House of Tales… Episode 4

#Houseoftalesepisode4

#houseoftalesepisode4

Links of earlier episodes: #Houseoftalesepisode1

#houseoftalesepisode1, #Houseoftalesepisode2,

#houseoftalesepisode2, #Houseoftalesepisode3

#houseoftalesepisode3

©All rights reserved

Author: Rhituparna Chakraborty

#Disclaimer: This is an original work of fiction with no relation to any person/organism living or dead. Every episode, every character is a work of imagination. Any resemblance to any person, organism, place, character or situation is purely coincidental. There is no intention to hurt or rebuke anyone or any profession through this work. This story/episode cannot be copied, published or reproduced without the permission of the author RhituparnaChakraborty.

Deepika got up from her bed, opened the window behind and went ahead to drink a glass of water. She poured the water in the glass and took the glass of water and went to the window and leaned on the sill and sipped water. The breeze was soothing. After drinking water, she went back to her bed and tried to sleep. In no time, the calming breeze, lulled her to sleep. It was a placid dreamless sleep.

Deepika suddenly heard loud knocks on the door of her room. She woke up with a start. It was Sonal’s voice. She was thumping on the door and calling Deepika loud, ‘Look at the clock, you girl. Wake up.’ Deepika looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was 10:00 a.m. She had never slept this long. She ran and opened the door. Sonal was standing there with Ranvijay. Ranvijay asked Deepika with a note of concern, ‘Are you okay? Do you sleep this long in the hostel?’ Deepika said, ‘No dad! Not at all. I don’t know…in the middle of the night I felt suffocated. So I opened one of the windows of the room. The breeze was so relaxing, I fell into a deep slumber.’ Ranvijay replied, ‘Oh ok! Come for breakfast now. We all had breakfast.’ Deepika said, ‘Yes Dad. I will freshen up and come and then I and Sonal will go for a walk.’ Before Sonal could say anything, Ranvijay said, ‘How can Sonal walk? Look at her right foot. It’s swollen. She has been limping. I told her not to walk. But she insisted on limping and coming to your room.’ Deepika looked at Sonal’s foot. Indeed it was swollen. Sonal told Deepika, ‘Now, will you let me come inside and sit in your room.’ Deepika said, ‘Oh…yes, yes….come and relax. Don’t walk. In fact, I will ask someone to get my breakfast here.’ Ranvijay said, ‘But Sonal will need to see a doctor. We don’t have any doctors here. I think I should take you girls to Vilasnagar. There are good orthopedic doctors there.’ Deepika immediately said, ‘No….I mean, it looks like a sprain. She will be fine. Moreover, any doctor will first ask for an Xray. That we can get it here in the hospital nearby. If it is a sprain, anyway it will heal on its own.’ Ranvijay said, ‘And what if some bone is broken?’ Deepika said, ‘Chill dad. I will take care of it. But, now let me freshen up and eat something. I am famished.’ Ranvijay replied, ‘I will ask someone to bring your breakfast here’, saying that Ranvijay left.

Deepika helped Sonal to come and sit comfortably. Deepika then asked Sonal, ‘Whoa! I asked you to pretend to limp. How did you get this big swelling.’ Sonal replied irked, ‘It was an accident. I was walking towards your room and tripped on this iron rod. Whoever keeps an iron rod that way? I fell and then I realized my foot began swelling. Stupid rod!’ Deepika said , ‘Oh I am so sorry. Must be those construction workers working on the new rooms upstairs.’

Just then there was a knock at the door. It was Suresh, Bahadur Kaka’s assistant with the breakfast trolley.’ He kept the food and left. Deepika quickly freshened up and served herself breakfast. Toasts with butter, scrambled eggs, boiled veggies and tea. Sonal was too full to eat anything. She said, ‘With this sprained leg, I shouldn’t be walking much. But, if I don’t walk I will put on weight. You guys make me eat so much.’ Deepika laughed and said, ‘Let us get an X Ray done first.’

Deepika and Sonal then got ready. Deepika asked one of the drivers to take them to the nearest hospital. The driver said, ‘Ma’am, a new private hospital was launched recently on the outskirts of the village. I had been there once because my friend works as an ambulance driver there. It’s brand new. I can take you there. There are two good doctors there. They are from this village itself but they got their education in some cities outside. The hospital is very clean and new. It’s called Swasthya Hospital.’ Deepika quickly checked on the internet. Indeed there is a hospital. The pictures were good. It was a new facility. Deepika told the driver, ‘Okay! Let’s go there.’ As the car moved, Deepika yawned and told Sonal, ‘Hope, the facilities are good. If not, we have to go to the old hospital.’ Sonal said, ‘It’s okay. This way, I will get to see Ranjanpur.’ As the car moved, Deepika yawned. Sonal asked, ‘Did you not sleep well last night?’ Deepika yawned and said, ‘I don’t think so. I will take a nap. Wake me up once we reach the hospital.’

In 40 minutes, the car reached the hospital. Sonal woke up Deepika, ‘Sleepy head, wake up.’ Deepika yawned and woke up. She and Sonal went inside the hospital. At the reception, Deepika wrote Sonal’s name and waited for their turn to be checked by the doctor. One of the staff members called Sonal. Deepika and Sonal then went to the Doctor’s cabin. Deepika knocked at the door and went inside. Seeing them, the doctor welcomed them and said, ‘Please have a seat.’ Deepika kept on looking at the doctor. The doctor too kept on looking at Deepika for some time and then asked, ‘Are you…..?’ Deepika beamed and said, ‘Yes…..I “am” Deepika. OMG, Rohan….its you…’ Rohan stood up, hugged Deepika and said, ‘What a pleasant surprise!!!! It has been so long. You never came back to Ranjanpur. I never thought we will ever see you in Ranjanpur again.’ Deepika replied, ‘It’s a long story. Will tell you over a cup of coffee…..Meet my friend Sonal. It seems she sprained her ankle. If you could take a look…’ Rohan smiled and said, ‘Sure!’ Saying that he checked Sonal’s injury and said, ‘We will get an X-Ray done. It looks like a sprain.’ Sonal asked, ‘Could it be a fracture, doctor?’ Rohan said, ‘I don’t think so. We will get an Xray done though.’ Rohan then called one of his assistants and asked him to take Sonal to the Xray room. Deepika then asked, ‘Where is Sohum these days?’ Rohan smiled and said, ‘Very much in this hospital. He is a medicine specialist while I am an orthopedics doctor. Once you are done with the Xray, wait. I will come with Sohum. We can have coffee in the cafeteria downstairs. Deepika asked, ‘Cafeteria? Here in Ranjanpur?’ Rohan laughed and said, ‘Not in Ranjanpur… in our hospital.’ Deepika yawned and said, ‘ I need a coffee badly. I am so sleepy.’

After the Xray, Deepika and Sonal waited downstairs at the cafeteria. After around 20 minutes, Rohan and Sohum came there. Rohan and Sohum were dressed in formal attire. Rohan was wearing a striped, white, full sleeve shirt with beige khaki trousers while Sohum was wearing a sky blue full sleeve shirt and black formal trousers. Both the gentlemen were fit. Seemed they were gym rats, keep fit fanatics. When Sohum saw Deepika, he came towards her with a big smile, hugged her and said, ‘Oh Girl! Where o Where had you been? You were the youngest in our group. We thought we would be the one leaving Ranjanpur for higher studies first. But, you left way earlier and then we gave up hopes of seeing you again here in Ranjanpur.’ Deepika said, ‘I know…..there are tales. Even I need answers to those….but…..anyway…..leave that. Meet my friend Sonal.’ Sohum greeted Sonal. Sonal smiled and said, ‘Thank you so much for all the care.’ Rohan said, ‘Oh come on! Don’t say thank you!’ By the way, I looked at your Xray. There is no fracture. However, its nice to give rest to your ankle. Follow the RICE therapy. Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. You will fine soon.’ Sonal replied, ‘ Sure! I will.’

On their way home, Deepika slept again. Sonal thought, ‘This lazy girl.’ By the time the girls reached home. It was lunch time. Bahadur Kaka had made yummy lunch. Reshma, Shama, Suresh and Raju helped him. Lunch was served. Deepika complained of a headache. Shama quickly came with a bottle of coconut oil and massaged Deepika’s head. Reshma got ice for Sonal’s feet.

After the nice oil massage, Deepika and Sonal went to Deepika’s room. Deepika went on to take a nap while Sonal called her elder brother Saahil:

Saahil: Hey…..

Sonal: Bhai, my leg had a bad sprain. I can’t leave Ranjanpur for atleast a week.

Saahil: Oh dear! I can come and pick you up.

Sonal: No no. I am fine here.

Saahil: Okay! Anyway, I have some work in Sompur. While visiting Sompur, I will come to Ranjanpur and see you.

Sonal: Great. But why Sompur?

Saahil: I and my friend have some work there. We will come there then visit you.

Sonal: Okay bhai.

Deepika slept like a log. Sonal tried to get some sleep also, but somehow she can’t sleep in the afternoon. At around 5 pm, Raju came with tea and snacks. Sonal woke up Deepika. Deepika woke up, sat up and stared at the wall in front of her. Sonal said, ‘Got your share your sleep?’ Deepika looked at Sonal and said, ‘Why is this life so hard?’ Sonal looked at Deepika confused and said, ‘What?’ Deepika had never uttered such weird sentences ever….. Before Sonal could say anything, Deepika stared at the wall and cried. Sonal had no clue what was happening.

To be continued………………………….