Chapter 24
Somewhere in another part of the city….
A new Tom Cruise movie was released in theaters this weekend. Girls flocked the cinema halls like bees on honey.
The area was decorated with flowers and balloons like there was a festival. So much was the fan craze for the actor.
A mannequin of Tom was dancing at the entrance of the theater to a popular song that was playing behind.
He was giving a red rose each to all the girls who visited the theater to watch his movie.
Two hours later the movie finished and every audience was raining praises for the unique versatile actor.
In the midst of fun, gossip and cheer one of the girls in the group fainted.
Luckily the ambulance was passing by and without a delay she was assisted by the medical staff into the vehicle.
A drip was attached to her along with an oxygen mask.
Four hours later her parents arrived at the hospital from a different city. The girl was studying at NYU doing her bachelors in tourism and hospitality management while staying in the hostel.
The parents were worried about their daughter when the doctor came for his rounds to check upon her.
He examined the vitals of the teenager and said everything was normal except for low glucose levels because of which she fainted. However it is corrected by the saline drips attached to her.
For another twelve hours she was put in observation and then given a clearance from the hospital.
Tiya was the best student of NY university in the group of tourism and hospitality management. She always grabbed the best grades and was the darling of her lecturers. Her parents were very proud of her.
******
Two months later
Carl arrived at the hospital with a basket full of fruits to visit one of his men who was shot, injured and admitted in the hospital.
On his way to the room through the corridor, he came across a girl who was pleading with the doctor to help her abort the child.
"Ms Tiya, why don't you understand, you have crossed the first trimester of your pregnancy and it is highly risky to perform an abortion at this juncture."
The young girl, hardly between 18-20 years old, was crying. "Why don't you convince your boyfriend to have this baby instead of risking your life here?" The doctor suggested and was about to leave but she stopped mid way, almost falling at her feet pleading for help.
"Doctor, I do not know how I got pregnant. I was not drunk. I do not do drugs or go to clubs. I am the hardworking top ranker of NYU in the group of tourism and hospitality management. This pregnancy will hinder my studies. I want to study, get good grades and earn well to make my parents proud of me."
The doctor took a deep breath trying to calm herself down. "Miss why don't you understand. In the process of saving your career, I would lose my license if something happens to you. I'm sorry to say this but your chances for survival are only 50:50 in case you opt for abortion."
After a careful thought the physician sighed, then brought out a form from the folder she was carrying. "Get the signature of your parents on this document. It says the hospital or its staff bears no responsibility in case of death of the patient and I will do the abortion for you."
The girl immediately shook her head. "That is not possible, doctor. My parents do not know anything about this stuff. They have high expectations of me. I cannot hurt them in any way."
The doctor tried her best to conceal her temper and spoke her words uniformly. "Miss, you are unnecessarily wasting my time. I have to attend my other patients too. When you are too much against this pregnancy, you should have taken precautionary measures."
The girl burst into cries and the doctor felt pity. Maybe this pregnancy was least expected. The doctor tried to console her. "As an elderly person I would like to advise you, even if your parents will not be happy to learn about your pregnancy it will be much more welcoming to them to see you alive with a child than seeing you dead. You have a lot of time to convince them to accept you with your child." She smiled at her assuringly.
Carl overheard the complete conversation. The girl seemed to be genuine but how could she be so careless about her future when she was studious, disciplined with great prospects in life?
He presented the fruits he bought to his staff and chatted with him for sometime.
When he was on his way back, he called his driver to bring the vehicle to the entrance, so that he would save time in reaching the parking as he had a meeting in the next half an hour.
He got down the front steps of the hospital and was about to reach his car when a girl's body fell with a thud from the terrace on his car's roof, bleeding and motionless with her eyes staring at him unblinking like a ghost.
Carl stopped on his tracks, lost out of his breath and stared at the female shocked. She was the same girl whom he saw pleading with the doctor a few minutes ago for abortion.
He ran to her and checked the pulse but Alas! The siren rang and within a few minutes the place was camouflaged with the crowd. A doctor came out from the hospital, examined her and declared dead.
Carl could not get back to normalcy after witnessing the incident right before his eyes. He canceled all the meetings and went back home with his thoughts never leaving the girl. How could a female get pregnant without participating in sex? And even if she was drunk she would know about the consummation at least the next day when she gets sober. Added to all of it the pregnancy was beyond the stage of termination which proves she was not expecting the news she heard from the doctor. The more he thought, the greater the information puzzled him.
*****
Claire came home from the college after two hours. She was surprised when she saw Carl in the house watching the TV. It was so unlikely of him to be home this early. His eyes were tuned to the television but his mind was occupied somewhere else.
Jenna whispered to her when she reached the glass to drink water that Carl had arrived home in the afternoon itself and since then he was sitting in the same place watching the TV.
The news of Tiya's death was in the headlines of all the news channels. Even after investigation nobody could determine the father of the baby. Her friends, her roommates in the hostel and her parents, all were clueless about the guy who got her pregnant and is responsible for her death today.
"Jenna, go home. I will call you if I require anything." Carl informed her.
His words were menacing like the sentence of Satan to Claire's ears. What happened now? Where did she go wrong? His men are always on patrol. She hardly gets time to go to work and most of the time stays only in college like a real student and comes back home. After Carl's outburst about her night at the hospital with her father where she was actually spending time with her family because her brother came home, she couldn't dare to challenge him.
"Jenna, please stay." She whispered to her with pleading eyes. But could anyone defy the devil incarnate?
He was sitting on the couch. His posture was the same, laid back and his right ankle resting on the knee of the left. The image was formidable and perilous like he is the king of demons who just finished killing someone. He stared at the TV with burning red eyes as if he was searing holes in a soul.
Claire's hands shivered while making the coffee for him. She was extremely hungry as she did not eat anything after breakfast. But taking care of her boss's needs was her primary responsibility as his coffee girl. She made a mickey- mouse design on the liquid and brought the cup to him.
He stared at the tray in her hands. "Why are you trembling? Are you running a temperature?" There was concern in his tone as he held her wrist.
Claire jumped at the contact of his hand on her skin. "No…I…I am alright." She stuttered in her speech, not even daring to look into his eyes and was about to run away from him.
Just then her stomach rumbled. She cursed her body. It gave out signals at the most inappropriate timings and his firm hold on her arm stopped her. "You are hungry. Didn't you have lunch in the afternoon at the college?"
Claire closed her eyes, sent a silent prayer to God and turned back to face him.
"I was writing notes for a physically handicapped student."
"Without eating food? Why? Why would you help someone at the cost of your health?" He asked her warily similar to the commanding aura of an officer towards a JCO.
Claire wet her lips in anxiety. He was too intimidating when he asked her questions. "I write notes for money, to pay for my dad's medical dues."
He did not ask anything further but went to study. Clairereleased the breath she did not know she was holding. But before she could run to her bedroom, he was back. "All your dad's medical bills are cleared and now you will utilize the lunch break in the college only to eat lunch. Am I clear?"
Claire blinked twice and then thrice unable to assimilate what he did just now. Was he real? How could somebody move tables so far not even leaving the threshold of his house within a blink of an eye?
"Thank heavens! She wasn't caught. Luckily her colleagues are expert in managing their roles. "That wasn't necessary. I could have paid for it." Claireresponded meekly.
He ignored her statement. "Next time I find out you skipped lunch for any damn reason, you will not like the action I take upon you."
A shiver ran down Claire's spine. "Sit down. I will be back in ten minutes." He said and went into the kitchen.
Just like he promised he was back but this time with a plate of two cheese sandwiches and a glass of milk. Did he just cook for her?
Claire was about to leave for the dining table but he stopped her. "Where are you going? Eat here." He insisted and sat beside her taking the cup of coffee which she prepared for him.
"I went to the hospital to visit one of my staff today. In the corridor I found a girl who was pleading the doctor to do the abortion for her. But as the pregnancy was mature the doctor was against it. On my way back to reach my car, I found the girl committed suicide by jumping from top floor. I just cannot remove her face from my mind. I feel depressed." He said everything in a trance staring ahead but his hand surrounded her from behind resting on her shoulder.
Why would a man who killed people like somebody inhales air feel so much for the death of a girl? Clairewas clueless.
Little did both of them know this is the novel beginning of something pivotal about to happen in their lives.
Please Log In or Sign Up to continue reading.
Unlock all Chapters with 3$
Proceed to payment to unlock all chapters and continue reading.