For a person who would want to spend their time watching thriller movies all their lives “Sanjeevini” was a place crafted by God himself. The hospital was all silent at one second and in next second it would just erupt in utter chaos as soon as the ambulance entered the main gates. The emergency ward would be the last place you would want to be working if you have entered the medical education just a few days ago.

Though Sanskar had completed his degree just the last year he still wanted to remain away from the emergency ward. But the new interns were given the emergency ward duty as a test to their resilience. All trainees dreaded the job dearly. Only a few who were passionate about their job and wanted to be the best of surgeons took the job willingly.

Sanskar was neither passionate nor wanted to be the best surgeon. He didn’t even want to be a doctor in first place. But it was all to fulfill the desires of his old grandfather who owned the hospital that Sanskar took medicine as degree. Sometimes money and sometimes desires of others are the reason why people in India give upon their own desires. And Sanskar came under the second category.

It wasn’t that Sanskar had any other interests. He simply had no interests. All he ever wanted to do was enjoy his life the way it comes. He believed that humans are simply wasting their time running behind the ambitions which can or cannot be reached.

Sanskar had a choice he could just talk to his cousin Adarsh who was the Managing Director of Sanjeevini and get rid off the emergency ward duty. But he never was in talking terms with his cousin. They never had the same opinion from the very early ages of living in the same family.

So, he sighed and came out of his brain and started to walk towards the emergency ward. The entrance of the emergency ward was utter chaos. Sanjeevini was designed differently than the other hospitals of the city. It had a huge lobby and the emergency ward was on the left corner which was nearer to the gate and also easy to enter from the main road. This way the hospital avoided inconvenience to the people who had minor issues and were waiting in the lobby to be treated. Where as the patients who came to the emergency ward were out of the sight of the general public.

It was the idea proposed by Sanskar’s grandmother before she passed away in the same hospital due to Cancer ten years ago. And the emergency ward was named after his grandmother as “Sujata Emergency Care Centre”

Standing at the entrance of the emergency ward Sanskar gazed at the name of his grandmother. The old lady had lived her fulfilling life with her family. Her absence was something Sanskar could never come out of. Grief never would leave. We just get used to living with it.

And Sanskar had understood this from the time he was left behind by his father first and his grandmother later.

He sighed and entered the ward.

“Sanskar, get over here” Parinita the senior doctor called Sanskar. Sanskar took a deep breath and jogged to her and started to help her to treat the patient who was in distress and screaming. It was obviously not new to him.

And once the patient was shifted to the normal ward all of them sighed and collapsed on the beds. The patient had a nail stuck to his shoulder. After reporting the incident to the police who had arrived as soon as the hospital informed them, Pariniti walked to Sanskar with her kind smile. “Good job, kiddo” she ruffled his hair and walked to her cabin. Sanskar smiled weakly and looked at his hands.

The hands were still shivering. His brain always clogged when he was in emergency ward. But due to practice and the patience his seniors showed towards him, he was coping better with the anxiety of being in the emergency ward.

He was great at the bookish knowledge when it was about medicine. But he was loser when it was about practical. He was not even able to assist any senior doctor in surgery where as his fellow interns were handling minor surgeries on their own.

“Stop slacking nut head” Sanskar felt a pat on his shoulder and looked up and rolled his eyes when he saw the figure of the doctor who walked past him without even turning back.

Dr. Vikram was sure Sanskar’s favourite senior. He was the one who always helped Sanskar to handle his anxious feelings. They shared a weird bond. Vikram was always irritated by Sanskar’s careless attitude. He always disapproved Sanskar’s lack of ambition.

But Dr. Vikram had a hope that someday Sanskar would change for better. Though he hated Sanskar’s guts to disobey every single rule of the hospital Vikram shared a weird liking towards the aimless intern doctor who had the potential to become one of the best surgeons of India.

But what he lacked was motivation and a bit of courage too. And Vikram always tried to fire that spark which was somewhere hidden in Sanskar and just needed ignition.

Sanskar on the other hand worshipped Dr. Vikram as his mentor. He felt his lineage served him a favor as his grandfather wanted only Vikram to be Sanskar’s guiding doctor where as Dr. Vikram was so prestigious senior doctor of Sanjeevini that he had never taken anyone as his assistant from the fresh interns. Even the senior doctors had a wish to assist Dr. Vikram.

Dr. Vikram didn’t care about Sanskar being the grandson of the Chairman. He always treated Sanskar as an intern like others. And Sanskar didn’t mind how Vikram treated him like a normal intern. All he ever wanted was to learn medicine from Dr. Vikram. The way Vikram handled his patience and surgeries were reasons of admiration towards the senior doctor.

They didn’t get well in the beginning. Sanskar’s carefree attitude was exact opposite to the ambitious life Dr. Vikram had always led.

Dr. Vikram came from an ordinary middle-class family who couldn’t afford his education. He had to compete with thousands to reach the top and achieve the scholarship which took care of his educational expenses. But he still needed money for other expenses. So, he took part time jobs to fulfill his financial needs.

Managing studies along with the part time jobs was never an easy work. He struggled a lot and crossed all the hurdles and reached his destination to become doctor. And later also his financial condition didn’t sky rocketed. He worked hard and reached the top position he was in now.

Coming from such humble background and achieving so much had put some kind of pride in Dr. Vikram’s head. When he first met Sanskar he was enraged that someone can be so clueless about their life. He hated Sanskar for being so carefree and wasting such a good opportunity to achieve his ambitions of life.

He never understood how can be someone live a life without directions.

As the time passed Vikram realized that Sanskar was some kind of a puzzle who could never be solved. His way of feeling emotions was something Vikram could never comprehend. He knew though Sanskar complained he was devoid of emotions deep down he was just in grief. And needed to get out of that worm hole he was stuck in.

And when he will be out of it, Sanskar will be unstoppable. He will achieve something which no one ever even thought of. Sanskar was meant for becoming a great person and Vikram knew someday he will be the face of change in society.

“How much do you hate me?” Sanskar entered Vikram’s cabin without knocking. “How many times have I told you to knock before you enter my cabin?” Vikram asked another question. “Do I look like I care? This hospital belongs to my grandfather” Sanskar sat on the couch relaxing.

Vikram rolled his eyes as he placed his coat on the chair and wore his apron and hanged the stethoscope across his neck. “I am amused that you didn’t mention that this hospital belongs to you” Vikram smirked.

“Someday it will” Sanskar shrugged his shoulders. “Unless you spoil your chances and ruin the legacy of Sanjiveeni” Vikram gave him a bored look. “You really have high expectations from me, don’t you?” Sanskar mocked.

“Prove me wrong then” Vikram walked out of the cabin and Sanskar followed him. “I will. But just remove me from emergency ward duties” Sanskar though was requesting sounded like ordering.

“With that tone of yours you will only encourage me to extend your duties in emergency room. How about that?” Vikram turned to look at Sanskar whose face twisted in discontent.

“What will take for you to end my roll on the emergency ward duty?” Sanskar asked defeated. “Just the magical word which can solve the wars before they even start” Vikram gave him a wide smile. “And that is?” Sanskar looked at him confused.

“You figure it on your own. I am getting late for my daily rounds. See you around Nut head” Vikram waved with a mocking tight-lipped smile and disappeared into a ward. And Sanskar stood there annoyed.

*****.*****

Wanted to celebrate a new milestone of my life. Got my new laptop and this is the first thing I wrote. I dearly missed you PPL and writing too.

So, happy to finally I am able to write again.

Love

Sally