Rahul, Muskaan, Nikita and Atul read the notice slowly over the heads of the other staff. They turn to look at each other, their expressions mirroring their shock. For once, they are completely speechless.
Anjali, Riddhima and Armaan reach Sanjeevani – as they enter, the crowd of nurses, staff and doctors makes way for them, the buzz of conversation dying away as they walk, and resuming with redoubled intensity behind them. They look around, a little surprised, then walk towards the nurses station. Rahul comes up to them.
Ra: Armaan … dude … problem … big problem …
Anjali and Riddhima look at the crowd around the notice board, then walk ahead. The crowd makes way for them … they look at the nurses, who avert their eyes … then they look at the board.
Anjali gives an exclamation … Riddhima gasps.
Armaan pushes forward … he reads the notice … he is shell shocked.
Anjali and Riddhima clutch each others' hands tightly.
Rahul, Muskaan, Nikita, Atul form a group around Anjali and Riddhima and quietly take them away. The girls go unresisting … almost in shock.
Armaan stands staring at the notice board for a few moments, his lips compressed, his eyes red.
The others go to the locker room and Muskaan and Nikita put their arms around Anjali and Riddhima. They sit on the bench, still speechless.
Rahul finds his voice first.
Ra: there must be some mistake … kuch galti hai …
Mus: Aise kaise yaar … yeh kya ho raha hai Sanjeevani mein ..?
Nik (fiercely): yeh Modi na … I hate that guy … yeh sab uski karni hai …
Anjali shakes her head, almost in a daze. Nikita holds Riddhima's hands comfortingly – they are shaking.
Nobody quite knows what to say. They look at Anjali and Riddhima and then at each other … Dr. Shubhankar enters, his face grim for once.
Shub: Doctors … main aapke liye teen baar announcement kar chukka hun … aap yahin hain? Please report for your duties …
Ra: Dr. Shubhankar … sir, Dr. Shashank …
Shub (sternly): Dr. Rahul … this has nothing to do with you all. Aap log apni duties par jayiye …
Ra (angrily): Sir … aap yeh kaise keh rahe hain … yeh Sanjeevani mein kya ho raha hai …
Shub (in his normal tone): Main jaanta hun, Dr. Rahul … yahan bahut kuch ho raha hai … jo pehle kabhi nahin hua. Iss liye I'm telling you all … please, aap log duties ke liye jayiye. Aaj kal kuch nahin pata … deevaron ke bhi kaan hote hain … zyada mat boliye. Baad mein hum yeh sab discuss kar sakte hain. Dr Anjali, Dr. Riddhima …
The girls look at him, still in a daze.
Shub (in a very kind tone): Aap dono aaj Path lab mein duty kijiye.
Anjali looks at him gratefully – she knows why Shubhankar is giving them this duty. In the Path lab they don't interact with patients or nurses, and at the moment, neither of them is capable of doing so. She gets up and pulls Riddhima to her feet.
Anj: Thanks, Dr. Shubhankar …
Riddhima looks around, coming slightly out of her daze – where is Armaan?
They disperse for work, all in a very solemn frame of mind.
In the Path lab, Anjali and Riddhima have their minds only half on their work.
Anj: Aisa kya ho gaya, Ridzi … why has Dr. Modi done this …
Riddhima shakes her head.
Rid: Papa bahut worried the … unki Dr. Modi ke saath pichle do teen din se roz meetings ho rahi hain … remember … (she remembers the night Armaan had come home so late, and she had told him about the meetings … where is Armaan???)
Anjali looks at her.
Anj: Ridzi … hum jaakar Dr. Modi se baat Karen … poochein to sahi ki kya hua … he's our father, we have a right to know …
Rid: Di, humein Papa se pehle nahin poochna chahiye? … papa aur mom ne bhi humein kuch nahin bataya, ki yeh sab kya ho raha hai …
Anjali thinks.
Anj: Agar dad ne humein batana hota, then he would have told us …
Rid: maybe he didn't know ki yeh hone vala hai … nahin to voh humein aise pata lagne nahin dete …
Anjali nods.
Anj: lekin, Ridzi … dad to Poona gaye the … trustees se milne … pata nahin aaj aayenge ki nahin. Modi se ek baar baat to karte hain …
Riddhima nods, still too upset to think straight. Where is Armaan??? She needs him …
Anjali and Riddhima leave for Abhimanyu Modi's office.
They look through the glass door and for the second time that morning, they are bereft of words.
Abhimanyu, Armaan and Dr. Shashank are talking fiercely and animatedly inside the room.
Precap – Where was Armaan???
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luv
dia
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