Chapter 4 Truth Behind The Accident

• (REYA'S POV)
• The elderly driver took me to a nearby clothing store. I went inside and just randomly picked a black double breasted trench coat, tried it on and went straight to the billing counter which was near the entrance gate.
• A saleswoman with heavy make sized me up and down, with judgemental eyes, stopped me in the middle and said, “Ma’am, you cannot just touch anything without asking and paying for it”.
• Raising my right eyebrow, I looked at her and stated, “I was just going to the billing counter for the payment, when you abruptly stopped me."
• She sneered at me and uttered with disdain, “Hah, What a joke. Do you even know how much does this coat costs. I bet you were trying to steal it and now covering up. It is quite apparent by the way you are dressed”.
• “Excuse me, I didn’t knew that in order to try an outfit, firstly I have to purchase it. And what's wrong with my clothes? Does your store always serve the customers in this manner or are you the only one who is so rude”, I taunted her.
• She countered me with a reply, saying, “It is one of the most expensive piece of our store, I don’t think, that YOU can afford it. Keep it back from where you have taken it and don't waste anymore of my time”.
• As we were bickering back and forth, the store manager came into the picture and enquired about the argument which was taking place. The saleswoman started accusing me of stealing without any evidence. The store manager glanced at me for a while. Suddenly, he noticed the label on my outfit and started to apologized.
• 'Of course, the saleswoman may not know about ‘ReyMay’, our brand name, but the store manager would have recognized it instantly. Store Managers usually have a diverse knowledge about other brands. Its comes in their requirement of work.'
• He asked for my forgiveness repeatedly and glared at the salesperson. She tried to protest but he bashed her harshly and made her shut her mouth.
• After the purchasing procedure was completed, the store manager again apologized and asked me not to give any bad review to the store. He said, “Ma’am we are honored to have you. Please do visit us again and once again I am extremely very sorry for the rudeness of my foolish employee”.
• I gave him a slight smile and nodded saying, “Ok, but teach your people to treat every customer equally and with respect. After all, that's the basics.” After saying that, I left the store and sat inside the cab.
• The store manager reprimanded the salesperson harshly and warned her not to discriminate between their customers. The saleswoman was still not satisfied but kept silent, in order to not offend her manager.
• The elderly man then took me straight to the hospital where my sister was admitted. I thanked him for his kindness, paid him, grasped my suitcase and the side bag and went ahead towards the hospitals' entrance.
• With so many things in my hands, I tried to keep my balance but someone nugged my shoulder and pushed me. The push made me crashing to the ground, making me landing on my butt. The culprit was on the phone the whole time and without even apologizing, started making his exit. I called him, "Hey, you", but he did not even looked at what he did and went straight ahead, ignoring me.
• 'Mannerless freak, how rude.' I could only see his back side. He was wearing a jet black suit and there was a symbol of 'ॐ' (Aum) inked at the back of his right hand.
• Dusting my hands against each other, I got up from the ground and brushed my clothes which were covered in dust and filth. 'Stupid place, stupid people.'
• Without further delay, I headed towards the hospital’s entrance and went straight to the reception desk.
• “Hello, How may I help you?”, the receptionist greeted.
• “Hey, I am here to visit Marsha Emeralds. Can you tell me what her room number is?”, I replied.
• “May I ask what is your relationship with the patient?”
• I was biting my lower lip in hesitation, thinking what to say, I told her that I was a pretty close acquaintance of her.
• “Sorry Ma’am, but we cannot disclose the patients’ room number to just anyone, only family members are allowed”, she declared.
• Contemplating, I hesitantly spoke to her, “She is my sister”.
• “Huhh, didn’t you just say that you were just an acquaintance. We have seen a lot of people like you. Trying to get in without any relation with the patient. If you cannot prove your relationship then it is better to just leave otherwise I'll call for security.”
• "But I really-"
• "Ma'am please, don't make it difficult for me."
• Dejected, I started walking out of the hospital when suddenly I spotted Jeff, who was headed somewhere.
• I peeked at the receptionist to see what she was doing. She was busy taking calls. I looked for the perfect opportunity and when the coast was clear, I sneakily followed Jeff. He was busy talking with someone on the phone and was seemed quite agitated. He went further and further inside the maze like place and after almost ten minutes of walking, his steps came to a halt. The board outside the room read ‘Intensive Care Unit (ICU)’. He looked inside the room, stared for a while and then left. I came closer to the ICU and tried to see what he was staring at so intently. The view in front of my eyes was shocking. For a second or two, I thought that I was seeing things. Clearing my blurry vision, I looked carefully. There was no mistaking it.
• The person lying inside the Intensive Care Unit was not my sister but my father.
• “He's alive, My father is alive”, I repeated inside my head. Unknowingly, I thanked god in my heart.
• The gratefulness turned into puzzlement when I remembered the news article and what Jeff has told me earlier. I could not quite understand why would he lie to me about something so drastic. The bafflement of the sudden turn of events changed into anger and without thinking much I went straight after Jeff to confront him, full with rage. I ran to search for him. After passing by a large corridor, I spotted him coming out of a doctor’s office.
• Mindlessly, I dashed towards him and grabbed his collar hasitly. He was caught off guard and it took him several minutes to register what was happening to him.
• I screamed at him , “What the fuck is the meaning behind all this? Why the hell did you lie to me, huhh? How can you lie to me about this? Is this some kind of a joke to you? Are you sick in the head?”
• As I shouted hysterically, all eyes were on me, but mind was elsewhere. My yelling brought him back from his trance, he hugged me and said, “Reya, you are finally here.”
• Pushing him forcefully, I tried to get out of his hold but he didn’t let go of me. Before I could say something else, while hugging, he told me, “I will explain everything to you. Come with me for now.”
• “Explain now”, I declared. He whispered close to my ear, “Not here dear, there are many eyes watching us, let us go somewhere safe and secure, then I'll tell you everything."
• “Let’s go”, brushing him off of me I started walking, shoving him aside.
• “Not that way, come this way”, he gestured for me to go to the doctors’ office. ‘Dr. Alan Warner’, the sign in front of the door read. I followed behind him inside the office.
• “What happened Jeff? Is there any problem? Why are you back again?”, a guy with a lab coat and silver rimmed spectacles came into my view. He looked young for a doctor. “This is?” he enquired.
• “She is my niece and Jaden’s daughter”, Jeff told him.
• With a perplexed face he said, “Didn’t Jaden has one daughter, Marsha Emeralds”.
• Glancing at me, with guilt evident in his eyes, he spoke looking at the doctor, “Let me introduce you two formally. She is Reya Emeralds, Jaden’s youngest daughter. Reya, He’s Dr. Alan Warner, Jaden’s attending doctor and a neurologist”.
• “Enough with the introductions. I am not here for this. Explain, what excuses are you going to give now?”, I said to him in an irritated tone. He asked me to sit down which I refused.
• Then, Dr. Warner remarked, “Ms. Emeralds, It will take a long time to explain with all the details. Why don’t you have a seat first”. I reluctantly sat, waiting for them to start talking.
• “Reya, I didn’t mean to lie to you at all. It was just the situation that I had to hide the truth from you too”, Jeff started explaining. “Your father’s condition is not very stable and anything can happen to him at any time and it is suspected that the accident was intentional. So, for safety purposes and confidentiality, I withholded this information. But trust me it was not intentional.”
• “Where is my sister?”, I cut him off.
• Both of them looked at each other sneakily and none of the two answered my question. I got up and started walking out of the room declaring, “I will talk to my sister myself.”
• I grabbed the handle and opened the door to depart when Jeff closed it shut and announced, “You will not be able to meet her.” Confused, I raised my eyebrows and asked, “What do you mean by that?”
• With a heavy sigh, Dr. Warner declared, “Because Marsha was the one who died in that car accident”.
• To be continued. . . . . . . . . .