Shackles of Desire - Chapter 37

Amar closed his eyes and buried his humane side. He was about to do the most difficult thing in his profession.

Disclosing the details to the patient’s family.

And here the family was not strangers.

Releasing a much-held breath, he exited the washroom and entered the main waiting area. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ishani’s friend pacing but his eyes widened the minute the face of the man next to her materialised.

Namish!

Fuck!

Had Rudra seen him? Dammit!

Within seconds his emotionless façade slipped and he was about to rush to them when Viman interrupted him.

“What is he doing here?”

“Ms Mohan called him. How is she?”

Amar pulled him out of their sight and then shook his head.

“She is not good. Her body is badly bruised and her legs are a damaged coz of the pressure of the ice. Plus, the left shoulder is partially dislocated. She must have fallen down from somewhere; her bruises say so. Apart from this, she has been shot but that’s only a flesh wound. But the biggest concern is her lungs. Aspiration pneumonia has already set in and it has impaired her breathing completely.”

Viman’s mind twisted with pain as he heard Amar. He shook his head and blankly looked at his friend.

“We are going to put her on artificial respiration till her lungs become fully functional.”

“Why?”

Annie’s voice rang behind him and Amar reluctantly turned around. Sighing hard, he repeated what he had told Viman and painfully watched her eyes widening and mouth gaping with horror.

For almost a minute, Annie stood motionless and then everything inside her just gave away. Her legs faltered and she stepped back a little. If it hadn’t been for Namish then she would have fallen. Tears of pain and worry welled in her eyes thinking about what Ishani was enduring.

Letting Namish and Annie be, Amar turned towards Viman.

“Where is he?” he whispered.

“Rudra has gone home. He actually had……had another attack.”

“What?” Amar whisper screamed.

“Don’t worry he is fine now. I just spoke to Ram.”

“How?”

Viman gestured towards Annie and then told him everything.

Amar’s posture changed the minute Viman finished. But before even he could react, Annie interrupted him.

“Can we move her to a different hospital?”

Just as Annie’s finished, Amar turned towards them and flicked his gaze at her.

“Ms Mohan, you can definitely do that but right now your friend is quite critical. Moving her to another hospital will only increase the risk. And I as her doctor won’t allow you to do that.”

“I don’t need your permission. She is my friend and I want her in a safe place. Not in a place where she is surrounded by people who want to kill her,” Annie said anger flashing through her tone.

Amar’s eyes narrowed the moment he heard her but he controlled his rising anger.

“Ms Mohan, your friend is the safest here. There will be people trying to kill her anywhere else you take her.”

“I don’t trust you guys, coz each one of you works for that filthy monster and I know he can go to any length to kill her.”

Viman’s hands clenched into fists and he was about to reprimand Annie but Amar beat him to it. He advanced towards Annie and looked straight into her rage-filled eyes.

“Ms Mohan, let me remind you that that monster was the one who saved your friend. If it hadn’t been for him then you would be still be searching while your friend would be frozen and dead.”

Annie’s face twisted with a mixed emotion of pain and anger. Gulping, she was again about to say something but Amar’s raised hand stopped her.

“Save your energy, Ms Mohan. You’ll need it in the coming days.”

Saying this, he turned and started to leave. But somehow he was not letting her go so easily.

“And one more thing, Ms Mohan, the next time you say anything against Rudra remember that we will do anything for him. I’m still the one treating your friend.”

Viman watched Annie’s angry stance gearing up again and he didn’t have the energy for another showdown.

“Namish, I believe Ms Mohan needs to get some fresh air.”

Saying this, he flicked his gaze at Shastri’s men standing behind them. One of them came and stood in front of them and glared.

Namish sighed hard and then pulled Annie towards the exit of the hospital.

But Annie was not giving up so easily. The minute she was outside, she pulled herself away from Namish’s grip and started going inside again.

“Annie, please let it go.”

“Why?”

“Because right now we don’t have a choice.”

Namish gripped her arms and shoved her to the wall.

“Right now we are outnumbered. Right now they can do anything. Try and understand that. Once Mom and Dad are here, they won’t be able to stop us from taking Ishani away from here. I promise you, I’ll take her away from his clutches.”

“You know who he is?!”

“I know and I’ve known all along.”

“Why did you keep this a secret? Why didn’t you tell her?”

“Annie, I couldn’t. I wanted to but I couldn’t. I had promised Dad and Dadasa that I’ll always keep this a secret.”

Annie closed her eyes and let go. Her body slumped against Namish’s chest and instantly she felt his arms going around her.

“She doesn’t deserve this.”

Namish just nodded knowing well that there were lot many things that they didn’t know and there was no way they could find out.

People who knew what happened that night were either sworn to secrecy or dead. Nobody would ever disclose anything. Every time he had tried, he had always come to a dead end.

There was just one story everybody knew.

Robbers had killed Rudra, his parents and sister and burned that haveli.

That was the only story people knew.

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

Rudra woke up with a jerk and instantly sat up straight on the bed.

Why was he here?

Within seconds the past events rushed in and he cursed hard. Tossing the covers off, he got up from the bed but the after-effects of the shots pushed him back on it.

“Hukum!”

Ram came and stood in front of him but didn’t extend a helping hand when he saw him get up again and then sway a little, knowing that he will not welcome it at all.

He waited for Rudra to get dressed and then followed him out of Genus. But the moment he saw him rounding towards the driver’s seat, he extended a hand for the keys.

“Hukum!”

Rudra handed him the keys and slipped into the backseat.

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