At the Hospital
Saaniya sat on a low stool, gently playing with a patient’s child while the woman, bandaged and bruised, quietly ate her breakfast.
She was the same patient Aniket had heard about from the nurse— a woman who had barely escaped death.
A deep gash on her forehead.
Fractures in arms and legs.
It wasn’t hard to imagine the horror she’d endured.
Aniket was quietly observing everything inside the room when Rudra said, “What’s going on? What brings you here today?”
Still staring into the room, Aniket replied, “I… I want to know about that woman. Does Saaniya know her?”
Rudra straightened and smiled, “Ah! So your mind is still stuck on what that nurse said, huh?
Well… Saaniya will take a while there anyway.
So why don’t we go to my cabin and talk while we wait?”
Saying that, Rudra slipped his hands into his pockets and started walking away.
Aniket gave one last look at Saaniya sitting inside the room, then followed Rudra.
As they made their way through the hospital corridors, it was hard to ignore Rudra’s presence.
Doctors nodded at him.
The nurses smiled.
Even patients greeted him like a familiar friend.
It was clear—Rudra wasn’t just respected here. He was trusted.
But to Aniket, none of that was surprising.
Rudra's calm authority, his ease with people—it drew others in effortlessly.
As soon as they entered the cabin, Rudra sat down in his chair, and Aniket walked in, shutting the door behind him.
Rudra pulled out a file from his drawer and handed it to Aniket.
Aniket took the file, sat in the chair, and tried to go through it— but it wasn’t making any sense to him.
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There were various medical reports and X-rays—far beyond his understanding.
Making a face, he tossed the file onto the table and said, “What nonsense is this! I want to know that woman’s story, not all these medical reports. You can keep those for yourself!”
Rudra laughed. “Oh, come on. I thought you’d want to see the technical details too.”
“Nope. I want to know why Saaniya’s so involved in this case. Does she know that woman or not?”
His tone was sharp, though his eyes were distant.
Rudra tilted his head, intrigued. “You really want to know?”
Aniket shot him a sideways glare. “Do I look unsure to you?”
“Alright, I’ll tell you…” Rudra said, making a face. “Saaniya and that woman have no personal connection.
She came to our hospital about a month ago, in a very critical condition.
At first glance, it looked like a suicide case—she had jumped from the 8th floor.
But the entire case took a turn once the truth came out.”
“What happened?” Aniket asked, growing curious.
Rudra continued, “Everyone thought she wouldn’t survive. But she did.
The operation was successful, though she went into a coma.
During all this time, her husband stayed by her side—every single moment.
Everyone praised him for how well he was caring for his wife. His kind behavior made everyone believe in him. But then the one thing he hadn’t expected… happened.
That woman woke up from the coma.
And after waking up—her behavior completely changed.
She began to fear her husband—pushed him away, refused to let him near her.
Since it was a suicide case, the police had to get involved.”
Aniket interrupted, “So… the police interrogated her?”
Rudra nodded. “Yes, but it wasn’t easy. Her mental state was unstable. She was traumatized… still is. But with help from psychiatrists, they managed to piece together what had happened.”
Aniket was silent, hanging on every word.
“She told them her husband had been hiding a dark side. He was having an affair.
She found out and wanted a divorce. But for him, reputation was everything. A divorce would ruin the image he had carefully built.
So he began controlling her. First emotionally. Then physically.
He abused her, isolated her, even tried to take away their two-year-old son.
She was suffocating—living with a man wearing a mask no one else could see.”
Aniket asked, “Then the police must’ve taken immediate action?”
Rudra gave a sarcastic smile. “You think so?
Do you really believe that someone who had won the hearts of the entire hospital in just two days— would be arrested that easily, just based on her words? The monsters who dress up as angels are the toughest ones to catch!
Finding evidence against him was incredibly difficult.”
Aniket’s eyes narrowed, “Then how did the truth come out?”
Rudra smiled faintly. “Maybe God had mercy on her.
The police found footage from a camera near their home. It was around midnight.
The woman was seen walking with her child—probably trying to escape.
But her husband caught her.
The street was deserted… and there, the mask of the loving husband came off. He beat her right in the middle of the road.
And then—one of her close friends, who had moved abroad, returned after hearing about her condition.
She testified that the woman had been terrified of her husband for a long time.
About a week ago, the man was arrested.”
Aniket said, “The nurse told me he escaped from jail and came here to kill her?”
Rudra nodded, “Yes. For men like him, ego is everything.
Seeing his honor and reputation fall apart— he was consumed by one thought: to end his wife.
A few nights ago, he broke out of jail.
He came to the hospital, under the cover of darkness… He was about to attack her when Saaniya saw him.
That night… I saw a side of Saaniya I had never seen before.”
Rudra leaned back and took a deep breath.
“When I was dressing the wound on her hand, she said something— that woman reminded her of someone.
Her story… her eyes… the fear… the helplessness.
Saaniya must’ve lost someone who went through something similar. Maybe that’s why she got so emotional.”
Hearing this, memories began racing through Aniket’s mind.
He remembered—Saaniya’s mother had also committed suicide. No reason had ever been found.
According to police records, she was mentally unstable. It was assumed she had burned herself over something minor.
“That woman and her child were lucky…” Aniket whispered.
Rudra completed the thought, “If that woman hadn’t survived… her child’s life would’ve become worse than hell.
And that man… would’ve continued to live with respect and dignity.”
Two stories.
Two women.
Two monsters in disguise.
Same pain… but different endings.
Aniket couldn’t stop thinking— What if Saaniya’s mother had survived?
What if the truth about her father had come out?
Maybe then Saaniya wouldn’t have had to suffer so much… But is that all there is to Saaniya’s story?
What happened after her mother died?Who helped her fight back against her father?How did she find the strength to stand tall?And most importantly… Will Aniket ever get to know the full truth?
Will Aniket ever get to know the full truth?
