It's been a few minutes since the doctors told them about Aarav's aggressive behavior and Sneha has been devastated to know about her son's condition. Aarav needed sedatives to keep him in control and the situation she had to see her son in had broken her heart.

NK is beside her, comforting her just being a stranger. As an act of humanity. While all the Raizadas were dumbfounded when they saw Aarav behaving the way he did with the nurse. The glass was transparent and they could see everything. They saw how difficult was it put Aarav on sedatives. Anjali who was already emotional and confused after the argument the whole family including her had with Raizadas had tears in her eyes looking at a very pale Aarav and his condition just didn't bring tears to her eyes but also fear to her heart.

How would Sheetal-ji react looking at her son's condition?

She remembered her Rajkumari and losing her had broken her heart and taken all her senses away. She still had her family with her.

Sheetal-ji is an Orphan and a single mother, how would she manage the heartbreaking news?

Completely forgetting Aarav's real mother is here and heartbroken too, shedding tears being comforted by his younger brother.

Manorama is beside her comforting her Anjali Bitiya while Akash and Payal kept themselves away from toxic people and their words. Devyani is sitting in front of Arnav and Khushi and Akash and Payal decided to be with Devyani instead who is worried about Khushi Bitiya equally.

"Can I once see Khushi Bitiya?" Devyani whispers in guilt.

The morning she saw her Chotte and Khushi Bitiya in an unconscious state, she was worried about them which later turned into guilt when the doctor said their Chotte have fainted in the night almost 8-9 hours ago, she was devastated. Has she failed as their grandmother? She didn't even bother to check on them to know if they had their dinner or not.

Someone must have hit their Khushi Bitiya! The whole sentence shook her. And that's when she remembered she didn't see her Khushi Bitiya from the evening and didn't bother to ask about her.

Is that how she was supposed to take care of her daughter-in-law?

Expecting it from Manorama is foolish and she's aware of that.

The last few days roamed around her head and all she could see was them spending less time with their daughter-in-law and more time with a mere guest.

She just didn't neglect Khushi, she also neglected her Chotte and the responsibilities she had as an elder.

That brought more tears to her eyes again and the realization dawned on her earlier in the day. This is why she didn't support either Manorama or Anjali for they are too lost in Sheetal's and Aarav's web.

Not anymore. She needed to take the right actions once Arnav and Khushi are back in RM.

She is dying of guilt already.

"Okay, dadi. But just for a few minutes, after that, I'll be dropping you home. You need rest," Akash complies on the only condition he had in his mind. His Dadi is looking aged all of a sudden.

Devyani nods not able to say anything more and Akash helps her into the room.

————————————

"Khushi Bitiya?" Devyani whispers, looking at a sleeping Khushi. Her guilt is overwhelming her.

"She's asleep, Nani," Arnav who was staring at Khushi was intruded on by his Nani's presence and when she was here for Khushi, he answers her, getting up from the bed.

"When will she wake up?" she questioned, caressing her head a little, not looking away from her face.

"I don't know, Nani. Maybe by the evening," Arnav shrugs. He's fine, although a little weak but nothing that would need him lying on the bed all the time as made his way towards his Nani to sit beside her.

"Hmm, how are you now, Chotte?" she didn't forget to ask about her Chotte's health as well.

She just can't concentrate on one and neglect the other, in her guilty state. Just because she unconsciously had done more wrong to Khushi than Arnav.

"Good, Nani," he states. His signature word for everyone!

"Chotte-" she was cut off by her grandson who opens his mouth to voice out his thoughts.

"I think you should rest, Nani. You're looking tired. Akash?" Arnav is worried about his Nani now, who's looking tired, aged, and stressed if he's not wrong. It isn't good for her.

They don't need one more patient in the home.

Akash understood what his Bhai meant to say and replied, "I'm about to take her home after this. Let's go, Dadi."

Akash takes away a reluctant Devyani out of the room and to their home.

"Dekha? How worried everyone was about you. Wake up soon," he caresses her cheek a little and gets back on his bed a few minutes later, after kissing his wife's forehead. He until then was sitting with his Nani beside his wife's bed.

(Look? How worried everyone was about you. Wake up soon)

————————————

Guptas came leaving Shashi with Happy Singh after they were informed by Aman about what has happened and they rushed to the hospital without wasting a second. Just a little after Akash went to drop his Dadi.

"Payal Bitiya, where is our Khushi Bitiya?" Garima asks Payal who's sitting in front of Arnav's room alone.

Payal who was lost in the world of her sister had come back to earth listening to her mother's words.

"What happened to her?" Madhumathi throws another question before Payal could answer the first one.

"Is she fine?" Garima who didn't get any answer to her first question yet is worried about her Khushi Bitiya a lot and soon her Khushi even being fine or not comes into her mind.

"Amma, she's fine. She's sleeping right now," Payal makes her mother sit beside her, understanding her worry and trying to comfort her. Wasn't that the exact situation she was in a few hours before?

"Where is she?" Madumathi frowns. If her Titaliya is fine, she should be here cutting her head off with her antics, isn't she?

"There," she points to the room in front of her.

Madhumati or Garima didn't wait for a second to get up and barge in but Payal stops them.

"Amma. No, more than one person isn't allowed at a time. Arnav-ji is with her," Payal drags her mother back and Buaji back and makes them sit.

They need to relax and keep in control of their emotions before meeting Khushi.

"Amma, Khushi is fine. She was hit by something on her head and developed a 3rd stage concussion," Payal didn't know how to frame the sentence yet she does. In a way that shouldn't worry her mother and aunt.

"Something Matlab?" Madhumathi narrows her gaze and Payal squirms in her position.

(Something meant?)

"Doctor said someone had hit her," Payal comes out with the truth, sighing way. She herself wanted to share about it with them but their reactions to it and the current circumstance had their way of pushing a little uncertainty in her mind.

Madhumathi and Garima gasped in shock.

"Someone tried to kill her? What was Arnav Bitwa doing at that time?" Madhumathi had her hand on her head and fumed in anger, she trusted Arnav Bitwaa to take care of her Sankadevi and what he did had her fury reach the top.

"Arnav-ji is unconscious at that time. His sugar went down in the night and he fainted. We didn't know that until we saw him and Khushi unconscious," Payal explains the scenario they had seen in the morning.

"How's Arnav Bitwa?" Madhumathi asks, sighing. Both of them are unwell? Only if they bothered to listen to Aman's full conversation. As soon as they heard Khushi was in the hospital, they rushed away after having Happy Singh look after Shashi.

It was good if Shashi didn't take much stress!

"He's better now. He had his bed shifted beside Khushi and looking after her," Payal supplies the information to a very worried Madhumathi and dazed Garima.

"So, it meant there was someone else who tried to kill my Titliya?" Garima gasped at the conclusion she could and cried, pulling her pallu up to her mouth. Not in a situation to listen to his daughter's or Madhumathi's talk.

"What had my niece done to even think about something like that for her? What doctors said about her concussion?" she asked, eager to know everything was fine.

"It will take a month to recover. Nothing to worry about except the little headaches or dizziness she'd feel sometimes," Payal remembered the doctor's word as soon as he came out of Khushi's room after he was done checking on her.

"Hai Re, Nandakishore!" Madhumathi prayed and Garima murmured her prayers to the god too, until their gaze fell on the other Raizadas who are sitting a little away. Mami and Anjali with a new woman and NK in the corner.

"Now why are they sitting there instead of here if Khushi and Arnav Bitwa are here?" Madhumathi frowns at Anjali and Mami who are still aren't aware of their presence.

"Sheetal and Aarav are unconscious. They're waiting for any news about their progress," Payal sighs knowing there are lot more questions they'd ask her now.

"Who is Sheetal and Aarav?" Madhumathi didn't disappoint Payal as she heard the new manes.

"Guests! Arnav-ji's friend and her son." Payal had to elaborate a little about both of them and why they are here. And she could only say whatever she know or saw.

Nobody knew until then what had happened to Sheetal and Aarav exactly.

"Anyway, Amma. I'll take you to meet Khushi but be calm and don't cry there, okay? It's not good for her. And not more than two minutes."

Garima nods at her and composes herself before going to the room. Madhumathi followed them.

They get to see their daughter and that's enough for now.

————————————

The doctor has come out of Sheetal's room again after twenty minutes. The first time they came half almost forty minutes before Aarav's condition was told to them, they said Sheetal needed sutures on her head and a little blood in her body. It took so much in finding her blood as hers is a rare blood group. Her case wasn't serious but her being an Anameic had made it bad for her, not worse yet though!

"How is Sheetal-ji?" Anjali was the first one to ask who's waiting for any news for the past forty minutes. It's just been 10 minutes since the doctors updated them on Aarav's condition and they had seen him getting aggressive with their own eyes. She had seen her brother comforting Sneha who was looking devastated.

But she hadn't had any concrete proof to believe Sneha yet. Whatever she knew of Sheetal didn't make it look like Sheetal was lying to her.

On the whole, she was a mess, tangled in confusion and questions yet believing Sheetal because that's the only thing she thought was wise.

Until she wouldn't see proof, she wouldn't show disbelief in Sheetal.

"She's fine and conscious. You can take her home after some time but before that police would take her statement," the doctor informed them removing his stethoscope.

"Hello hi by bye, police?" Manorama frows at the doctor.

"She said it was Aarav who hit her on the head and she wanted to complain," the doctor further explains.

"What?" Anjali is shocked and Manorama isn't different from her.

Sneha who is hearing their conversation fumes.

Sheetal is lying! Her son couldn't do that.

Although her heart was protesting, her mind reminded her of the facts, the facts that could doubt the certainty of her heart.

Her son looked abnormal as the doctor said.

"Anyway, you can see her once," the doctor permits them to visit her. She wasn't in an ICU but in a private emergency room beside the ICU.

Anjali and Manorama walk into the room. Sneha wants to visit Sheetal and know the truth too and when she was about to walk with NK, a doctor's voice stops her.

The same doctor who was looking after Aarav's case.

————————————

"We found steroids in Aarav's body," the doctor's words shook Sneha and NK to the core.

Steroids in a small kid's body?

What was the doctor saying? Is he mistaken?

"Steroids?" Sneha whispers in bewilderment.

"Yes. That's why he became aggressive. A psychiatrist will conduct a test on him as soon as he wakes up. We're suspecting the steroids have affected his mental stability," the doctor who had done some blood tests on him and is shocked to find steroids answers.

"What type of steroids? How did it get into his body?" NK wanted to know the exact information.

How is it possible that a small kid would steroids? Unless he was forced to!

"Well, Anabolic Steroids. These are the kind of steroids which would be used in treating hormone problems in men when they're delayed puberty," he explains the purpose of using steroids in one's body.

"What?" It was Sneha who was shocked. Her son was just 8 years old and it had so much to even think about his puberty. Delay in it is a big no!

"Yeah. And the same was used on this kid, misusing the purpose of it — to make him a man earlier than he was supposed to be." The doctor sighs. It might be the case of prostitution or some other trading if he isn't wrong.

"What does that mean?" NK frowns, looking at the doctor.

"Well, the kid is clearly 8. Puberty in men has 5 stages and it may start between their 9 and 15. It's a gradual process and takes a few years before he reaches the final stage. But due to the steroids used in his body, he'd have had his last stage of puberty in a just few months. That meant an 8-year-old-year-old would literally be 16 or 17 years old. The dose used on him was although high but the given course wasn't completed," he explains in clear medical terms.

"Matlab?" Sneha asks not understanding the last sentence.

(Meaning?)

"A patient has to complete the course about 3-5 weeks before it fully works on him. Since the dosage was high, a week is enough. But the kid seemed to have shots for 2-3 days and nothing more than that. High dosage of steroids has already had their risks, like strokes, muscle spasms, and many more including Aggression. Adding to it the course that was left incomplete had made it worse. Sudden steroid withdrawal isn't good. It aggravates the risks attached to it. It had some immediate effects on him which left its symptoms in his body. Adding another one to the list, his sugar levels are manipulated recently. That made his condition worse than it should be. Didn't you notice him having mood swings, weakness, aggression, stress, or something like that? All of it or any of it?"

"I don't know," Sneha was an unfortunate mother to answer something like that, making the doctor frown.

"How is that you don't know? He's your kid, right? He was given steroids even, you don't even know that?" The doctor was ready to put a case against what happened to Aarav. He thought her mother would know what happened to him exactly but he was clearly wrong.

"He was in the Orphanage and I found him just a few days ago. A week to be precise," Sneha wipes the fresh tears rolling down her eyes.

"Then you should ask the Orphanage authorities exactly what happened to him. The kid has given steroids some two months ago. It's a police case," the doctor tells them and walks away after assuring them Aarav was fine, for now!

Sneha's condition was unexplainable and NK sees the struggle she was suffering from within.

"NK, be with Aarav. I need to go," Sneha walks away, with a lot of questions in her heart.

If steroids were given to her son some two months, it was only Asha who knows what happened to her.

For, Sheetal had adopted her son just a one and half months ago.

————————————

Half an hour later,

Sneha had taken her wheels to the Asha orphanage, to meet Asha, the woman who runs the trust and might have hidden something from her.

"If you don't tell me, I'm gonna put a case on you," she is now standing in front of a cowering Asha who isn't opening her mouth. She had only one way and that was just by threatening her.

"He was lost for some days two months ago and when we found him, he was unconscious." Asha gulps down looking at the 100 on Sneha's phone who was about to dial the same.

Secret! She kept it a secret, inside the four walls of her cabin which isn't a secret anymore. 

"And?" Sneha's voice was demanding.

"We sent him to the hospital and the doctor said he was injected with steroids." She comes out with the facts.

"Did you report it to the police?" Sneha grits her teeth while questioning her.

"No. It was the reputation of our trust. We couldn't risk reporting the case and losing the trust in our Orphanage. People come to adopt children there. We couldn't afford to lose them," Asha didn't regret informing the police. She can't lose the reputation of the trust and destroy hundreds of children's futures just because of one child's mistake.

They warned Aarav not to go out of the trust but he did, tricking them!

It was not their fault, Asha thought not regretting a bit.

"Oh. That was just great. Did you at least send my child for treatment after that?" Sneha threw another question, disgusted with her thoughts.

"No. For treatment, the case had to be registered. So we didn't." It wasn't surprising she would give that reason.

"Good. I'm gonna report on you for this," Sneha doesn't wait anymore to report this. Good thing is that she has even recorded their conversation.

"But you said you wouldn't," Asha protests.

"When did I say that? You're just mistaken!" Sneha glares at her, dialing the police and calling Krish later for help.

————————————

Hospital,

Madhumathi and Graima along with Payal are sitting outside the room, less worried than before after having their fill of looking at a sleeping Khushi who looked pale but better.

Inside the room, Arnav was having his eyes on Khushi as usual noticing her each movement in sleep. 

"Aa..Aarav!" Arnav heard his wife murmuring in her sleep who had his ears glued to her as well.

Aarav? Why is she murmuring his name? Arnav thought running to her side.

"Khushi?" Arnav was sitting beside her, throwing the other thoughts away, only to concentrate on her — wanting to calm her down.

It looked like she is having a nightmare.

"Khushi?" Arnav pats her cheek, wiping the sweat beads on her forehead, and screams out for the doctor. 

To be continued..,

Let me know what you think of the update. 

What's your opinion on Aarav?

Sheetal?

Sneha?

Asha?

P. S. Hehe. I am wondering how I kept Raizadas in hospital in IM & here literally. 🙈

If you're getting bored with hospital scenes, I'm sorry but the story needs it. I know from last few days, it's just hospital & hospital & hospital. Bear with me! Please. 🙈

Regards,

polymath_land

15/12/2022