She came to Arnav and said "Papaji has ordered us to go and have coffee, while he talks about the show to Lavanyaji." Arnav was flabbergasted.
"I think I should leave now for the airport. I will drop Anjali on my way!" said Shondeep. He went into papaji's room. "Ok! Keep me in loop!" said papaji dismissing him summarily not giving him the chance to say bye! Shondeep came out shaking his head.
Papaji continued talking to Lavanya about the show. He frequently glanced at the door.
Khushi and Arnav came back after a while. "Anjali?" asked papaji. "Di went with Shondeep!" said Arnav. Suddenly papaji lost interest in the fashion show!
"I think it will get late. Lavanya, you should leave now!" said papaji. Lavanya looked at Arnav.
"Arnav puttar, the doctor said he will come for the round in 15 minutes!" said papaji.
"Lavanya, I will arrange a taxi for you! I should wait here to meet the doctor!" Arnav said.
"No! ASR, I will manage!" she said and went out.

***** ***
Anjali and Shondeep were in the car. Both of them had nothing to talk to each other. They had lost in their own thoughts. "Sir? Directly to the Airport?" interrupted the chauffeur.
"Hann? No! Shantivan!" said Shondeep glancing at Anjali.
"Its ok, shondeep ji, drop me at the next corner, I will go from there. You will get late!" said Anjali.
"No!" he dismissed.
"No! really, I mean Shantivan is not on your way. I will go from here!" she said picking up her bag, ready to get down from the car.
"No! I want to leave you at your place, Anjali!" he held her hand and left it immediately. For the first time he had lost his composure. She looked at him in surprise.
"I will drop you at your place and may be have a cup of coffee?' he asked her gaining his self control. She nodded smiling.
Shondeep met mummiji at home. "He is alright now!" he said. "I know, he keeps calling me!" said mummiji smiling.
"Madam, I am going back. Please call me if there is anything I can do!" he said getting up.
"Yes, sure Shondeep! And thank you for being so helpful in this crisis" she said with gratitude.
"Please, Madam.. no need to thank me!" he said feeling embarrassed. Anjali came in with the coffee.
"Thank you!" he took the mug from her.
Mummiji's phone rang. "Ok!" she said and disconnected.
"Khushi is staying in the Hospital and Arnav is coming home!" she declared.
"What? Alone?" asked Anjali. "Should I go?" she asked Naniji.
But mummiji answered. "No beti, Papaji wants her to stay!"
Everyone was puzzled. Shondeep took leave and went out. Anjali went to see him off to the door. He shook hand with her. She smiled.
He gave her his card and said "Anjali, call me, if there is anything I can do" she nodded. He went away.
Within five minutes his phone rang. "Hello Shondeep ji! This is my number!" came a sweet voice and Shondeep' s face brightened up, dimples visible on his cheeks, his ears grew pink! Anjali had given him a call back and her number.
Anjali was in Mummiji's room. She was fidgeting with the card. "Whose card is this?" had asked mummiji. "Ji? Shondeep ji gave me his card" she had said not knowing what to do with the card.
"Call him and give him your number! Reciprocate his good gesture, Anjali!" had prompted Mummiji. She did.
*** ******** **********
Arnav came home. "What about Khushi's dinner?" she asked him when he said he is hungry.
"Oh! She loves that canteen food sweeter the better and spicier the merrier!" he said. Payal smiled.
****** *********