Happy reading people!

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Teja : And I hate her.

Karan was flinched at her tone. But all he want to know the reason behind her hatred towards her parents.

Karan : But why? You were not like this when I met you during childhood.

Teja : That's because I don't know what was happening back then. I don't know my father was having an affair. Then, my mother had an affair to take revenge on my father. I didn't walk on my father naked with some other woman back then. And I didn't fucking lose my brother back then!

She literally shouted at him and holds her head while leaning towards the wall behind her. Karan, who was standing in front her loses his grip on her shoulder. He just couldn't believe what he heard just now.

Karan : Chief had an affair? And Pragya aunty as well?! Wait, you had a brother???!

He just asked his heart out. Teja looks up at him being shocked as in how she can tell him all this. Just because they had sex twice, she told him?! She was always sure of being kept everything inside her. Then, how she let it get out and that too to him.

Karan : Teju, answer me.

She just looked at him in loss of words. Just then her pager beeps grabbing both their attention. She took out her pager and look at it. It was an emergency.

Teja : I had to go.

She composed herself and opens the door but Karan stops her.

Karan : You are leaving without answering me.

Teja : Just because we had sex, it doesn't mean I had to tell you everything. Know your limits.

Teja gave him a sharp look and left from there. Karan looks on and he kicks the wall beside him.

Karan : Karan, why do you have to rush everything. See, we are again at the zero.

He just looks on and then he gets an idea!

Karan : Well, I can ask Aditi ji about this. Yes, I'll just ask her.

He looks determined and left from there.

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

Aditi was seen going through a case file at the counter. Just then, Karan came there. Aditi looks up at him and smiles.

Aditi : Hey Karan. What's up?

Karan : Dr. Aditi..

Aditi : Arrey, just call me Aditi.

Karan : Okay, Aditi. I want to know something.

Aditi : What's it about?

Karan : Teju had a brother?

Aditi was shocked learning that he knows about Teja's brother.

Aditi : Wait, how come you knew about it? Oh wait, ofcourse you will know. You are Teja's family friend.

Karan : No. Teju herself told me just now. I heard you guys conversation at the cafeteria. I followed her and questioned her. Then, she blurted out about her parent's affairs and about her brother. I want to know what happened to her brother.

Aditi just looks shocked at him. How can Tejasswi open up about herself so easily to Karan when she fought with him two days back as he was trying to get know about herself. Karan snaps his fingers in front of to bring her back to the world.

Aditi : Yeah, she had a brother and he passed away few years back.

Karan : But how?

Aditi : Complications in his brain surgery. I can't say no more. Sorry.

Karan just nods at her and left from there. Aditi just shrugged her shoulders and just then spotted Tejasswi going to Trauma 1 room. Aditi followed behind her and get inside the trauma. And there was a patient and its an actual trauma case. Tejasswi looks at her.

Teja : Thank God, you are here Dr. Aditi.

The patient, a young man in his late 20s, is covered in blood, his breathing shallow. A nurse runs ahead, shouting instructions.

Aditi : Talk to me.

Nurse : GSW to the chest and head! BP’s crashing—systolic at 70! We need the trauma team here, now!

Aditi being a cardio thoracic, quickly assess the situation as the paramedics give a brief rundown.

Paramedic : Single GSW to the left chest, likely hit the lung. Another to the right temporal region, no exit wound. Pupils sluggish. He was unresponsive on the way, but we got him intubated.

Teja : Damn it. Aditi, we need to stabilize him fast."

Aditi : The bullet might have punctured the lung. We need a chest tube. And his BP is tanking—possible cardiac injury.

Aditi said while checking the chest wound.

Teja : Nurse, prep for chest tube insertion. We’ll need cross-matched blood, stat!

Nurse : On it, doctor!

As they work swiftly, inserting the chest tube and starting blood transfusion, Aditi listens with a stethoscope.

Aditi : Breath sounds improving, but we have pericardial tamponade. He needs an OR, now!

Teja : Page neurosurgeon, Dr Aneri as well. That head wound isn’t looking good!

Nurse Olivia nods and grabs the phone, paging Dr. Aneri, the on-call neurosurgeon.

Nurse Olivia : Paging neurosurgeon STAT! Dr. Aneri to trauma bay immediately!

Dr. Aneri arrives within minutes, her face set in urgency.

Aneri : GSW to the temporal lobe, increased ICP. He’s herniating. We need to get him into the OR before brainstem involvement.

She said while scanning the vitals and CT scan on the screen.

Aditi : And we need to relieve the cardiac tamponade, or he won’t make it to the OR.

Teja :  Prep OR 2! We’ll stabilize the chest while neurosurgery do their part.

Nurse : Understood, doctor! OR is being prepped now.

Aditi : Hang in there, buddy. We’re not losing you today.

She said placing a hand on the patient’s head for a brief second. As the surgical teams rush to prepare, the scene fades, the sound of beeping monitors and hurried footsteps filling the air.

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In OR 2, the operation is going on with Aditi operating on the heart, Teja operating on the bowel and Aneri operating on his brain.

Aditi : I had an encounter with Karan a few minutes before this trauma. And he asked about your brother.

Aditi said breaking the tense silence in the OR grabbing Tejasswi and Aneri's attention.

Aneri : He knew you had a brother?

Aneri asked looking at Tejasswi. She was about to answer her but Aditi cut her off.

Aditi : He wouldn't have known if she hadn't told him.

Aneri : You told him you had a brother?! Teju, are you okay?

Aditi : I think they had sex before.

This came as a shock to both Aneri and Tejasswi.

Teja : Did he told you that?

Aditi : So, you had sex with him, huh!

Tejasswi bites her tongue as she herself had been caught by Aditi.

Aneri : You are not denying it!

Aditi : I told you. They definitely had sex. She is falling for him. That's why she told him.

Teja : What are you crapping? Just because I had sex with him twice, it means I'm falling for him. Like seriously?!

Aneri : Twice?! When did this even happen?

Aneri asked as a serious question taking the scalpel off the skull and handing it over to the nurse beside. Then, the nurse splashes some water on the skull to give clearer view for Aneri.

Teja : Can't we just focus on this patient?

Aditi : We are capable of multitasking.

Aneri : Don't change the topic. How can you have sex with him? He's son of your patient. We have protocols here. Leave it that. How come you told him about your brother? Tejasswi is becoming soft nowadays?

It was mocking more than a question.

Aditi : Her heart is in her vagina. Do you remember George? During our intern time.

Aneri : Oh yes! That idiot was fooling around with Teju. He had a girlfriend and yet he was fucking her. Thank god he didn't continue here. Or I would have cut off his penis.

Teja : Okay, enough is enough. Just do your work. We have a patient on the table.

Aditi : We are just concerned for you. I hope this Karan is not another George.

Tejasswi just shrugged her shoulders and they all get back to their work. After few hours of struggles and pain, they succeed in the operation. Aneri and Aditi was washing their hands.

Tejasswi signed off some papers and sent off the nurses with the patient out of the OR to the ward room. She came to the sink, where Aneri and Aditi were stretching after a long operation. Tejasswi came and started to wash her hands.

Teja : I don't know whatever I'm doing is wrong or right. But I know my limits. He was just some mere distraction. It won't happen again. You guys won't be have to worry about me.

Aditi : We know but you should know no matter what, we'll be there for you.

Aneri : Yes!

Teja : Did you contact Mrs Mehra about her tumor?

Aneri and Aditi looks at each other and then towards her.

Aneri : Nope. I made a call and asked her to come to the hospital as soon as possible.

Teja : What stage she is in?

Aditi : Second.

Teja : Ohh.. Oh, that's.. That's good. Caught it early enough. I had to go. See you two later.

Tejasswi smiled and left from there. Aditi and Aneri looks on her retreating figure.

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

Tejasswi came into Karan's mother's room. She checked her chart and did some normal test. She talked with her for a while. All the while, Karan steals some glances of her but she didn't give him a look. After a while, she took her leave from there. Karan excused himself to his mother and left the room following Tejasswi.

Tejasswi noticed he's following her. She just rolled her eyes and keeps walking.

Karan : Teju..

Teja : It's Dr. Tejasswi!

Karan : Yaar, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have behaved like that. My fault. I'm sorry.

Tejasswi stopped and turned towards him. Karan also stops in his tracks. She looks around them and finds no one.

Teja : Look, Mr Karan.. Just because you know me and my family, it doesn't mean you are my family. I was just broken and blurted somethings that you shouldn't ever know about me or my family. Whatever shit happens it's about my family and I don't like to discuss it with anyone. Just ANYONE. I hope you get that. Please stop trying to know me or my family. It's just very dark and twisty.

She said everything in a go. Karan was just scared to be in front of her. He just nods at her. Tejasswi left from there without sparing him a glance. Karan looks at her retreating figure.

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Next part will be about Pragya getting to know about her tumor. Tejasswi having some emotional breakdown and Karan comforting her.

Thanks for reading.