Continued...

Arjun felt much better after seeking his mother's blessings.
She hugged him tight
"I am counting on you, Arjun"

After that he went straight to Dr. Venkat & told him that he'd do the operation.

Dr. Venkat : Wow, am so glad Arjun. I know that you can do it! All the very best. I'll definitely be there to assist you.

Arjun required a few signatures on the consent form, so he had to call Roja's family. But then Arjun remembered that Roja lived in an orphanage and didn't have a family.

He felt miserable as he realised that.

He asked a nurse to fetch Roja's contact details from the hospital records.

————————————————

At Anbalayam Ashram

Everyone had finished dinner and were sitting in the main hall. Everyone was awaiting Roja. They knew that by this time, Roja should have arrived

Priya had even tried calling Roja thrice, but to no answer. So they all were a bit worried.

Meanwhile, back at Arjun's hospital, a nurse came and handed over Roja's things to Arjun as no one related to her was present.

Just as Arjun was waiting to get Roja's details, Roja's phone in Arjun's hand rang. It was priya who was trying to reach Roja, for a fourth time.

Arjun decided to answer the call and inform them for he realised that it was someone close to Roja who was calling.

With great hesitation ARJUN picked up the call. No sooner than he answered it...

Priya's Voice on the other end:
Hey Roja, enga irukka?! Yean phone eh attend pannala? Naangellam Inga evlo kavala padrom theriyuma. Function innerathuku mudinchu Ellarum veetula poi thoongi eh iruppanga. Avlo late aayiduchu. Enga irukka nee Intha nerathula???

Arjun let her do all the talking and finally opened up.

Arjun: Hello, am Dr. Arjun.

Priya (startled): Doctor, neengala?!
Roja ode phone unga kitta eppdi

Arjun: Solren, but athukku munnadi Neenga yarunu therinjikalama?

Priya: Naa priya! Roja ode ashramathula irukken. Avalode best friend. Ippo sollunga doc

Arjun: Naane ashramathuku phone pannalam nu than irunthen. Ippo Naa oru vishyam solluven. Atha padhatta padama kelunga please.

Priya: Roja ku ethuvum illa la, doctor?

As soon as others around priya heard her asking this, they got even more tensed and started pestering Priya.

Arjun (taking a deep breath) : Yes, athuthan problem, please calm down and listen carefully.
Roja is currently admitted in my hospital. Function la nadantha oru problem accident la Roja ku head injury aayirchu, so she's in hospital. We are giving her treatment, but oru small surgery ku guardians ode signature venum, consent form la. So ashramathula irukkara caretaker/owner Antha mathri yaravthu evlo seekiram vara mudiyumo vaanga.

Priya was shocked to hear this! This was something she had least expected.
Priya: Ok doctor, okay! Odane varom
She immediately cut the call.

As soon as she cut the call, she informed all others about it

Shanthamoorthy (crestfallen) : Ayyo Enna sodhanai Ithu Muruga! Roja evlo nalla ponnu, ellarkum nallathu mattome nenaikarava. Avaluku ethukku ippdi oru kastam he lamented

Rakesh: Appa, Neenga kavala padathinga pa. Ippo kai ezhuthu podrathu than mukkiyam. Appothan roja ku operation start pannuvanga
Vaanga pa, Namma odane polam

Lakshmi Aunty : Rajesh solrathu right pa. Namma late panra ovvoru nimisham um anga roja uyir thudichitu irukku. Seekiram kelambunga pa.

Thatha & paati : Kozhandainga Ellarum thoongitanga. Avanga mulicha avangala vera Samalikanum. Roja ode manasu ku avaluku onnume aagathu. Antha Murugan ellathayum paathuparu

Priya, Rajesh, Shanthamoorthy immediately left while others stayed back, praying for Roja.

———————————————-

Back in KP hospital (Arjun's hospital)

Arjun was waiting for them
Everything was ready, just the signature was pending.

Within few mins, the three of them arrived.

Priya recognised Dr. Arjun.
Priya (running towards him): Doctor, Naa than priya. Neenga phone la pesinathu...

Arjun cut her
Arjun: Please, pesa Time illa Ippo.
Papers ready ah irukku. Yaru sign podrathu

Shanthamoorthy (stepping ahead): Naa than Doctor poda poren. Roja va valathathu Naa than. Antha ashramatha nadatharthum Naa than. Roja va yennode ponna nenaikiren doctor, ungala than perusa nambi irukkom doctor, please ennode kozhandai ah eppdiyavthu kaapathirunga.

Arjun handed over the papers to SM and told him where to sign.

Shanthamoorthy hurriedly signed the papers and gave it back to Arjun. Arjun's family was watching this but decided not to talk till the operation began. As that was more important

Shanthamoorthy held Arjun's hands and pleaded

Doctor thambi, Naa ungala yennode paiyan ah nenachu itha kekkaren. Roja Romba nalla ponnu. But chinna vayasula irunthe neraiya kastatha paathuta, 3 years kozhandai ah irukkum bothu ennode ashramam la vanthu serntha, appo la irunthu amma appa nu yentha uravum illamaye valanthuta. Naa ennathan appa paasam kaatinalum, ashramathula ava santhoshama irunthalum, oru kudumbam illaye, uravu nu sollika 4 peru illaye nu avalukula eppovume antha yekkam irukku.

Chinna vayasula irunthu ava aasa pattadhu ethuvume avaluku kedaikala. Sapadu kooda pala naal oru vela than saptu irukka, Ava nalla padippa, irunthalum ava valarntha nilamai kaga Enna kasta padutha koodathu nu saadharnamana padippu than padicha. Ava nenachu iruntha ungala mathri periya doctor eh aayirkalam avalode thiramai ku. But priya padippu ku panam venum, ashram kozhandaingala nalla padikka vekkanum nu ava Antha mathri periya padippu ku laam pogala
Intha mathri ava evlovo Avalode aasaigal santhoshangal ellathayume vittu kuduthu irukka
Ava chinna vayasula patta kastathuku avaluku oru nalla purushan kedachu Avar kooda ava 100 varusham santhoshama arogiyama vaazhanum. Athukaga vaavthu uyir polaikanum, ARJUN thambi, please!

Arjun felt guilty. Even now she had tried to sacrifice her life for his sake.
A teardrop rolled down from his eyes and fell on Shantamoorthy's hand.
"Ippdi mathavanga santhoshathukagave vazhara Roja kandippa uyir Vaazhanum. Ava santhoshama irukkanum. Innum ava Life la evlovo happiness ah paaka vendiyathu irukku. I won't let anything happen to her"

Arjun said to himself. Determined, he wore the the operation gown and went inside.

Kalpana and paati were listening to everything Shanthamoorthy told Arjun. Priya tried to reassure SM. Paati & Kalpana too went near them and introduced themselves. They told SM, Priya & Rajesh about what exactly had happened and how Roja had actually tried to save ARJUN but unfortunately got struck in the mishap. Priya wasn't very surprised for she knew Roja's love for Arjun but she was shocked by the extent Roja went for him

"Ippdi patta love Arjun ku therinje aaganum"
She told herself

————————————————

Inside the operation theatre.

Arjun and all the other doctors had already gathered.

Arjun was nervous as it was a critical operation. But he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He remembered Roja's motivating words the last time when he had perform an unexpected delivery of twins. He took those same words as his guiding force. Plus Shanthamoorthy's words kept ringing in Arjun's ears.

Nevertheless, brushing aside all his skepticism, he started the operation.
He was worried that he shouldn't be the cause of something untoward happening to her.
He was closely assisted by Dr. Venkat.

As he handled Roja, he realised how intense her injury was. As he got into the delicate parts of her brain, he saw several damages due to the several glass pieces which had ruptured the delicate tissues of the brain.

Arjun (mindvoice): Scan la paathatha vida damages and internal injury neraiya irukke.
Athula kooda Avlo theriyala.

The realisation choked him. After a tedious struggle, he managed to pull out nearly all the glass pieces. Except one tiny sharp piece which was struck in a very tricky spot.

IT WAS STRUCK IN THE TRIGEMINAL NERVE OF THE BRAIN.

Arjun was perplexed. He knew that it was the most important part of the brain and any damage to it could even cause her death! But ofcourse he couldn't leave the glass piece there. It'd rupture the entire nerve and cause brain haemorrhage. He gasped!

He prayed fervently
"Kadavule, enna entha mathri situation la kondu vanthu irukka. Don't make me feel guilty for life"

Just then Dr. Venkat nudged him. He whispered
Arjun, I know you can do it. Pull it out carefully.

Arjun remembered Roja's exact words that day before the delivery.
"Ungalala kandippa mudiyum doctor"
He also remembered her genuine smile when he accomplished that task that day

He told to himself -
"Ofcourse you have to accomplish it today as well Arjun. So that she can smile once again at you, just like that day. You have to see that genuinely smiling face once again"

These words gave him comfort and motivation. He picked up the tweezers in his hand, saw Roja's smiling face which truly felt happy for his success that day, in front of his eyes. Keeping aside all his other thoughts, he reached out gently and pulled out the piece with utmost care. He couldn't help but treat her like a newborn baby. Then he put the stitches and finished the surgery

Dr. Venkat patted him on his back.
"You did it Arjun! Am so proud of you. It was long and complicated procedure, but you were undaunted. You have not only pulled out all the glass pieces, but you have also successfully brought her inter cranial pressure back to normal"

Wearing a relieved smile on his face, ARJUN walked out, closely followed by Dr. Venkat and a couple of nurses. Shanthamoorthy, Rajesh, Priya and all of Arjun's family was waiting with bated breath.

Arjun gave them the happy news
"Operation success!" ☺️

Shanthamoorthy immediately held Arjun's hands and wept tears of joy.
"Ungaluku eppdi nandri solrathune theriyala. Yenna nandri Romba chinna varthai"

Arjun smiled "Ithu ennode kadamai pa"

Priya who was watching all this-
Mindvoice: Sariyana worth pièce ah than roja pudichirka😃

The next day Roja was shifted to general ward. Each and everyone from the orphanage as well as from Arjun's family were eager to see her.
Arjun too was. He was indebted to her, ofcourse.

Little did they know that there awaited them a shock which they hadn't expected in their wildest dreams.

To be continued.
Thanks for reading ❤️