Arranged marriage was an age-old story that Khushi, the youngest of the infamous Gupta family, who revolutionized and dominated the trading market for generations, knew well.
For it was the only thing she heard growing up.
But that neither prepared...
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Khushi could not remember a time when she was so happy in her life. The closest was probably when she was a child, unaware, unrestricted and just free. But even those memories came nowhere close to the absolute joy she felt now.
Her days were all the same: hectic, stressful and sometimes downright depressing. But she relished it all, because she finally had a purpose in life again. She had something to look forward to every morning and even though she didn't realize it, something in the evenings too.
Despite being nervous on her first day, Khushi had adjusted to her new hospital so quickly that it felt like she had been always there. A part of that credit probably went to Ved, who made sure she felt welcome everywhere she went. But mostly –and Khushi refused to acknowledge it– it was because she was good at her job. No one, not even the senior resident doctors, could deny that she was knowledgeable, confident and most of all, unafraid. In short, she had none of the qualities that defined new interns. It had amazed them.
Khushi wished it didn't.
"Damn... that was a tough one," Ved muttered.
Khushi didn't reply. She had just emerged from a four-hour surgery that was scheduled to go on for longer had the patient's heart not failed halfway through.
"It's okay," Ved continued, misunderstanding her silence. "We can't save everyone. The first one is always the worst."
Khushi wiped her hands dry. "That wasn't my first."
Ved was confused. "How many surgeries have you been in? This is only your second one right?"
"Are you keeping tabs on how many cases I am getting?"
"Gotta keep an eye on the competition."
Khushi rolled her eyes. "I am not competition."
"And I am not a man," he replied, sarcastically. "But tell me, when did a patient die on you? It's only been a month since you joined!"
"I took Surveen's shift last week and her patient coded in the middle of night. He was gone before we wheeled him in for surgery."
"You ran a code all by yourself?!" Ved appeared horrified.
"It's just a code. Relax."
"... and you said you are not competition?"
Khushi shrugged. The reality was they all blew it out of proportion. So what if she knew how to carry out procedures? So what if she knew how to handle a difficult patient? Why couldn't they just let her be? Why did they all insist on glorifying her as a gifted doctor?
It was all so stupid. And also nerve-wracking.
Khushi knew sooner or later, they would figure it out that she was repeating her internship. Their reaction, then, was not something she wanted to see. Especially Ved, who had joked casually over lunch one day that she was his best friend.
