Chapter 8 Welcome Interns

• “Are you serious? You are the one, the medical topper, Simmi Oberoi?” Riya yelled at the top of her lungs.
• On the verge of being deaf by the unannounced verbal attack, Pari covered her ears by the both hands and Simmi pressed the brake with full force making the car stopped with a jerk.
• “Yes, I am Simmi Oberoi, daughter of Rishabh and Disha Oberoi. Is there a problem?”
• Obviously, neither she nor Pari got the reason for Riya to turn aggressive all of a sudden.
• “Yes, I have a big problem with you. If I would have known it’s you, Simmi Oberoi and its car I would never accept your help nor sit in your car.” Riya again said angrily with a red face.
• “Why, what’s wrong? I am confused, how did I offend you?” Simmi asked in astonishment.
• “You...... You, don’t you have a bit of shame? You are the reason behind the level of discomfort every medical student feels when they get back to their homes. I mean who scores such top record in academics, 98.5%. Omg, such a high percentage in medical exams, miss topper? Same, even in pre-medical exams. Miss Simmi Oberoi, are you a crack nut? And by the way, why did you leave out this whole so called 1.5%? Charity for other students? Hmmm, say something, damn it.”
• Simmi and Pari looked at each other’s face in amusement whereas Riya kept on blabbering absurdly like a lunatic.
• “What should I say? I don’t even know what your problem is?” Simmi said in baritone.
• She did not get what wrong she had done to Riya, that made her burst like an active volcano, but somehow Pari got the inner frustration of her.
• “Hmm, what will you say? People like you should be in the museum, you don’t belong to the society, you are a curse for the youth of the entire country, an antique piece, and, and.......” Riya was fuming so much in anger that she could not get the right words to carry on venting her frustration on Simmi.
• “Hold on, Riya, why are you bursting out your anger bubble on Simmi? What is her fault if your parents or guardians used to compare her academic result by yours? She can’t be responsible for your parents’ doings, who humiliate their own child and praised another brilliant student just because your result is no better than the toppers?”
• Pari chimed in and tried to ease the fire.
• Riya bit her tongue and realized her mistake. She was really behaving cranky sometimes before.
• “Omg, I literally got cracked up as soon as I heard your name. I am sorry Simmi, please forgive my behavior.” Riya apologized.
• “It’s alright.....” Simmi said and started the car once again while shaking her head in disbelief.
• Riya was still embarrassed for her behavior and looked at Pari with a sheepish smile.
• “By the way, Pari, how did you get my exact problem with Simmi’s academic results?” Riya asked to dissolve the awkwardness she had built sometime ago.
• Pari thinks for a while and said with a sad pouted face, “It’s a story of every average student. I am facing the same problem for many years, and I used to get an extra dose of lectures because unfortunately she is my best friend.”
• Simmi and Riya laughed out loud and Pari continued, “What’s more, being the best friend of this record holder, not only my family but her elder brother always vents his anger on me, lectures me to be like her in studies, seems like he is fulfilling his wish to scold a little sister by scolding, poor me.”
• Simmi hit Pari on her shoulder and scolded her, “Shut the hell up PS, I will tell this thought of yours to RO.”
• Simmi knew Pari was just exaggerating everything because Rahul Oberoi and Pari Singh didn’t like each other much.
• “Now, who the hell is RO?” Riya asked.
• Since these two girls were talking in initials, she did not get anything.
• “Rahul Oberoi, her elder brother, she is used to calling him RO.” Pari answered.
• Riya released a sigh of relief. “Oh yah, you are the sister Mr. Rahul Oberoi, the very famous builder.”
• “Yes.....” Pari said.
• Riya and Pari started discussing a few things about the Oberoi family they know because they all belong to the same elite circle.
• Simmi was listening to their conversation since long. It’s true that she is proud of her family, but she doesn’t like to get only recognize as a sister of a famous builder or daughter of a famous social worker.
• “Riya, how do you know so much about me?” Simmi asked casually while looking forward through the windscreen.
• “Because of my family who talks about you, especially my father and my elder brother always used to praise you and asks me to be like you in the future.” Riya said in a heavy voice.
• There was an unknown sadness in her tone, which was sensed by Simmi, but she chose to be silent. She can’t help her in her personal matters.
• Simmi stopped the car in the parking area of Goenka hospital, trio get down and moved quickly towards the hall for the first year interns, because their time has already been wasted before by one or the other incident and they could be late at the first day itself.
• Trio released a sigh of relief at being on time in the classroom, but the frown lines appeared on Riya’s forehead, seeing some familiar faces. She saw her ex-college mate in irritation and cursed her fate. Whereas the same faces whom Riya disliked looked at Riya and smirked. They mumbled something and gave a hi-fi to each other.
• Simmi and Pari were smart enough to observe the change on Riya’s face and the smirk look on some of the interns’ face by looking at Riya.
• Simmi was about to ask Riya about it, but right at the moment a panel of doctors entered in the hall and Simmi had to purse her lips.
• Few senior doctors and matrons were walking behind Dr. Samrat Malhotra and Dr. Arjun Grewal with Dr. Isha Grewal.
• “Good morning doctors and welcome to the Goenka medical college and hospital.” Dr Samrat Malhotra addressed the meeting and welcomed the interns.
• “I am Dr. Samrat Malhotra CMO of the Goenka hospital, these are the great doctors of Goenka hospital and heads of different departments.” Samrat said proudly while pointing towards the team of doctors behind him.
• Addressing and welcoming to the new interns every year is the part of Dr. Samrat’s job and after that Dr. Arjun Grewal used to take care of their classes and duties, but today something was different with Dr. Samrat.
• When he was welcoming the interns, his gaze fell on an intern at the center of the second row, and that was Dr. Simmi Oberoi. A kind of bitterness spread inside him as soon as he had an eye contact with her.
• Once again, the entire incident of the day before revolved around in his mind. The way she pranked on him, and still got enrolled in his hospital and at last their challenge to each other.
• The way he behaved yesterday was just not him, this triggered his anger more that he behaved not as a usual self of him just because of this prankster girl.
• Today, after welcoming the interns, he didn’t give the mic to Dr. Arjun and carried on with his speech.
• “For the next one year you all will practice to be perfect in your profession, but one thing you all need to learn now is to be disciplined, focused and extremely serious in your work. In a doctor’s profession there is no space for mistake, so be very sincere, responsible and emphasis on the duties appointed to you. Last and most important thing, don’t be careless or overlook your responsibilities, jokes, fun, prank and especially flippant attitude will not be tolerated in this hospital. You make one mistake and you will be thrown out of here. Do you all get me?”
• Samrat said with utmost presumptuousness and in an overbearing tone, while looking into Simmi’s eyes.
• Simmi got that he is trying to impose his words on her, but she was least bothered, and turned her gaze away from him which only lead him to be more antagonized.