C44 A Day of Strange Thoughts

By the time Aisha was discharged, the sun had already climbed high above the hills. The village roads looked brighter now, the usual chatter of shopkeepers and villagers filling the morning air.

Arjun drove slowly toward the clinic while Aisha sat beside him, arms folded and face still slightly pale from the morning’s events.

“You should go home and rest,” he said as they approached the small white clinic building.

“I already rested,” she replied stubbornly.

“You fainted.”

“That was yesterday.”

“It was this morning.”

She ignored him and opened the jeep door the moment he parked.

“Doctor Aisha,” he said calmly before she stepped out.

She paused and looked back at him.

“I have some work today.”

Her eyebrows lifted.

“Work?”

“Yeah,” he replied casually. “Something I need to check.”

“You’re leaving?”

“I’ll drop you here and pick you up later.”

Aisha looked slightly surprised. Just a few hours ago he had refused to leave her hospital bed even for a few minutes.

Now he was suddenly busy.

“Fine,” she said lightly.

But something about it felt… strange.

She stepped out of the jeep and walked toward the clinic entrance while Arjun drove away.

Inside, the clinic was quiet.

Only a few patients sat waiting while the interns moved around lazily. Aisha checked a couple of cases, signed some reports, and gave instructions, but her mind kept wandering.

She leaned against the desk absentmindedly while one of the interns spoke about a patient’s medication.

Where did he go?

The thought appeared without warning.

She immediately shook her head.

Why do I care?

He had said he had work.

Normal.

Completely normal.

Still… the thought refused to leave her mind.

She began imagining ridiculous possibilities.

Maybe he has some secret girlfriend in the village.

She frowned.

Or worse… a wife somewhere.

Her mind spiraled further.

What if he has a side chick?

The thought made her pause mid-writing.

Then she blinked.

“Wait.”

She straightened.

Why would that even matter?

She wasn’t his girlfriend.

They weren’t anything.

Still…

There was a strange heaviness in her chest that she couldn’t quite explain.

She shook the thought away and focused on work again.

—

Meanwhile, Arjun was nowhere near the clinic.

He had parked his jeep two streets away from the hospital compound, watching carefully from a distance.

The black SUV was still there.

The same men moved around it casually, but Arjun could see the patterns now.

People came.

People left.

Money exchanged hands quickly.

And those long metal cases kept appearing and disappearing between vehicles.

Arjun leaned against a tea stall, pretending to check his phone while quietly observing everything.

Definitely not normal.

He waited.

Watched.

Tried to follow one of the men when he left the compound carrying a case.

But halfway down the road the man suddenly stopped.

Slowly turned around.

Their eyes met.

For a brief second the man’s expression hardened.

Another man appeared behind him.

Arjun immediately realized what had happened.

They spotted me.

The two men exchanged a quick glance.

Within seconds they changed direction, disappearing into a narrow alley between buildings.

By the time Arjun reached the corner—

They were gone.

Completely vanished.

He stood there for a moment scanning the area.

Empty street.

No sign of them.

His jaw tightened slightly.

Now I’m sure.

Something illegal was happening.

And whoever those men were, they didn’t want to be watched.

Arjun exhaled slowly and rubbed the back of his neck.

For now there was nothing more he could do.

So he turned around and headed home.

—

The evening sky had turned orange by the time Arjun parked his jeep outside the house.

Before he even stepped out of the car—

He heard music.

Loud music.

Very loud music.

So loud he was sure the neighbors could hear it.

He frowned slightly and walked upstairs.

The moment he opened the door—

He froze.

Aisha was dancing in the middle of the room.

Music blasted from her phone on the table while she spun around barefoot, her hair loose, completely lost in the rhythm.

She was laughing.

Actually laughing.

Carefree.

Alive.

Arjun leaned quietly against the doorframe.

Just hours ago she had been lying unconscious in a hospital bed.

And now she was dancing like the entire world belonged to her.

For a moment he simply watched.

A small smile slowly appeared on his face.

It took Aisha a full minute before she noticed him.

She stopped mid-spin.

Her eyes widened.

“Oh my god!”

She rushed to turn off the music, her face instantly turning red.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough,” Arjun replied calmly.

She looked mortified.

“You should knock!”

“You left the door open.”

She crossed her arms, trying to recover some dignity.

“So where were you the whole day?”

Arjun shrugged casually.

“Work.”

“What work?”

“Just work.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“That’s not an answer.”

He walked inside and dropped his keys on the table.

“It’s the only one you’re getting.”

She stared at him suspiciously.

“You’re being very mysterious.”

“Am I?”

“Yes.”

She studied his face for another moment before saying casually,

“Must have been visiting your side chick.”

She gave him a sideways glance.

Arjun blinked once.

Then suddenly burst out laughing.

“Work side chick?”

He chuckled again, shaking his head.

“Yeah… we can say that.”

In his mind the image of those suspicious men flashed briefly.

A very annoying side chick.

Aisha stared at him.

“Why are you laughing?”

He wiped the corner of his eye.

“You’re unbelievable.”

She frowned, now annoyed.

“You know what? Forget it.”

She grabbed a pillow dramatically and turned away from him.

“I’m going to sleep.”

Arjun followed behind her.

“Wait.”

“No.”

“You’re mad now?”

“Yes.”

“Because of the imaginary side chick?”

“Goodnight, Arjun.”

He chuckled softly.

“Jealous?”

“I’m not jealous!”

She turned her back to him and pulled the blanket over herself.

He kept teasing her for a while, quietly coaxing her into conversation again, but she stubbornly refused to respond.

Eventually the room fell silent.

—

Late at night the moonlight filtered softly through the window.

Aisha shifted in her sleep.

Without realizing it, she slowly rolled closer.

Her head landed against Arjun’s arm.

His bicep.

She slept peacefully there.

Arjun had actually woken up earlier when she moved. He had been quietly trying to slide his hand under her head to make her more comfortable.

But before he could—

Her eyes fluttered open slightly.

For a second she realized where she was.

Her head resting on his arm.

Her body very close to his.

Her eyes widened in shock.

She quickly pushed herself away and rolled back to her side of the bed.

Then pulled the blanket up like nothing had happened.

Arjun kept his eyes closed.

Pretending to sleep.

A small amused smile slowly formed on his lips in the darkness.