A Friend in Need Read online

  Bela waited for Sachet to arrive from the office. Sachet had promised to take her outside for shopping and dinner.

  Moments later, she heard the doorbell.

  It must be Sachet.

  She walked hurriedly and pulled open the door. Her daughter stood behind Bela holding her mother’s Sari and peeped outside to the door.

  “Hi, baby! How are you?” Sachet handed his office bag to Bela and lifted her daughter. He cuddled her.

  Bela settled on the couch with Sachet and her daughter.

  “Are you ready for the outing, darling?” Sachet put his hand on her back.

  “Yes, I’m eager to go out. It’s been almost a week since we last went outside,” Bela said.

  “I like your sari today.” Sachet squeezed her arm.

  Bela smiled at him. “Thank you. Let me get a coffee for you.” She strode inside to prepare the coffee.

  Soon after having coffee, Bela walked outside the home with Sachet and her daughter towards the parking space. Sachet drove to a nearby Shopping mall.

  Chapter 05 – Madan consults a Doctor.

  Madan walked inside the hospital along with Parni and his son. The hospital building had a counter at the centre of the main hall. A young female receptionist was seated inside the counter. She wore blue sari with glasses on her face. Metallic chairs were arranged in front of the counter where people waited for their turn to consult the visiting doctors.

  Madan peeped into the narrow opening of the counter. “Hi, I would like to consult Dr.Ashok.”

  “May I know your name please,” the receptionist asked. She stared at the monitor in-front.

  Madan answered her and controlled an itch to cough.

  The receptionist handed a receipt for one hundred rupees through the opening.

  Madan opened the wallet and handed her a one hundred rupees bill.

  He waited in the hall till doctor arrived and walked inside his room. Madan showed his receipt to a person who admitted the patients inside the room.

  Madan walked in and sat by the table in front of the doctor along with Parni.

  Doctor stared at Madan. He removed his stethoscope hung to his neck. “Yes, what’s your problem?”

  Madan coughed for few seconds. “Doctor, I’m unwell. I have cough and trouble to breathe for the past few weeks.”

  “Please lay on the bed.” The doctor walked towards a wooden cot with plastic cover on it.

  Madan lay on the bed. The doctor used blood pressure monitor and stethoscope to check the vital parameters. Madan had a trouble in breathing and coughed severely when doctor pressed the stethoscope to his chest and his back.

  Doctor paced back to his seat and tucked the stethoscope to his neck. “I’ll suggest an x-ray and blood test for you. You come with the reports by tomorrow.” He scribbled a prescription and handed over to Madan.

  “Is he all right doctor?” Parni asked with anxious tone. She tightened the hold on her child.

  Doctor became silent for few minutes. “Let’s see what x-ray and blood reports say. You come back again tomorrow.” The Doctor stared at Madan.

  Madan coughed. “I hope all is well, doctor.” He sat back on his chair.

  “Well, I had suggested you before to discontinue working at dusty cement factory. You have developed chronic respiratory symptoms due to cumulative total dust exposure, which is in acute stage.”

  Madan and Parni looked at each other surprisingly.

  “Let’s meet tomorrow and see the reports,” the doctor said.

  Madan and Parni walked outside the hospital in dejection. Madan coughed intensely and Parni held his arm while climbing down the hospital entrance steps. Madan drove back to his home with much difficulty.

  Parni became nervous and informed her parents the on-goings.

  Chapter 06 – Adversity struck the destiny

  Sachet drove his car inside parking area of the shopping mall. He could locate a vacant spot with much difficulty amidst many cars parked inside.

  “Let’s go to the kids point and buy toys and clothes to her.” Bela stepped out of the car with her daughter.

  “All right, as you wish. We can shop for a sweater for me later.” Sachet pushed open the glass door to step inside the Mall.

  Many youngsters roamed around the Mall with their friends and partner. Bright yellow lights illuminated the entire area and shops were bustled with customers. Sachet had a relief from weariness by pleasant atmosphere inside the Mall.

  Sachet and Bela walked into the Kids Point and toward the cloth section.

  Bela sorted few cloths hung to the steel pole. “These skirts are designed well with embroidery work along the border. Do you prefer pink or purple?”

  Sachet held the purple skirt in his hand. “Well, I like what you like. Preferably the purple one.”

  “Okay, I like the purple too.” Bela removed the plastic hanger from the skirt.

  Bela picked few more cloths for her daughter. They walked towards the toys section.

  “Let’s buy a musical phone. She will not interfere with our phones at least.” Bela looked at Sachet. They both chuckled.

  When they finished shopping at Kids Point, Sachet walked towards the men’s and women’s clothes shop with his wife and daughter.

  Sachet paced to the sweaters section of the shop. “I need a sweater as winter has started.”

  Bela assorted few sweaters to choose. “You select the pure woollen one, it will keep you warmer.”

  “I’ll go for the blue one.” Sachet removed it from the collection.

  “Yes, it’s good one.” Bela squeezed it.

  Sachet glanced at Bela. “You can buy one for you. I guess there are good sweaters available in the ladies section.”

  “Well, I need to shop for my inners. I’ll go to women’s lingerie section and see there.” Bela looked at Sachet.

  “Okay, you continue shopping. I wait at coffee shop downstairs,” Sachet said. His daughter insisted that she will go with him.

  “You can stay with me, Dad will wait outside.” Bela persuaded her daughter but was unsuccessful.

  Sachet and his daughter walked outside the shop while Bela strode towards women’s lingerie section.

  Sachet took the elevator down and paced towards the McDonalds. Many customers stood in long queue to give their food order. Others were having their snacks inside.

  Sachet joined the queue with his daughter by his side. He occasionally glanced towards the upper floors to see Bela.

  Moments later, he heard a loud thud noise near the elevators section. Suddenly people in the Mall shouted loudly and ran towards the elevators. Screaming sound was heard around the Mall. People peeped down from the above floors. Many from the queue in front looked around.

  Sachet was stunned to see the sudden change in the Mall atmosphere. He strode to the group of people near the elevator section.

  “Elevator failed,” someone said nearby.

  Sachet pushed people aside and walked in front of the elevator.

  “Five are trapped inside,” a security guard said. He tried to pull open the elevator door.

  “Call the ambulance, people trapped inside are unconscious,” a tall person with glasses shouted.

  A sturdy person came forward and pulled open the elevator door. Ladies and kids around screamed aloud. The pandemonium prevailed.

  Sachet paced forward to the front with his child in his hand. He saw Bela lay unconscious inside the elevator. His vision blurred when he saw blood oozing out of his wife’s mouth. His felt his heart missed a beat. He slowly sat on the floor on his feet.

  Chapter 07 – Madan diagnosed with Cancer

  The hospital was busy with patients and visitors. Madan stepped inside the doctor’s room along with Parni and his son.

  “Hello Doctor.” Madan greeted while he sat in front.

  “Hi, did you get the reports?” Doctor stared at the packet which Madan was holding.

  “Yes doctor, here are the reports.”
Madan handed over the reports.

  Doctor silently observed the reports while his face became pale and dull. When he went through the reports, he removed his glasses. “I’m sorry Mr Madan.”

  Madan and Parni became anxious while Parni looked at Madan. Her eyes became moist and she began sobbing.

  Madan gained control over his emotions. “What’s the problem, doctor? Is something seriously wrong?”

  “I’m sorry again. Your lungs are affected with…. cancer. You… came to me...Very late.” The doctor squeezed his eyes and put the glasses on.

  Parni started sobbing continuously.

  “I’m sorry. Please control your emotions. I’ll try my best to help you. But….I.. Can’t guarantee….,” the doctor said.

  “Oh! No doctor. Don’t say that. Please do your best,” Parni said amidst continued sobbing. She wiped her unbroken tears with her hand.

  When the kid started crying and screaming, Parni walked outside. She couldn’t control her sob filled with emotion and tear drops rolled down her face.

  “Doctor, what are the options left for us?” Madan asked.

  “No. I don’t….”

  “Yes, doctor, please let me know.” Madan leaned forward.

  “You can live at most for the next six months. I’m sorry to say.” The doctor stared at ground.

  “Oh! No doctor, it can’t be….” Madan covered his face and sobbed loudly.

  Chapter 08 – Bela dies in the hospital

  Bela lay on the floor unconscious and Sachet tried to wake her up. He sprinkled water on her but no avail. He continued sobbing and his daughter screamed in confusion.

  People in the shopping Mall strode aside when stretcher were brought near the elevator section.

  Madan accompanied Bela in the ambulance to the hospital. The hospital staffs were quick enough to admit the injured into an ICU.

  Madan called Bela’s parents and informed amidst his daughter’s chaos.

  #

  Later in the midnight, Madan was allowed inside the ICU to see his wife. Madan was unable to control his emotions when he saw his wife on ventilator support. Tear drops ran down his cheeks.

  Madan enquired with an attending doctor about her condition. Her condition was serious.

  Early in the morning, two of the accident victims were declared dead. One of them was Bela.

  Chapter 09 – Madan’s last wish

  Four months later

  Madan’s health worsened and he became bedridden. Parni looked after his vital needs and she cursed her destiny.

  Madan lay on bed, signalled Parni to come forward to him. She was tidying up the things near the closet.

  “Yes, you need anything?” Parni came closer to him.

  Madan raised his hand and tried his best to utter few words. He managed to open his mouth. “Uh…Sachet…”

  “Sachet?” Parni asked. Her eyebrows curled.

  Madan nodded. “Please…call…Sachet.” He coughed.

  “Sachet? Okay, I convey the message,” Parni said.

  Moments later, Parni called Vani and informed her to visit her place with Sachet.

  #

  Sachet sat by the bed while his daughter played with Madan’s son outside. Vani sat on the other side of the bed.

  “Please don’t get stressed. We are all destined. Things will happen as per the wish of Almighty,” Vani said.

  Tear drops rolled down Madan’s face. He held Sachet’s hand. “We are predestined.”

  Madan signalled Vani to call Parni. Parni responded to Vani’s call and stood beside her.

  Madan clasped her hand along with Sachet’s hand together. “Please live together,” Madan said as he coughed.

  Moments later, Vani said, “I’ve planned for their union in my mind. You’re rest assured about their coming together and lead the future life.”

  Madan smiled at her and closed his eyes.

  ----The End----

  Thank you for reading my short story, A Friend in Need. Please consider leaving a review at your favourite retailer’s website; your feedback is important to me and helps me decide what types of stories to write in the future.

  Best Wishes

  Vijay K Kerji

  About the Author:

  I'm an engineer, worked in software organizations, including Siemens and Intel. Later on, my vast experience in design and development was useful for various students in technical colleges while giving lectures on software subjects. I had a passion for writing and I'm thankful for the electronic media like SmashWords.com for giving opportunities to fulfil writer’s aspirations, and making their dreams real. I like spending time with my family and playing with my one year old daughter. I live in India.