Chapter 4

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" I just got the mail from the professor , he called us for an important meeting tommorow.", Pihu spoke to distract Riddhima from her thoughts.

Riddhima stood up and closed the door and as they settled for the night.

The next day they went to the college , a little before the usual time, they both settled in the class and watched the students pouring in. After a few minutes the professor too came, he kept a file on the table and looked at the students.

"Good morning class , an important assignment for you all , last time we had posted you to different location for the case studies but now you have to that yourself....

You will find a patient who is in need of help and help them out of it......."

The students looked stressed.

" Don't worry much it's just an assignment but just with a more adventure, a real patient.

You can take help from the hospital too , either you can go to patient ward and select your patients and or you can find the patients anywhere out too. It's up to you ,we just need the assignment completed once you return from your winter vacations......." The professor smiled .

" So here you go ... take off for your winter vacations and please study also ........" .

The class ended and the professor walked out.

There was a broad smile on the faces of students as they walked out of the hall.

"Winter vacation with one more assignment what type of winter vacation is this."

Pihu exclaimed .

Riddhima held her drama queen and they walked out of the hall.

Walking down the road Riddhima looked at Pihu , so saddened by the assignment, not to blame in a 3 weeks of vacation too poor soul has to complete a assignment.

"It's good no ,we can investigate real patients ,we can treat them as well , our winter vacation won't go waste we can do something different."

Riddhima spoke.

"Yes ,yes very different I can see.", Pihu looked away from the nerd leader .

Both of them walked down the road , it was about 4 o'clock in the evening.

As they walked past the tea stall , they noticed that the man was sitting quietly at the stall with a cup in his hands as usual. A smile crypt on Riddhima's face as she noticed he was wearing the overcoat she lent him yesterday.

"Hey that's the same coat ", Pihu exclaimed .

She looked at Riddhima and then her smile.

"So he is the Mister. Unknown......" She said mischievously.

Riddhima held Pihu's hand as she walked in his direction.

"Come-on .......", Pihu loosened Riddhima's grip and approched him.

Riddhima silly try went silly in the silliness of the most silly creature ever , ok, Pihu.

Slowly she got seated in front of him , Riddhima quietly stood there, Pihu held her hand and forced her to sit.

"Hello Mr unknown.." Pihu smiled.

The man looked up from a deep thinking and looked at both of them. He turned his head away.

"Hello excuse me I am talking to you....." Pihu waved a hand.

He again looked up at her and then at Riddhima.

"So are you new here...".

The man was in no mood to reply. Pihu looked at Riddhima with a weird expression , and before she could utter some more of her " important talks" , Riddhima looked at her to stop.

"Whatever......." Pihu shifted her eyes from Riddhima to the man.

"you must take care of your health, this is Shimla not some not some desert that you won't feel anything ...... It's 1 degree, you must wear your clothes properly...................." her eyes felt on his wounds .

"..... And what is this you got so much hurt why don't you visit a doctor."

The man stood up from the bench . He banged the cup on the table and walked away.

"Is he deaf or was he ignoring me...." Pihu raised an eyebrow.

"Ignoring....." Riddhima spoke as the man disappeared.

Experience speaks.

Riddhima looked at Pihu.

"You are you talking to him like  he is your long lost friend, he is an unknown person......".

" Great he was not unknown when you gifted him that  expensive court and now he is unknown..... Logic ......"

"Let it be let's go home no need of drinking tea ,I will give you coffee at home only." Riddhima said in a sad tone and walked off.

Pihu followed her to the home as she opened the door and settled in. They got seated at the fireplace with a  coffee in there hands while snowfall started outside.

"I think the man is certainly not well..." Riddhima said .

"Hmm ...."

Pihu paused for a minute, " I think he mad.... ." Pihu said in the most serious tone she could ever.

"I am serious..." Riddhima winced.

"I am also serious." Pihu looked at Riddhima who looked at her in disinterest.

When will people start taking her seriously.

After the reality check , Pihu quietly sipped her coffee when suddenly an idea crossed her mind.

"Riddhi...."

"What?"

"He is suffering from some mental disorder..."

Riddhima looked at her.

"no man I'm serious ,if he is suffering from a mental disorder he can be out case study ...".

Riddhima looked at Pihu for few seconds.

"come on we don't even know him and what is case study of him , if he is suffering then we must take care of him not use him for our assignments." Riddhima shooked off the thoughts.

" You are not understanding my point................................. if he is suffering from something ,we can help him and in that way we can also complete our asssignment."

Pihu eye sparkeled at the idea.

Riddhima knew the idea sounded a little greedy but it was not at all bad , if that man is actually suffering they can help him out and in this way they can save a life in name of an assignment.

"But why will that man even get ready to talk to us , you saw today how he walked away."

"We will find them.....".

" Is this a good idea...." Riddhima asked and Pihu sipped her coffee ignoring her unsure vibes.

Riddhima is so unsure she will be unsure before her marriage also..... Pihu shrugged off the thoughts supreessing her laughter.

The idea swayed away from pihu's  mind and she retired for the day but Riddhima was still in the thinking of that man only , assignment was no more in her mind but he was everywhere.

He is injured , he is not talking, his walk is clumsy , his eyes dull, don't feel the climate over here, don't talk to anyone and rarely comes out. He is surely not good but then why he is here, where is he living . She can't let someone die. Pihu's idea may be to complete the assignment  but it was more than assignment, it was a matter of life and she won't let it go so easily.

She will at least try ...................at least try to understand why that man is like that. He doesn't look harmful but something is killing him and  she has to knew it.

She laid on the bed and covered her self with the blanket in the thinking of the unknown ................who was suddenly so known to her.

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