Care And Cure

Dr Arjun had just slept after a busy day at the hospital. He had recently joined 'Care and Cure' hospital. Being the youngest doctor he was assigned most of the tasks. Just when sleep took over him, his mobile phone started ringing. He looked at his mobile screen. It was his senior Dr Sanjeev, one of the most senior doctors of the hospital. Arjun immediately picked up the call.

 

"Hello," he said worriedly.

"Dr Arjun, sorry to disturb you at this time. But there is a bad news," said Dr Sanjeev. 

"What happened sir ?" he said.

"Nurse Maria is no more," he said. His voice was filled with grief.

Arjun was shocked. Nurse Maria was a senior nurse. She was an intelligent and experienced nurse and a graceful woman. 

"How? Did this happen, sir ?" he managed to ask. 

"She jumped off from the terrace of her building at night," he said

"What? That's not possible. She can never commit suicide. Today, she was telling me about Goa trip that she had planned with her family. Something is wrong." he said.

"I know Arjun that's not possible. But we can't do anything about it. Police will do their work. But we have to reach her home as soon as possible. We have to be with her family at this time." he said 

"Yes sir. I'll reach as soon as possible," he said

Arjun left his house in his car. 

Just when he was 2 km away from Nurse Maria's house he saw a young woman in a black kurta. She was asking for a lift. On a normal day, Arjun would have been scared and wouldn't have stopped his car but the woman looked like she was from a well-to-do family and also the area wasn't a scary one. It was a residential area. He stopped his car. 

"Can you please drop me at "Sky Heights" ? It is just 2 km away from this place. Actually I have to reach there immediately but my scooter's wheel got punctured," she said pointing towards her scooty.

"Sure. Even I'm going there. Do you have to go to Nurse Maria's place ?" he asked guessing from her black clothes.

"Yes, Aunt Maria. Are you also going there ?" she asked.

"Yes. Please come in," he said

She sat inside his car. Arjun started driving. 

"Can't believe this has happened. I'm sure it couldn't be a suicide. It is definitely a murder. How can someone be so cruel? She was such a simple and sweet lady." he said.

The girl sighed. "You are right. It is not suicide. People like her can never commit suicide. It is a murder." she said. 

"How do you know her ?" he asked. 

"She was my aunt," she said. 

"May her soul rest in peace," he said

The girl sighed again.

"What's your name ?" he asked.

"Shruti," she said.

"Aunt Maria is a Christian so.." he asked.

 "She took very good care of me when my mom was sick. From then onwards I consider her as my aunt," she said.

"She was such a pure soul," he said 

They reached Maria's house. Arjun went and sat with Dr Sanjeev. Shruti went inside another room where all the women were sitting. The family cried. The usual discussion of if it is a murder or suicide was going on. The police had taken Maria's body for post-mortem. 

The next day when the police returned her body her funeral ceremony was done. 

After a few days, everything slowly got back to normal. The reports had come and it was a clear suicide. Although most people did not believe it. Because those who had seen her body they had seen fear in her eyes. But police said that it must have been due to fear which upsurged when she was falling. 

Just one week had passed since that incident and a fire broke out at the hospital and ended up burning some labs as well as the entire pharmacy store. The pharmacist had suffered from severe burns and after some days he died. The fire brigade and police found out that an autoclave in a disposal room had blasted. The one who took care of that room was arrested and was being interrogated. He said that he had no idea how this happened. But no one believed him and he was beaten up and tortured by police and he ended up accepting a crime he hadn't committed. Dr Arjun was very much disturbed by all these things. He took leave and went to a hill station for a few days. The incidents of Maria's death and the fire at the hospital haunted him. He was sitting at sunset point looking at nowhere when he suddenly heard a voice from behind.

"What are you looking for? Peace, redemption or revenge ?" a girl said. 

Arjun looked at her. It was Shruti. The girl he had seen at Aunt Maria's funeral. 

"Peace. And are you following me ?" he asked. 

"Yes. I came all the way from Delhi to McLeodganj just to see what a doctor who offered me a lift just for 10 minutes is up to," she said. 

He smiled. She came and sat with him. Just then something struck his mind. " How do you know that I'm a doctor," he asked. 

"I saw you with Dr. Sanjeev and I guessed that you must be a doctor too," she said 

"Do you know Dr. Sanjeev ?" he asked. 

"Yes. He treated me once," she said.

"You said that you want peace. What happened ?" she asked further.

"First Aunt Maria's death and then a fire broke out at the hospital. Our pharmacist died. It is very tragic." he said. 

"Arjun, the one who has taken birth will surely die and one who has died will definitely born again. A wise person is not affected by these things." Shruti said

Arjun knew this was from Bhagwad Gita. "Even I have read Bhagwad Gita. But only my name is Arjun. I'm not like Arjuna from Mahabharata. I get affected by these things." he said

"What's the point of reading Gita if you don't implement it in your life? If you were a true reader instead of running away from your duty you would have been there in the hospital treating patients right now," she said

"Are you here to help me or to demotivate me? I'm not running away. Is it wrong to take a break ?" he asked. 

"No. But you are not going to leave the hospital, are you ?" she asked.

"I don't know. Lately, I have been thinking about it," he said

"Then you are scared of fighting just like Arjuna. Do your duty. Help and treat your patients. The fire must have brought a bad image to your hospital. Will you leave the hospital when it needs you the most ?" she asked.

 

Arjun felt bad. "What are you a motivational speaker or something?" he said irritatedly. 

"No," she said laughing. 

"You look like an idealist and that's why I chose to give this lecture to you. But then it's your life. And yeah I really don't care about you or your boring hospital. I just felt like you needed some motivational words." she said laughing.

"You are weird. By the way, what are you doing here ?" he asked.

"I'm here for a solo trip," she said

"Wow. That's great. What do you do ?" he asked. 

"I'm a school teacher," she said.

"Oh. Do you guys also get bored? Isn't it the best job in the world? You just have to deal with the kids." he said

"That's the toughest thing. It is our duty to teach them good manners. Teach them and make them good and responsible citizens." she said 

"You are truly a typical boring school teacher. Always giving lectures," he said.

"Well, if that was the case I wouldn't have been on a solo trip. Let me show you what fun truly means. Come with me I'll take you to an amazing place." she said.

Arjun was surprised. He went with her. She took him to some of the most beautiful places that he had never seen before. A beautiful valley. A serene place under a star-studded sky. She knew about all the offbeat places. Arjun had never enjoyed any trip this much. It was as if he forgot all his worries. When the trip ended he asked for her number. She gave him a number.

"This is a landline number," he said. 

"Yes. I don't use a mobile phone." she said

"What? When you said no to photographs I thought you were camera shy but this is seriously weird. It is 2023 not 1990." he said

" I know. But I just like to live my life like that," she said

"You are seriously weird. When should I call you on your landline as you will be at your school in the daytime," he asked.

"Call me at night," she said. 

"Fine," he said.

After that trip, they talked frequently on calls. One day he had called her and she felt that he sounded low. 

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said

"Don't lie. It is obvious from your voice that something is wrong," she asked. 

"Umm...listen. Can I share something? Will you listen without judging? And do you promise that you won't tell to anyone. " he said

"I promise. Now tell me what happened ?" she asked.

"I was in hospital today when an emergency case came. The girl had fallen from the fifth floor. We took her to the emergency ward. We treated her for some time but we could not save her. Dr Sanjeev was also with me in the ward. When I went to tell her parents about that bad news, Dr. Sanjeev stopped me. He told me that let us treat her for some time. I couldn't understand what he meant. I asked him how can we treat a dead patient. Then he asked me how much money and years I had spent in becoming a doctor. I was confused. He said that doctors work so hard so sometimes it is fine if we do this. Her parents are rich so it will be fine for them. I was shocked. I told him what kind of doctor he was. This is against our rules. He told me to just get out of the ward if he couldn't help him. He said that nobody will be able to arrest him without evidence if he opened his mouth. If you can't do what I tell you can leave this hospital. Now get out of here don't say anything to anyone and decide by tomorrow if you want to stay here or want to leave your job for your stupid principles." he finished.

"And what have you decided ?" she asked. 

"Of course, I'm going to leave the hospital. I can't be a part of this crime," he said. 

"You are again running away Arjun," she said

"Then what do you expect from me? Should I work with such idiots ?" he asked angrily. 

"Yeah right. Leaving the job will solve everything. As if Dr Sanjeev won't do this with other patients. Another doctor will come who will take your place and if he is like Dr. Sanjeev then it will be disastrous. " she said.

"Then what should I do ?" he asked.

"Tell Dr Sanjeev that you are with him. And when he starts trusting you record his crime. And send it to media." she said.

"But for that, I'll have to support all these wrong things for some time," he said

"Intention is more important than action, Arjun. Just act for some days and you will be able to help so many people. Prove that not all the doctors are same. " she said. 

Arjun agreed. From then onwards Arjun agreed to whatever Dr. Sanjeev said. He told him that he don't want to leave his job. His parents had worked very hard to make him a doctor so he will do whatever Dr. Sanjeev told him. Sanjeev was happy but still didn't believe him initially. But slowly he started trusting him when Arjun started lying smoothly to patients. It was very hard for Arjun but still he did it. He found out more such illegal things going on in the hospital. Even pharmacist was involved in all this. He recorded all those things. And finally came that moment for which he was waiting eagerly. He had to discuss a case with Dr Sanjeev in his cabin. He started video recording on his phone and went inside his cabin and while discussing he slowly brought out the topic of a patient who had come a few days back and was dead but still doctors treated that patient. And while talking Dr. Sanjeev committed that this was normal for him and how he did this so many times. That day Arjun came out of the hospital and directly went to a media house and told them everything and gave them all the recordings. "Care and cure" was closed. Dr. Sanjeev's license has been cancelled and he had been arrested. That day Arjun finally felt relieved. He called Shruti. But she didn't pick up. He tried the next day but again she didn't pick up. He went to the school about which she had told him. He asked about Shruti. And what he heard shook him to the core.

Shruti was a school teacher in that school. But five years back she had a major accident. She was taken to the "Care and Cure" hospital. She was in a coma for 7 days and then died. Arjun could not stand after listening to all this. He could not believe what he heard. He had seen her talked to her and travelled with her in Mcleodganj. How can this be true? 

Then he called in the daytime on the number that she had given him. A woman picked up the call and she said that she was Shruti's mom. And she said the same thing which people in school had said. 

Arjun became silent from then onwards. He was in shock. After some days he got the news that Dr. Sanjeev was killed in jail. He knew now who had done that. He understood who was responsible for Maria's murder, fire and Pharmacist's death. He went to Sanjeev's funeral. After the rituals were over he went towards his car and sat inside it and was scared to see Shruti on the seat next to her. He tried to open the car but the door was locked. 

"Relax, Arjun. I won't hurt you," she said

"I thought I should meet you once before I go away from this painful world. Now, you know that I was taken to "Care and Cure". Dr Sanjeev was operating at that time. He made a mistake and I died at that spot. But that jerk still asked for money from my family by lying. I'm from a middle-class family. My family did not just lose their daughter because of his mistake but also had to pay so much money for their dead daughter. They had to spend two lakhs in one week. I saw all that but couldn't do anything. I decided to kill everyone who was involved in this. Nurse Maria has always been supporting him since the beginning. So, I killed her first by scaring her when she was on terrace. The pharmacist with whom he had a deal, I killed him too by changing the temperature and time of autoclave. I could have killed Dr. Sanjeev too. But then people would speak of how good a doctor he was at his funeral. I couldn't bear that pain. And that's why I decided to expose him before killing him. Also, all the families who had lost their family members deserve to know the truth." she said with tears in her eyes. 

Arjun calmed down. "May your soul rest in peace now," he said.

"It will now and it is because of you. Thank you," she said and disappeared. 

Arjun cried and wiped his tears. He started his car and went home.