The Accident

                                                               

The Accident

    "Sir, may i have Mr. Srika on line please." asked an unidentifiable male voice.
    "What?? Its Srikanth. And its me." I answered, still wonder whose voice was it. 
    "Sir, we are calling from kaesar hospital. We have got an accident case here. And we found this number from a mobile which might be your wife's. We found your number stored as 'Husband Srika'."
    "Wha.....?" i stood paralysed. Yes that is she. sure. Damn sure. She stored my number as 'Husband Srika'. JYO!!!.
    "Sir, are you still in there ?"
    "Please tell me where is the hospital exactly?" I asked forcing all the ill thoughts away from my mind.
    He dictated me the address. And i took them.

    I usually don't take escalator, neither for climbing nor for descending. But now things are different. to hell with the office in 13th floor. As soon as i got out, i rushed to the bike park. kick started my bike and paced towards the hospital. don't worry Jyo, i am here for you. I found the traffic more  than any other day. Always things turn out like that. When you wish something, something else happens. Like, today.  We have planned an 'All over INDIA' tour in the upcoming week. Jyo, please stay there, i wont let anything happen to you. When the circumstances change suddenly, we forget many things. Like i forgot to ask how severe is the injury? and how is she doing now? and many more, which i should have asked when i received the call.
   
    A phone call again. My heart raced. I felt something very much wrong. Srika, never attend a call on drive. please never- she always said that. I brought my bike to a halt in the service lane. My hands were already shivering. I took my mobile. it showed, 'Gurumoothy calling'. A sudden surge of relief filled my heart. i have promised to meet him today. Business can be dealt later. Jyo first. He is one of my good friends. His wife and Jyo too are friends from their school days. So he would understand the situation. I can explain him later. I didn't attend that call. Without any further delay, took off to hospital.

    I have never seen or heard much about this hospital. I don't know how they took an accident case. Was there someone to admit her? Jyo please.... I reached the hospital. Entered the enormously decorated reception desk.

    "May i help you sir?" there was some fake kindness in her tone.
      "Yes. i want to know where my wife has been bed rested." my heartbeat was racing, like one hell.
      "May i know her name sir?"
      "Jyothsna. Jyothsna Srikanth." please make it fast you lazy lady. Jyo has always been active, with one hell of an energy and without a speck of laziness.
    "Sir, may i know when was she admitted here?"
    " I dont know. i received a call from one of your men saying that she was met with an accident. Lets say, half an hour ago. wait.."
    I took my cellular phone to check the time at which i received that call. By this time I had two more calls from Guru, which i found out from  'Missed calls' list. Without giving any importance I checked the received calsl.
    " I got the call exactly 31 minutes ago."
    "But sorry sir, no one with that name has been admitted today." My heart skipped a beat or two.
    "What? please check whose number is this?" I showed her the number from which i received that call, 31 minutes ago.
    "This belongs to our reception desk, sir" she said pointing the telephone which sat at my hand-reach distance away.
    "Then how come?"
    "Wait a minute sir, i will confirm with the receptionist who was attending to his duties half an hour ago. It has been only 10 minutes since i took the charge today."
    "Oh ... please. At least see how many accident cases are there today." come on you crap.
    " One second sir," if i had been in my usual mood, i would have said,'its already over' but situation changes everything.
    " Sir there are four."
    " Room numbers please?"
    "206, 207, 368, 399."   
    " Thanks," i started rushing towards the rooms.
      " but sir........." the receptionist uttered something. 'Go to hell', was what all i thought.
      206- a male.
      207- a female. But not Jyo.
      368- Female again. But not Jyo.
      399- was the corner room. What a dreadful day. Jyo stay there to say,'I am fine'. please
      I opened the room very slowly not wanting to disturb her. my heart racing. I felt as if  my heart might jump out through my mouth, as i saw the scene that unfolded before my eyes.
      She was not there. I also felt relieved. Kinda relieved. Why? where can she be? did i mishear any numbers? should i check all rooms? shit. Stop these questions. All these questions flooded into me.
      I ran back to the reception. Now i saw the female receptionist accompanied by a male.
    "She is not there." i said to the male, assuming he was the one, to talked to me earlier in the phone.
    " Sir, she is in room 207."
    " what?" I have already checked it. She was not there. Did my eyes play any tricks?
    I again ran back to 207. On the way i imagined the figure in 207. A female, with both her legs  bandaged, and a bandage in her head and what else... no I cant remember. i reached the dreadful 207. Opened the door. What the hell. This is not Jyo. I double checked her . Definitely not JYO.
    I ran back to the reception hall again.
    "Thats not Jyo."
    "Who said anything about Jyo? Her name is kavitha. Thats what i gather from her ID card . Here it is."
    He gave me a card. It is driving license. I examined it. "sorry this is not my wife. Can i see the phone?"
    "Here it is." he gave me the phone.
    " Oh god!!!! This one is my wife's i am very sure." the wall paper. It is my picture. I always want to see you, whenever I feel like seeing you, srika.  MY God!!! This time i find myself crying. This is crazy. The hospital staffs tried to soothe me.
      With no other options , i decided to call Ranganathan, one of my friends, who is in Police department.
    I took my mobile and saw the screen blinking, "23 missed calls". All from Gurumoothy. In all my tension, I didn't sense the vibration.
    He is a powerful man, with many contacts. I thought he could be of some help. I dialed his number. The call was answer at the other end.
    "Guru I am in a...."
    "Hey  srika.... you dumb. Where have you been. Can't you pick the call. I almost tried 20 times. You know?" a female voice, very much familiar. The voice that i have loved for years and will continue loving it. The voice that relived me from the tension. The voice that can be enjoyed even when one is being scolded by it. The voice of Jyothsna. The sweetest i have ever heard.
      "Where are you?"-me.
      "At guru's office."-Jyo.
      "I will be there at once."
    "Srika, wait..."
    "Just 10 minutes. I will be there. Stay there. Don't go anywhere. Please." I canceled the call before she could say anything. I raced to Guru's place, almost like a street racer.
      I ran into the hall. Found her sitting in a sofa, beside Guru. Ran to her. I lifted her. Planted a hard kiss in her cheeks, at  first and then in her lips.
    "Guys, I am here." guru interrupted.
      She now looked petrified and after a second, pushed me away from her.
      "Srika, what the hell. This is not the way you should be beh....."
      I showed her the cell phone. Her cell phone.
      After a minute or two,Jyo asked "How did you manage to find it, even without being informed that it has been stolen?"
      I sat down. For a very long story session.
    And I started with,"I LOVE YOU JYO. ALWAYS".