The hospital had settled into its daytime rhythm.
The frantic movement of the early morning had quietened.
There were still nurses moving between rooms, doctors walking through the corridors, the occasional trolley being pushed past the emergency department—but the urgency had become quieter now.
Aanya was sleeping.
Her breathing was steady.
The IV continued its slow rhythm beside her.
Aditi sat on the stool next to the bed, her elbows resting against her knees.
She hadn't realized how exhausted she was until everything had finally stopped moving.
Her eyes burned.
Her throat felt dry.
She hadn't eaten properly.
She hadn't slept properly.
But none of that seemed important.
Every few minutes, her eyes went back to Aanya.
Just to make sure she was still breathing normally.
Just to make sure she was still there.
Across from her, Sagnik sat quietly.
He hadn't said much since he'd arrived.
He didn't seem to know what to say.
He kept looking at Aanya.
Sometimes at the monitor.
Sometimes at the IV.
Sometimes at Aditi.
As though he was trying to understand how one ordinary night had turned into this.
Aanya had been complaining about her stomach yesterday.
She had complained about being tired.
They had laughed at her.
They had told her to sleep.
And now she was lying in a hospital bed.
Sagnik rubbed his palms together slowly.
His mind kept returning to the same thought.
She was fine yesterday.
He knew that wasn't entirely true anymore.
She had been exhausted.
She had complained that her body hurt.
Her stomach had hurt.
But none of them had imagined this.
How could they have?
Aditi looked at the clock.
Then at Aanya.
Then at her phone.
There was one thing she hadn't done yet.
Her parents.
Aanya's mother knew Aditi.
She had spoken to her before.
They had met.
She knew that Aditi and Aanya shared a room.
If anyone needed to know what had happened, it was her.
Aditi unlocked her phone.
She found the contact saved as Aunty.
For a few seconds, she simply stared at it.
Then she pressed call.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
"Hello, Aditi?"
Aditi swallowed.
"Hello, Aunty."
Her voice sounded strange even to herself.
Aanya's mother immediately noticed.
"What happened? Is everything alright, you sound tensed"
Aditi closed her eyes for a moment.
"Aunty..."
There was a pause.
"Aunty, Aanya..." Aditi didnt find words so she couldnt finish the sentence.
"Aanya? What about her? Is Aanya okay?"
Aditi looked toward the bed.
"She's in the hospital."
The silence that followed was immediate.
"What?"
"Aunty, she's stable."
"Why is she in the hospital?"
Aditi explained.
She told her about the night.
How Aanya had woken up in pain.
How she'd been crying.
How she couldn't properly explain what was wrong.
How Aditi had brought her to the hospital.
She explained the tests.
The doctors.
The diagnosis.
"Appendicitis?"
"Yes, Aunty."
"And where is she now?"
"She's sleeping."
"Can I speak to her?"
Aditi looked at Aanya.
"She's asleep right now."
Her mother's voice trembled.
"Is she in a lot of pain?"
"They've given her medication."
"Has the doctor seen her?"
"Yes."
"What did they say?"
"They're monitoring her."
The call had gone silent, niether of them spoke anything, Aanya's mother was a mess, Aditi was on the edge herself.
After some time, a hoarse voice came from other side of the phone.
"Where is the hospital?"
Aditi gave her the details.
"We're coming."
"Aunty, you don't have to—"
"Of course we're coming."
Her voice broke.
"She's my daughter."
The call ended.
Aditi lowered her phone.
For several seconds, she didn't move.
Sagnik looked at her.
"They're coming?"
She nodded.
"Both of them."
He looked toward Aanya again.
"Good."
They arrived later that evening.
Aditi noticed Aanya's mother before Aanya did.
She came through the corridor quickly, her husband beside her.
She looked frightened.
Not the ordinary kind of worried.
The kind that came from spending an entire journey imagining every possible thing that could have happened.
The moment she saw Aditi, she walked straight toward her.
"Aditi beta."
Aditi stood.
"Aunty..."
Her voice broke.
Aanya's mother immediately held her.
"Is she okay?"
Aditi hugged her back.
"She's okay."
"Where is she?"
"Inside."
Aanya's mother pulled away.
"Take me to her."
Aditi nodded.
She led her into the room.
Aanya was still sleeping.
Her mother stopped at the bedside.
For a moment, she simply looked at her.
Her daughter.
Pale.
Tired.
An IV running into her hand.
The sight broke something inside her.
"Aanya."
Aanya stirred.
Her eyelids opened slowly.
"Maa?"
Her mother immediately bent over her.
"Oh, my baby."
She carefully wrapped her arms around her.
Aanya was too tired to protest.
She simply rested against her.
"I'm okay."
Her mother's hand moved through her hair.
"You scared me."
"I'm fine."
"Don't say that."
Aanya looked at her.
Her mother was crying.
Aanya's expression softened.
"Maa..."
"I'm here."
Her father came closer.
He placed his hand gently on Aanya's head.
Aanya looked at him too.
"Papa."
"I'm here."
She smiled faintly.
For a few moments, the three of them simply stayed together.
Eventually, Aanya's mother stepped away from the bed.
Her eyes found Aditi again.
"You were with her?"
Aditi nodded.
"All night."
Her mother's face crumpled.
"Aditi beta..."
She hugged her again.
"Thank you."
Aditi shook her head.
"I didn't do anything."
"You did everything."
"I was just scared."
"So was I."
Aditi looked down.
"I kept calling Sagnik."
Her mother glanced toward him.
Sagnik stood a little away from them.
He had been quiet throughout.
Aditi explained.
"He came as soon as he found out."
Aanya's mother looked at him.
There was a moment of recognition.
Then she nodded.
"Thank you."
Sagnik shook his head.
"It's okay, Aunty."
Nobody made it sound bigger than it was.
Nobody needed to.
They had all simply been there.
The doctor arrived during the next round.
He greeted the family and went over Aanya's condition again.
Her mother listened carefully.
The explanation was calm.
Clinical.
Reassuring.
But then the doctor said it again.
"We recommend that she undergo surgery."
Aanya's mother stiffened.
"Surgery?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"As soon as possible."
Her face drained.
"But..."
She looked toward Aanya.
"Will she be okay?"
The doctor nodded.
"Yes."
"But surgery..."
"It's a routine procedure, and she's stable."
"Will my daughter be fine?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"We have every reason to expect a good outcome."
Her mother nodded.
But she wasn't reassured.
Not really.
"Will she wake up?"
"Yes."
"Nothing will happen to her?"
"We'll take every precaution."
Her eyes filled again.
"She's my only—"
Her voice broke.
She couldn't finish the sentence.
Sagnik stepped closer.
"Aunty."
She looked at him.
"She'll be okay."
Aditi nodded beside him.
"They're taking care of her."
But the words couldn't compete with the fear inside her.
Aanya's mother turned toward her husband.
The moment she reached him, she held him tightly.
Her face pressed against his chest.
He wrapped his arms around her.
She cried quietly.
He didn't try to stop her.
He simply held her.
Aditi looked away for a moment.
Sagnik did too.
There were some kinds of fear that couldn't be reasoned with.
Especially not when the person lying in the bed was your child.
Aanya opened her eyes again.
She looked toward them.
Her mother was still holding her father.
Aditi was standing beside the bed.
Sagnik was near the window.
Aanya didn't know what had happened outside her little circle of awareness.
She only knew that everyone looked worried.
She frowned slightly.
"Why is everyone looking like that?"
Her mother immediately came back to her.
"Nothing."
Aanya didn't believe her.
"Maa."
"You're going to be fine."
Aanya blinked.
"I know."
Her mother touched her forehead.
"You just rest."
Aanya sighed.
"But my exams..."
Her father closed his eyes briefly.
Aditi looked at Sagnik.
And Sagnik looked back at her.
Even now—
that was what Aanya was thinking about.
Her thirty-five days.
Her books.
Her schedule.
The future she'd carefully arranged.