Chapter 39 - Hospitalised (1/2)

|Innaya|

I restlessly paced in the living room, glancing every now and then towards the door and my mobile. Eshan had said, he would return before three and it was almost seven now. Where was he?

'Is he ok? Why his mobile is not reachable? Where has he gone leaving office in afternoon itself?' Different questions, situations swirled in my mind as I tried Eshan's number for the umpteenth time. I groaned to myself as the operator repeated the same tape of his mobile being switched off.

I should not have let him leave in the morning. Should I call his friends?

There was strange unsettling feeling brewing in my heart and for some unknown reasons, it wouldn't let me breathe properly. I searched for Arjun's number, hoping he would know about Eshan whereabouts.

I found it within few seconds.

My mobile started ringing suddenly with an unknown number when I was about to call to Arjun. 'Who is it? Is it Mr. Roy?' No, he wouldn't know this number. It must be Eshan or I was atleast hoping it to be him.

”Hello, Eshan?” I inquired hurriedly with the thudding heart. Only if I knew what awaited at the other end. I staggered backward as I listened to the woman at the other end. Tears gathered in my eyes and I felt my throat clogging up with the rush of emotions. The call was disconnected long back and yet I stood still as if someone had frozen the time. I couldn't think, I couldn't react.

*

With trembling hands, I opened the door we were directed to. If it was not for Ayush's firm hold around me, I would have long ago crumbled on the floor or worse would not have made to the current place.

A sudden sob left my mouth as I took in the unconscious figure lying on the bed with the drip attached to his body. He looked pale than the morning. I was vaguely aware of Ayush leading me near the bed and making me sit on the stool before I clutched the bed for support.

”Mrs. Singhaniya, your husband is fine now; he will gain his conscious in about an hour.” I looked up through my blurry vision towards the person I had not noticed until then, smiling politely at me. I assumed through his appearance that the middle age man was the doctor treating Eshan as he had a stethoscope in his one hand and he had donned the white coat. He adjusted his spectacles on his face before he wrote something on the file he had in his other hand.

”What happened to him, Doctor?” I stood up mustering every ounce of my courage, asking him about what exactly happened that Eshan was laying here in such a condition. My throat was choking with all emotions I felt at that moment and my anxiety was increasing with every passing second.

The woman who had called me earlier was the receptionist at the city hospital. She informed me that they had Eshan admitted to their hospital. Apparently, he had passed out on the highway and someone brought him to hospital.

”His blood pressure had lowered and he was having a high fever. I think he hasn't had enough fluid that was also the reason he fainted. We have taken his blood samples for test. Let's wait till reports arrive.” The doctor answered checking Eshan's pulse.

My head snapped at that, though I was talking with the doctor yet my gaze was fixed on my husband. I lifted my gaze towards the Doctor, crossing my fingers in process praying to the God.

”You said report, anything...anything serious Doctor?” My heartbeat fastened, sweat beads started forming on my forehead. Even the thought of something bad happening to him was causing an ache in my heart.

The doctor smiled in assurance. ”Nothing Serious Mrs. Singhaniya, it's just precautionary. We have talked to your family doctor, Mr. Sharma, to take Mr. Singhaniya's medical history. Mr. Singhaniya's friend was here, she gave us Mr. Sharma's and your number.”

Friend? Who? Different questions were ready to crowd my brain but it was not important now.

”Thank you very much, Doctor,” I said, genuinely expressing my gratitude.

Ayush walked with the doctor outside the room, leaving me with unconscious Eshan. I pulled the stool nearer to his bed. Then deciding otherwise, I sat beside him. Tears welled up in my eyes as I took in his frail form. Suddenly, he looked pale, very pale, and weak. I could not move, I could not think as if I lost my ability of thinking. I reached for his hand and clasped mine with his. His skin felt feverish against my cold one.

How I wished I had never let him go in the first place. Nothing would have happened then. Why? What was so important? It was my entire fault, how could I be so ignorant? Even after witnessing his condition last night, I had allowed him to leave, only if I had insisted more and stopped him. How could I be so careless? What kind of a wife was I? Careless?