2

                                    

                                          
Mumbai


 
•
She woke up in the middle of the night to leave for home. She could barely see when she drove since she consumed a lot of alcohol. Nonetheless, she arrived and went straight to her room.
The next morning, the rays of light that entered through the window illuminated her face, and as she groaned after opening her eyes, she saw the clock on the wall reading 10:58. She looked for her phone on the bed and saw her purse which she had thrown last night on the floor. To get it, she got up to check what could be going on in the hospital since her father was coming for inspection in her phone. 
She met twenty-five missed calls that started from eight o'clock, definitely the time he arrived, downwards to twenty minutes ago, and then text messages from her colleague and friend who was the nurse at the hospital that informed her about yesterday's surgery, Sonam asking her to leave everything she was doing and reach the hospital.
"Only God can save me from his anger today. I hope he doesn't realise that throughout this week, my attendance was signed by Sonam and not me because I always appeared late and left early." She blabbered under the shower, which wasted thirty minutes of her time despite her efforts to make it quick. She was looking very scattered when she left her room after puking out her last night's drink, and after she went downstairs, she saw Lakshmi, her mother's sister, whom she considers a second mother.
"Your father called me earlier to inquire about your whereabouts. I told him you were at work when I saw you were still sleeping. Did he talk to you?"
"He is in town at the hospital. He called to find out whether I was still home. You confirmed it for him. I'm dead now." She left in a hurry for her car and drove with an empty stomach. When she arrived there, it was 11:54, almost afternoon. She entered, and the first thing she searched for was the register book to check if her name was entered or not.
"Poonam,"
Her body got shaken naturally and she turned to her friend who called her, who was looking disturbed.
"Dr. Kapoor isn't in a good mood. He found out everything that I sign on your behalf because he took out time today and watched the whole CCTV footage. He got angry you didn't show up when your working hours begin at 8:00. He also found out about yesterday's patient who died along with your argument with the other doctor."
"Don't tell me more." She found a place and sat at the reception. "Has he left?" She hoped he did because she was scared of confronting him now.
"He asked me to summon you immediately you arrive. He's at his office."
"Shraddha? Is she there too?" For the first time, she wanted her to be because only she could prevent and save her from her father's anger.
"She is."
"Do you think he's watching us now? I came from the temple and barely made it here because of traffic."
"He's waiting for you." She smiled and left her there while she breathed in and out in an attempt to muster courage to meet her own father, who had now turned himself into nothing more than her boss. When it comes to work, he keeps his relations aside.
She went before the door to his office, which was shut, and knocked on it quietly after all, she could explain everything she did because she never does something without knowing how to cover it up. 
"Come in!" his voice renounced from inside.
She puffed out a breath on her hand to sniff if the smell of alcohol was still in it, as that would make him angrier since he doesn't know she still drinks.