The Last Wish !

The sun had fully claimed the sky by the time Aagartha finished her second cup of morning coffee. The warmth of the ceramic mug lingered in her fingers, but it couldn't melt the unease nesting inside her chest. The cherry blossom petals that once made her smile now seemed like scattered memories—too fragile to gather.

She dressed in a soft grey cotton saree with her usual no-nonsense bun, applied a faint touch of kajal to her eyes, and left home in silence. Her footsteps echoed in the quiet hallway as Renu Mausi handed her the stethoscope with trembling fingers.

"Apna dhyan rakhna, bitiya..."

"Take care of yourself, my girl..."

Aagartha simply nodded and walked out the door, unaware that her world was about to shift again.

---

SSD Hospital – Later That Morning

The hospital bustled with its usual rhythm: the rustle of white coats, the squeak of nurse shoes on polished tiles, the faint whir of the AC humming above stressed heads. But today, something was... different.

Aagartha made her way through the corridor, nodding politely to staff. Her mind was restless. She wanted to check on one patient—Uttaraayan Shrivastava. The boy she'd fought for. The boy who reminded her that medicine wasn't just science—it was instinct. Compassion. War.

But as she reached the private care wing where he was supposed to be, a guard stopped her.

"Ma'am, the patient has been moved."

She frowned. "Kaha?"

"Where?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not authorized to disclose the new location."

Something cold gripped her spine.

"Mujhe unke bhai se baat karni hai."

"I want to speak to his brother."

"I'm afraid we don't have any contact listed."

She walked away, dazed. No forwarding information. No patient file. No explanation.

---

Just then, a nurse came up hurriedly. "Dr. Agartha, the hospital head has called for you. It's urgent."

She followed the nurse into the conference room. The hospital director, Dr. Bansal, was already there—along with two other board members. A projector screen was pulled down. Documents spread across the table.

He stood with a broad smile. "Dr. Agartha. Please be seated."

She sat cautiously.

"We are proud to announce," he began, "that you have been selected to join the OneSky Personal Health Unit Centre as a practicing lead doctor. You'll be working exclusively for them, starting next week."

Her heart skipped.

She blinked. "I—I beg your pardon?"

"This is a great opportunity, Doctor. OneSky's medical division is one of the best-funded private wings in the country. And the order has come directly from the top."

Her brows furrowed. "From the CEO?"

"Yes. And he's authorized all arrangements."

Silence.

The other board members clapped politely.

But Agartha wasn't clapping.

She wasn't even breathing properly.

Everyone was dismissed after a few congratulatory words, but she remained seated—numb.

This wasn't a job offer. It was a command. A perfectly crafted shift in her destiny.

---

After a moment, she stood up and walked straight to the director's cabin. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears. When Dr. Bansal saw her walk in, he sighed like he had been expecting her.

"I can't accept this transfer," she said firmly. "Please cancel it."

He paused for a beat.

"Yeh humari ichcha se nahi hua, Doctor. Yeh humare bas mein nahi hai…"

"This didn't happen by our will, Doctor. This isn't in our hands..."

"What do you mean?"

"Yeh jo hospital hai—SSD—it's not just a name. It's a memory."

Agartha frowned.

"SSD... stands for Samarveer, Sunaina, and Dixita. Dixita Choudhary Ma'am's parents and her husband. She built this hospital in their memory. Funded it. Protected it. Gave it her entire life. Before she passed away, she made one last wish…"

"Which was?"

"To bring you—you—closer to the family."

Agartha was stunned. "I don't understand."

The chief looked at her gently. "The boy you saved, Uttaraayan—he and his elder brother are her nephews. This hospital, this entire health unit, even parts of OneSky's medical wing… they're part of her legacy. And now… it belongs to them."

"Tum unka vishwas bani ho, Doctor. Tumne unka khoon bachaya hai."

"You've become their trust, Doctor. You saved their blood."

"I never met her. How could she have named me?"

The chief offered a sad smile. "Sometimes, people know what's coming… and who's meant to carry it forward."

He opened a drawer and slid across a faded envelope.

It read in cursive:

"For the woman who will find the boy."

---

Agartha left the room silently.

Her vision was blurring.

The hallway felt heavier than ever. She sat down on a bench near the nurses' station, her hands shaking. She didn't want a reward. She didn't want a new job. She only wanted clarity.

Then suddenly—she remembered.

The key. The box. The last link to Dixita Ma'am.

And she had left it all… at the café.

She quickly reached for her phone and dialed a saved number.

"Hello?" said a chirpy voice on the other end.

"Titli?"

"Yes, ma'am! Thank God! I've been meaning to call—"

"That box. The key. I left it at the café."

"Oh! Yes! Don't worry! I have both of them. I kept them safe in the office drawer."

Agartha exhaled in relief.

"I have my rounds till evening," she said softly, "but keep them safe, okay? I'll come after my shift ends."

"Of course, ma'am. They're waiting for you."

---

The camera of the world slowly pans out...

From a woman caught in a web of destiny…

To a café that held the keys of the past...

To a city that was slowly awakening to secrets wrapped in blood, legacy, and untold love.

This was no longer just about one doctor or one patient.

It was about a legacy stitched through time.

And somewhere, in the folds of that story, Agartha Kashyap was about to meet the ghosts she never knew she carried.