The next week went on very smoothly. Akash was busy in trips from the rented room in Yusuf Sarai to the hospital ward where his mother was admitted. On the third day after admission all the necessary investigations were carried out and obviously his mother was found to be not having enough hemoglobin level in her blood and was in dire need of blood transfusion again-some four units.

In this strange land where would he search for donors? He had donated just a month ago and his teachers back home told him that he should not donate before three months. Should he tell a lie and donate again? Will it really harm him? But even then how would he search for the other three donors? These questions plagued him day and night. He went with Jay from the north to the south campuses to even Jamia campus hunting for friends who could give them donors. The search didn't take long. They quickly got another friend Anis who had studied with them and would readily donate a unit and Jay himself volunteered to give one unit. The hospital authority agreed to put in another two units if required during the operation.

On the fourth day he was handed the OT-item list wherein all the necessary surgical items necessary for the operation was written. Akash took the list and went to the Super Bazaar pharmacy attached with the AIIMS Hospital. Akash handed over the list and while the chemist was searching and gathering the items for him, he took out the envelope he had been saving for that day. His class CR in RIMS handed over the envelope to him before he left for Delhi. He now opened it. It contained the contributions made by his First MBBS teachers-a token of love and help. It was some Rs.1800/ and the list of the contributors: Dr. S.A Singh-- Rs.200, Dr.MM Singh-- Rs.200….etc and the list continued. H read the name s and he felt the warmth within him. The love of a horde of loving teachers who really wished that his mother was alright and he come back to the Medical College was so apparent and vivid.

He remembered what his mother once told him about his father. Akash's father was apprenticed to work in the cycle workshop his grandfather owned. But he refused to work there and would secretly run to the school to study and the teachers loved him so much that they would buy books for him. He was getting the same love from his friends and his teachers.

"Haaji….lo….Rs.1560/ ho gaya", a voice woke him up from his thoughts. He immediately took out the contributed money from the envelope and paid him and came up the stairs back to the ward his mother was admitted. He thought, "Now all the blessing of my teachers are with us; she should be well after the operation." But Akash was petrified with the operation these doctors were contemplating. He could understand that his mother's enlarged spleen would be removed and the splenic vein would be shunted to the Renal vein (a blood vessel of the kidney) and thus create a shunted pathway bypassing the congestion and hence high pressure pathway through the diseased liver. It involved suturing the vessels, which meant microsurgery was to be performed. He wasn't sure how far the success rate was. But he knew they had no other path as option. He had to walk head-on and he walked head-on. He then reached his mother's bedside and found his aunty beside her. He then handed the poly-bag containing the surgical items to his aunty.

Everything was finally set; his mother was to be operated the next day. Akash knew nobody would understand the burden within him. What if his mother doesn't wake up from the anesthesia? What if the operation turned out to be too dangerous and complicated? He lied down on his bed but could not sleep a wink. His uncle and aunty and stayed in the hospital. He was supposed to relieve them the next day when they would come back and go to the temple and pray before the operation. Akash tossed about on the floor and tried to read something or the other. He opened a Pre-test series book on Anatomy. He opened and found a letter used as a bookmark. He had received it from a friend with whom he studied in Imphal. She was studying in Bombay. Akash and Meleileisna had been corresponding through these letters. He opened the letter and read those lines, which he had already learnt by heart now. The last line read, "…that you are with mom makes me feel good and safe; and my heart sings…mera dil bhi kitna paagal ho raha hai!" Akash knew that this line was taken from the movie Saajan, which was running successfully in theatres all over India including the neighbouring Uphaar Cinema.

Akash did not still know whether this was love but he sensed the warmth inside. Akash's already tired heart had something to cling on. Was that fair in love? Weren't these the times to sing in the rain and run in the yellow fields with the golden waves or chase the skylark together? Shouldn't the letters be written on those rosy pink letter pads and talk of the great life ever after? But Akash was writing about his uncertain future, his chances of dropping out from the medical college and his responsibility of bring up his other brother and sisters. Akash was writing his heart.

Without thinking anything more tired Akash had already slept off. He had to wake up early the next day for his mother's operation.

Would Meleileisna be able to cope up? Was she with Akash? Will she be still with Akash? Was Akash dreaming this wonderful dream amidst his nightmares? Poor Akash, how would he know?

To be continued....