Late at night, a few shops remained open in the deserted market. Among them was a small store where Ayu worked part-time during the night shift. He had finished his tasks and was about to head home when his phone buzzed.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Ayu glanced at his phone screen, where "Unknown Number" appeared as the caller ID. He hesitated for a moment but ignored the call. Moments later, the same number called again. This time, Ayu answered.
"Hello?" he asked.
A calm yet urgent voice responded, "Hello, am I speaking to Ayu?"
"Yes, this is Ayu. Who is calling?" he inquired.
"I'm calling from Golden Health Hospital. Your mother has been in an accident. Can you come to the hospital?"
Ayu's heart raced, and he struggled to keep his composure as he replied, "Yes, yes, I'll be there in 10 minutes. Please, can you stay with her until I arrive?"
The voice assured him, "Of course. I'm right here. Please tell me your name and your mother's name so I can complete the admission form."
Ayu packed his belongings while responding, "My name is Ayu Singh, and my mother's name is Rekha. I'm on my way now. Thank you for staying with her."
The voice directed him. "Come to the second floor, outside the OT (Operating Theatre). Don't worry. I'll wait for you there."
Ayu shared some news with a coworker, then took his bike. He cycled to the hospital, but the cold night wind did little to ease his racing thoughts.
---
When Ayu got to the hospital, he left his cycle by the entrance and ran to the building. The elevator was taking too long, so he raced up the stairs two at a time. Breathing with difficulty, he climbed to the second floor. There, he saw a young man, who seemed to be his age, standing by the OT.
He approached and asked, "Hi, I'm Ayu. Were you the one who called me?"
The man turned and nodded. "Yes, that was me. Your mother is inside the OT now. I filled out the admission form; you need to handle the bill."
Ayu felt a wave of relief mixed with anxiety as he thanked the stranger. "Thanks for your help. Do you know how the accident happened?"
The man shook his head. "I don't. I was out running an errand and found her lying on the road, covered in blood. I checked her pulse and called an ambulance. That's all I know. Now that you're here, I need to go. My mum's waiting for me at home."
As the man turned to leave, he halted near the elevator, slapped his forehead, and walked back. "I almost forgot—here's your mum's phone. I found it on her when I brought her in. She had several missed calls from someone named 'Shalini Madam.'"
Ayu took the phone, noticing eight or nine missed calls from his mother's employer, Shalini Singh. He realised it was important, so he rushed to dial back. But the call didn't connect—her phone was off. Frustrated, he pocketed the device and searched for a charger as the door to the OT opened.
A doctor emerged, removing his gloves, and Ayu rushed to him. "Doctor! How is my mum? Is she okay? Is there a serious problem?"
The doctor, taken aback by Ayu's dishevelled appearance, hesitated. His messy hair, ripped shirt with missing buttons, dirty face, and weary eyes made him seem out of place. Finally composing himself, the doctor said, "She's stable now and out of danger. She lost a lot of blood and fainted. But, she should regain consciousness soon. Once she wakes up, we'll run further tests. For now, we'll clean her wounds, bandage her, and transfer her to a normal ward. You can see her there."
A nurse with the doctor handed Ayu a prescription and added, "Please pay the bill at reception. They'll also provide you with the necessary medications."
Ayu nodded, his voice so quiet that it resembled a whisper as he expressed his gratitude. He sat on a bench outside the OT. He looked at the prescription in his hand and waited to see his mother again.
Ayu waited in the hospital corridor, which was lit softly. Time dragged on, making each minute feel endless. Anxiety pressed down on him. His mother, Rekha, was still unconscious and hadn't yet been transferred to a normal ward. The uncertainty gnawed at him. Unable to remain still, Ayu began pacing the corridor, his mind racing with worry.
After a while, the soft ding of the elevator caught his attention. A nurse stepped out, scanning the area before her gaze landed on him. "Sir, are you Ayu Singh?" she asked, her tone calm yet decisive.
"Yes, that's me," Ayu replied, stepping forward with urgency.
"We've moved your mother to the normal ward. You can see her now," the nurse informed him.
Ayu felt relief wash over him, and he took her hand firmly. "Thank you! Which ward? Please, tell me!"
The nurse, surprised by his intensity but collecting herself, responded, "Ward number 13, bed 2, on the ground floor. All tests will also be conducted there once she regains consciousness."
Ayu nodded quickly and followed the nurse to the elevator. She hardly noticed the directions to the ward. Once they reached the ground floor, he thanked her and hurried to ward 13. On bed number 2, he found his mother lying still. Her head and hands were wrapped in bandages. He could see faint traces of blood under the gauze.
Ayu approached and sank into the chair beside her bed, his fingers gently clasping hers. Seeing her like this shattered something inside him. Tears filled his eyes as he whispered, "Mom…"
His mind churned with unanswered questions. Why had Maa gone to the haveli so late at night? She never did that before. And why alone? Shalini Madam or Thakur Sahab always sent the car for her. His thoughts spiralled, abruptly interrupted by a sudden memory—Shalini Madam had called earlier. What did she want?
Lost in his contemplation, Ayu rested his head on his mother's hand and eventually drifted off to sleep. A soft, pained sound jolted him awake moments later. He sat upright to find Rekha looking at him with a weak smile, her lips twitching as if to reassure him.
"Mom! You're awake!" Ayu exclaimed, his relief overflowing. The voice directed him confidently. "Come directly to the second floor, outside the OT (Operation Theater). Don't worry. I'll wait for you there."
With that, Ayu quickly informed a coworker, grabbed his cycle, and pedalled furiously towards the hospital, the cold night wind failing to calm his racing thoughts.
---
Upon arriving at the hospital, Ayu abandoned his cycle near the entrance and sprinted towards the building. The elevator was taking too long, so he raced up the stairs two at a time. Breathing heavily, he reached the second floor and spotted a young man, likely his age, standing near the OT.
He approached confidently and asked, "Hi, I'm Ayu. Were you the one who called me?"
The man turned and nodded. "Yes, that was me. Your mother is inside the OT now. I filled out the admission form; you just need to handle the bill."
Ayu felt a wave of relief mixed with anxiety as he thanked the stranger. "Thanks for your help. Do you know how the accident happened?"
The man shook his head. "I don't. I was out running an errand and found her lying on the road, covered in blood. I checked her pulse and called an ambulance immediately. That's all I know. Now that you're here, I need to go. My mom's waiting for me at home."
As the man turned to leave, he suddenly stopped near the elevator, slapped his forehead, and walked back. "I almost forgot—here's your mom's phone. I found it on her when I brought her in. She had several missed calls from someone named 'Shalini Madam.'"
Ayu took the phone, noticing eight or nine missed calls from his mother's employer, Shalini Singh. Realizing it must be important, he quickly dialled back, but the call didn't go through—her phone was switched off. Frustrated, he pocketed the device and searched for a charger just as the door to the OT opened.
A doctor emerged, removing his gloves, and Ayu rushed to him. "Doctor! How is my mom? Is she okay? Is there a serious problem?"
The doctor, taken aback by Ayu's dishevelled appearance, hesitated. His unkempt hair, torn shirt with missing buttons, dirt-streaked face, and tired eyes made him look out of place. Finally composing himself, the doctor said, "She's stable now and out of danger. She lost a significant amount of blood, which caused her to faint, but she'll regain consciousness soon. Once she wakes up, we'll run further tests. For now, we'll clean her wounds, bandage her, and transfer her to a normal ward. You can see her there."
A nurse with the doctor handed Ayu a prescription and added, "Please pay the bill at reception. They'll also provide you with the necessary medications."
Ayu nodded, his voice barely above a whisper as he expressed his gratitude. He sat on a bench outside the OT, staring at the prescription in his hand, waiting for the moment he could see his mother again.
Ayu sat in the dimly lit hospital corridor, each passing minute feeling like an eternity. Anxiety weighed on him heavily; his mother, Rekha, still hadn't regained consciousness and hadn't yet been moved to a normal ward. The uncertainty gnawed at him. Unable to remain still, Ayu began pacing the corridor, his mind racing with worry.
After a while, the soft ding of the elevator caught his attention. A nurse stepped out, scanning the area before her gaze landed on him. "Sir, are you Ayu Singh?" she asked, her tone calm yet decisive.
"Yes, that's me," Ayu replied, stepping forward with urgency.
"We've moved your mother to the normal ward. You can see her now," the nurse informed him.
Ayu felt relief wash over him, and he took her hand firmly. "Thank you! Which ward? Please, tell me!"
The nurse, surprised by his intensity but collecting herself, responded, "Ward number 13, bed 2, on the ground floor. All tests will also be conducted there once she regains consciousness."
Nodding quickly, Ayu followed the nurse to the elevator, barely registering her directions to the ward. Once they reached the ground floor, he thanked her and hurried to ward 13. There, on bed number 2, he found his mother lying motionless, her head wrapped in a bandage, her hands similarly covered, with faint traces of blood visible beneath the gauze.
Ayu approached and sank into the chair beside her bed, his fingers gently clasping hers. Seeing her like this shattered something inside him. Tears filled his eyes as he whispered, "Mom…"
His mind churned with unanswered questions. Why had Maa gone to the haveli so late at night? She never did that before. And why alone? Shalini Madam or Thakur Sahab always sent the car for her. His thoughts spiralled, abruptly interrupted by a sudden memory—Shalini Madam had called earlier. What did she want?
Lost in his contemplation, Ayu rested his head on his mother's hand and eventually drifted off to sleep. A soft, pained sound jolted him awake moments later. He sat upright to find Rekha looking at him with a weak smile, her lips twitching as if to reassure him.
"Mom! You're awake!" Ayu exclaimed, his relief overflowing.
Rekha tried to move her hand to touch his head, but a sharp pain made her wince. "I'm fine, Son. It's just the pain," she reassured him, her voice faint but steady. "Where am I? I was heading to the haveli… How did I end up here?"
A chill ran down Ayu's spine at her words. "Mom, you don't remember?" he asked, panic creeping into his voice. Without waiting for a reply, he called for the nurse. She arrived quickly, her brow furrowing with concern as she looked at Rekha.
"Sir, is there a problem?" the nurse asked, noting the tension in Ayu's voice as he explained everything.
The nurse smiled gently. "Don't worry, sir. She's in shock from the accident and has lost some blood. It's normal for her to be a little disoriented. Once the glucose takes effect and her strength returns, she should regain her memory. We'll conduct some tests after that."
Ayu sighed in relief, thanking the nurse before turning back to his mother. They talked for a while until Rekha yawned, her fatigue evident. "Ayu, I'm feeling sleepy. Let me rest for a bit," she said softly.
"Ok, Mom, you rest. I'll go pay the bill and get some food for you," Ayu replied. He stayed by her side until she fell asleep, then informed the nurse and headed toward the reception.
As he approached the reception desk, a strange sense of familiarity swept over him. The hospital—the corridors, the sterile smell—it all felt hauntingly familiar. His chest tightened, and memories of his past life surfaced like fragments of a dream.
This wasn't just any hospital; it was that hospital. The place where his life had ended in his previous incarnation. Ayu froze in his tracks, the realization hitting him like a tidal wave. In his past life, he had been an orphan who spent his childhood battling illness. His frail body hadn't survived, and he had taken his last breath here, in this very hospital.
A voice broke his reverie. "Sir, how can I help you?" the receptionist asked politely.
Snapping back to the present, Ayu handed her the prescription. "My mother's treatment—her name is Rekha Singh," he explained.
The receptionist checked the records and informed him that his bill totalled three lakhs, with an immediate deposit of 1.5 lakhs required. Ayu's heart sank. He only had 10,000 rupees with him. Handing over the cash, he pleaded, "Please take this for now. I'll arrange the rest by morning."
Moved by his desperation, the receptionist nodded. "Alright, but please ensure the balance is paid by tomorrow afternoon."
Thanking her profusely, Ayu took the prescription slip to the pharmacy and collected the medicines. Returning to his mother's ward, he sat by her side, watching her sleep peacefully.
But peace eluded him. His mind swirled with questions. Why this hospital? Is it a mere coincidence, or is there a connection? If Maa is on bed 2 now, was she on the adjacent bed in my past life? Or… is this all happening because of me?
The weight of his thoughts overwhelmed Ayu as he buried his face in his hands. The stress of arranging money was tightening its grip on him. Rekha's account had barely 65,000 rupees—where would he get the rest? As these thoughts consumed him, a strange, soft ding echoed in his mind, pulling him out of his spiral. He looked up sharply, startled to see a semi-transparent screen floating before his eyes, displaying a cryptic message:
[SYSTEM IS BEING UPLOADED: 0%... 2%... 10%... 23%... 39%...]
Ayu blinked, stunned, unsure of what he was seeing. His foot accidentally knocked over the IV stand, creating a loud clatter. The nurse glanced at him, and he quickly offered an embarrassed smile. "Sorry," he mumbled, fixing the stand before slumping back into his chair. His gaze returned to the screen, cautiously checking if anyone else was looking. The eerie, surreal sight seemed straight out of a sci-fi movie.
The screen flickered before displaying:
[SYSTEM UPLOADING - 89%...95%...99%...100%]
As soon as the progress bar hit 100%, the screen vanished into thin air. Ayu blinked, disoriented when a cold, mechanical voice echoed around him:
"Task and Reward System is uploaded successfully."
"First task issued."
The words hit Ayu like a punch to the gut, and before he could process them, the voice continued with chilling precision:
"Task completion reward: Five lakh rupees, which will be directly deposited into your mother's account."
Then came the final lines that froze him in place:
"Task - Collect three lakh rupees and pay the full hospital bill before 8 a.m.
"Note - Do not withdraw a single penny from your mother's account. Otherwise, the task will be considered as failed."