Lambi Judiayaan - Part 4

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When Veda, Disha and Aaira returned from the park, they found the house to be empty.  Thinking everyone went to the market, Veda fed Aaira dinner and then took her to the second floor they were staying in.  She was shocked to find Akshu there on the bed, shaking and having difficultly breathing.

"Didi! Kya hua aapko?" Veda ran to her. "We need to go to the hospital right now."

"I...I..am...fi...I'm fine. Wa..water." Akshu struggled to speak.  Veda quickly helped her drink some water and called Disha and together they helped Akshu get in a taxi. Veda stayed home with a distressed Aaira as Disha took Akshu to the hospital.  Veda tried to call Jay and her mother as well

"Bhai, what's the closest hospital? Take us there!" Disha told the taxi driver.

"Birla hospital." The taxi driver answered.

"No! No! No...not Bi...Birla..Hos...pital! No!" Akshu panicked.

"Didi, please calm down. It's the nearest hospital." Disha tried to calm her down. "It's a very good hospital, trust me."

"No...any...thing....but Birla Hos...pital....please!" Akshu pleaded with Disha.

"Phir toh City General hoga." Taxi driver told them.

"Okay phir wahan chalo magar jaldi!" Disha told the driver as she watched Akshu's condition getting worse.

+++++++++++

Jay and Savita sat in the doctor's cabin as they waited for Dr. Mehra to finish examining Akshu.  Veda had finally gotten in touch with them 30 minutes prior and they both rushed to the hospital right away. Jay was glad to know it was the same surgeon examining Akshu that he had been taking to.  Finally after another half an hour, Dr. Mehra entered his cabin and took his seat on the chair in front of Jay and Savita.

"How's Akshara now?" Savita asked.

"Dekhiyan, main ghuma phira ke baat nahi karonga.  I can only say if there would have been in any further delay, we could have lost her.  I can't stress enough about how very very critical her condition is." Dr. Mehra told them grimly.

Savita started to cry as Jay tried to stay composed. "What's the next step, doctor?" He finally asked.

"We are going to keep her here overnight to observe her. I've looked at her reports and her case is far more severe than I thought." He told them. "I have a colleague, right here in Udaipur, whom I'll get a second opinion from. He's one of the best in the country and I feel his expertise is deeply needed in this case.  All I can say, we should do her surgery as soon as possible."

"How soon?" Jay asked him. "I can try to arrange the finances."

"It depends on what Dr. Birla suggests. Dr. Abhimanyu Birla? The colleague I just mentioned.  I'll forward him the reports first thing tomorrow morning."  Dr. Mehra told them.

"Dr. Abhimanyu Birla! Yes!" Jay said as he came into realization. "I've been trying to get in touch with him as well but have had no luck."

"He's a very in demand doctor but I'm sure even he would be very interested here. It's a very complicated case."  Dr. Mehra told them.

+++++++++++++++++++

Seeing her mother in such a condition badly impacted Aaira and she spent the whole night crying for Akshu.  As Akshu had to stay overnight at the hospital, both Savita and Jay stayed with her while Meera and Veda tried to calm Aaira down. She had never been away from her for more then a few hours before. It was with much difficulty, she finally fell alseep.

The next morning, as soon as she woke up, she started to cry for Akshu again.  Seeing her condition, Disha decided to call Nishta trying to arrange a play date to distract Aaira for a few hours.  Nishta invited them to her house so Aaira can play with Shivu and Amaya.

"Pata hai, Didi will be upset.  She doesn't like Aaira going to anyone's house." Veda nervously told Disha as they entered the courtyard of Nishta's house. "Wow! Yeh ghar kitna bada hai!"

"Hai na? Actually Nishta's family owns one of the biggest hospitals here. Most of her family members belong to the medical field only." Disha told a very impressed Veda as they entered the Birla house.

Inside the house, a frantic Harshvardhan was screaming on the phone as one of the very important contacts he was bidding with a huge company was being won by another hospital. But as soon as Veda, Disha and Aaira entered the house, Harsh was informed that he won that bid.

"Kya? Sach mein? Last minute mein kaise?" Harsh asked in shock. "Yeh toh miracle hogaya!" As he turned around, he noticed the three girls awkwardly standing there.  "Oh you must be Nishta's friends."  He noticed Aaira holding Veda's hand. "Aur aap toh Amaya ki dost hain, hai na? I'm Amaya's dadu." He said putting his hand on Aaira's head who shyly went to hide behind Veda.

Just then, Nishta came and greeted them. Shefali too came down to greet them and they all went to sit down on the couch. "Maine nanny ko keh diya hai, woh Shivu aur Amaya ko bhula rahi hai. But how are you, cutie pie?" Shefali said giving Aaira a hug.

Mahima and Manjiri, Nishta's mom and chachi, also joined them and brought snacks with them.  "Masi, yeh ghar kitnaaa big hai na?? Like a Princess house!" Aaira exclaimed to Veda making everyone laugh.

"Haan aur dekho, iss ghar ki princess bhi aagayi." Manjiri laughed pointing to Amaya who came down the stairs in a princess-like dress holding Abhimanyu's hand.

"Amaya sach main princess hai?" Aaira asked Manjiri.

"Haan! Right, Bade Papa?" Amaya asked Abhi.

"Bilkul right." Abhimanyu smiled at her before turning to Aaira. "Lekin Princess toh aap bhi ho na?"

"No, I'm a doctor." Aaira shook her head.

"Doctor?" Mahima laughed. "Very good, beta! Abhi se she knows her path."

"Bachey doctors nahi hote!" Amaya rolled her eyes at her.

"Sorry, Aaira ko bohat shok hai doctor banne ka." Veda told them.

"Acha, aap ko doctor kyun banna hai?" Abhi asked her.

"So she can give everyone injections!" Shefali laughed. "Hai na, Aaira? That's why Shivu wants to be a doctor."

"No, so I can fix Mumma!" Aaira told them.

"Your Mumma is broken?" Amaya laughed at her.

"Amaya....aisa nahi kehte." Abhi gently chided her.

"Mumma ke heart pe big boo-boo hai na...toh I will fix it." Aaira patiently explained to Amaya.

Everyone looked at Veda and Disha in shock, waiting for an explanation.

"Sorry, Didi...Aaira ki Mumma, is going into heart failure so...." Veda told them tearfully.

"Oh god! When you said your sister is unwell, I thought it might be a small fever!" Shefali said in shock.

"Heart failure? How old is your sister? Itni umar mein?" Mahima asked her.

"Didi ki life mein bohat si difficulties hain toh I think it's too much stress for her heart. She has been through a lot in the last few years." Veda told them.

"Who is her doctor? Maybe I can help." Abhimanyu asked.

"Bhai is a cardiac surgeon, the very best one." Nishta told a confused Veda.  "If anyone can help, it's Bhai."

"Oh. Didi's doctor is Dr. Sunil Mehra. She's currently admitted at the City General Hospital." Veda told Abhimanyu.

"What's her name?" Abhimanyu asked taking his phone out to note it. "So I'll remember."

"Mumma's name is Akshara!" Aaira happily told Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu dropped his phone looking at the little girl in shock.

"Akshara Gupta. Didi's full name." Veda said to Abhimanyu. "Please write it down so you don't forget."

"Akshara." Abhimanyu whispered that name after so long. "Don't worry. I can never forget this name."  He said as he got up and left.








Okay fine a few more chapters....Abhi meeting Akshu next!!!

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