Chapter - 20 (For The Believers, The Dreams Always Come True) 

Anushka was in the first year of B. A when one night she came back home from her tutor's earlier than usual. She was studying at that time, for Honours in English at the JU, one of the premier institutions of the country.

Anushka was in her room, about to change into the casuals when she heard someone groaning downstairs. She ran down thinking that it must have been her father as no one else was at home then. She found her father with his both hands on his stomach, crouching on the first step leading up to the first floor. He was straightening himself up by trying to clutch on to the decorative, wooden railings. He was obviously in some sort of pain. 

Anushka sped down, hurrying down two steps at a time. She was beside Mr. Rajan in a flash. 

"Baba, what's wrong? Why are you crouching like that?" She started with panic in her voice. 

"Anu… . I don't know… . I's watching the news...watching ...when I felt a mild pain shoot through my chest. Once Jishnu told me… .. " he stopped, obviously in some pain, before continuing, "He told me to be cautious against any such pain. So, I came out at once, trying...trying to call you but I couldn't."

He clutched his stomach in both hands as the pain shoot his heart again. 

" Baba, put your hand around me, no, no..around my shoulder. " Anushka urged her father as she led him to the couch and made him sit down. 

"Baba, you sit here while I make some calls. Let me call Ma right away, Let me see what she's to tell me." Anushka called her mother's number before calling the ambulance as per her mother's directions. 

Fifteen minutes later, the car was screeching along CIT Road past Ladies Park to Chittaranjan Hospital near Park Circus Maidan. Anushka rushed out the van  as the ambulance was being parked near Emergency. She requested the attendant to keep an eye on her father as she ran up the corridor and turned right from the wall. She had beads of sweat on her forehead while walking past an elderly man on a mattressless iron bed on wheels. Left unattended, he had his eyes closed. Delicious! 

God! Anushka thought to herself. How was she going to find out a doctor? Why was Akku taking such a long time coming to hospital? Anushka saw a nurse coming out of a room. She stepped in front of the nurse and asked her tentatively:

"Sister, my father's been suddenly taken Ill and he's in great discomfort. I tried calling our family physician but he's out of station and can't come over tonight. Can you please tell me where I can find a doctor? "

The nurse looked at Anushka from behind the glasses and replied botherlessly, without stopping:

"You go straight and get into that big room. There may be a doctor in there." She was obviously in a hurry and left Anushka stranded behind! 

Anushka rushed into the big, rectangular room in front and found two young doctors sitting at a square table. One of them was facing her from the opposite side of the table while the second doctor sitting by the side, was turning over the pages in a file, discussing something with the doctor facing an young man and an old, probably his father. The men had their back to Anushka, who waited at the door for the discussion to finish. 

"We can't tell you for sure until we get the reports of the blood and urine tests. But we have a feeling, from the symptoms that it's a case of acute malignant malaria." The one at the side halted for a breath and chimed on :

"I've referred him to the General Ward. Please take the papers and show at the counter for Admission on the other side."

As both men got up, Anushka, walked in and up. Leaning over the bench, she blurted out:

"Doctor, there's something wrong with my father. He's right now lying senseless in an ambulance outside. Please help.. " Her voice cracked as she seemed to notice the doctor in front for the first time. He couldn't have been more than 40 with a very grim expression on his face. As he looked up to Anushka, she knew there wouldn't be much help coming from the doctor. But her assumption was proved wrong when the doctor spoke next. 

"Have a seat first, Madam. What's the matter with your father? "

"He complained of a severe chest pain before collapsing. I brought him here with the help of the driver and his assistant." Anushka spoke up fast before adding : "Please do something to save my dad, doctor, PLEASE. "

The urgency and entreaty in her voice, made the other doctor, who had been writing something on a sheet of paper till then, stop and turn his head around. 

"Array, Anushka! Where is… you said uncle is outside, right!?" And the next moment he dashed out of the room. Then things started happening very fast. There was a flurry of activities. Two men, carrying a stretcher, were heading to the gate, followed by the doctor with Anushka coming after him.

It was almost 10.30 when she was joined by her mother and Akanksha outside the ward on the sixth floor. As Anushka came out of the cabin, both Mrs. Sanis and Akanksha could see her engaged in a grave talk. Both mother and daughter let out a cry the next moment, having noticed the young man looking back to  murmur out some instructions to someone. 

The handsome young man, looking more handsome than ever before, was none other than Dr. Jishnu! 

"Ma, look who's here! " Anushka, looking exhausted, cried out to them and went on to add:

"What would have happened today without you, Bro Jishnu, I mean, Dr. Jishnu." She corrected herself almost immediately before telling them how Dr. Jishnu had helped. 

"Jishnu, beta. How is your uncle? Can we meet him once?" Mrs. Sania spoke for the first time, looking absolutely stunned by the goings-on. . 

"Don't worry, aunt. Uncle is going to be all right in a day or two," replied Jishnu. 

Then turning back, he went inside the cabin. He was back in a few minutes. "Sorry, aunt. Things here are not what they used to be like some years back. Anyway, I've talked to the Head Nurse. You can go in. But for uncle's convenience, it is better if you visit him one at a time."

Mrs. Sania and the sisters were very surprised to see Jishnu still waiting outside when they emerged out of the cabin.

"Aunti, I'm off duty now and was wondering if I could drop you on my way back home? It's really late and this area around Darga Road doesn't really have a good reputation… . " But he was interrupted by Mrs. Sania saying that the lift would be fine and appreciated, if it didn't cause him any problem. 

As Jishnu eased himself into the Volvo Wagon

behind the wheels and asked Mrs. Sania, sitting next, on the front seat to clasp the seat belt around her, Akanksha cast a knowing look at her sister. It didn't escape Jishnu's notice as he glanced up at the the small rectangular mirror above the driver's seat. 

Back in their room, Akanksha elbowed her sister lying by her side in bed and remarked:

"I feel very proud of you, Anu, for everything you did tonight. I dread to think what might have happened if you weren't home tonight. And thank God for Jishnuda."

Anushka yawned, turned over and put her arm round her sister. Soon she was sound asleep like a log, seeking comfort from the warmth of the sister, who had been her hero from childhood. 

Akanksha lay awake in bed for long, lookimg at the unlit night bulb. She next plucked her sister's hand up and placed it by her side. Akanksha turned on the night lamp then and sprang out of bed. 

She was back in a minute with her diary in hand. Noiselessly, she dragged the study chair near the lamp shade, put the diary in her lamp and started writing as Anu turned towards her, on her right and let a sigh out of her mouth. 

Having cast a sidelong glance at her sister, Akanksha continrd writing:

Ma and I were kept waiting for what looked like an eternity, outside Baba's cabin. The wait was so nerve-wrecking and I felt so helpless, looking at Ma, knowing what might be going through her mind. 

I saw Anu coming out then. God! I'm ashamed to write that my first reaction was to look at her face closely for any signs of bad news. And the next moment, I was just floored when I saw the person coming out alongside her. It was Jishnuda! I never thought somebody could be so devastatingly dashing in the white robe of a doctor! 

I felt so grateful to him on learning from Anu later, how he had saved Baba's life. He also drove us home. Sitting on the back seat with Anu, I exchanged a knowing look with her, conveying a message. I remembered what Jishnuda had told me the year he left for Delhi for his MBBS. After a simple dinner at our home, when I held the door for him, he whispered into my ear that he had something to share the next day. 

The next day, I could only fall asleep in the wee hours of the morning with my mind weighing up all kinds of possibilities. Would my dream finally come true? Would he finally do what my heart wanted him to? My heart kept telling me that for those who believed in dream, life always made them come true.