Chapter Nine

Aeleya sat on her bed, a little lost. It had been over ten hours since Aarush left, yet she hadn't even spoken to him. She learned that his flight was a straight route, meaning he was going to be in the air for more than five or six more hours.

"Aeleya bhabi, I brought you some food." She heard Hazim's voice. Sighed a little, she got up and walked to the door. Opening it up, she saw Hazim holding a large tray of food. He had a smile on his face. It was a bright smile, similar to someone being released for a crime they were framed for.

"Come in. I'm not too hungry, so you can eat instead." She spoke in a dull tone, sitting on a small sofa in the corner of the room.

Seeing her act like this, Hazim sighed. "Aeleya bhabi, can't you eat a little? What will Aaru bhai say if he sees you much skinnier than before? He might feel a little worried, right?"

Hearing his words, Aeleya got up from the sofa and started to eat the food without hesitation. The last thing she wanted to do was worry Aarush any more.

"Slowly. Don't eat so fast." He smiled bitterly. He truly felt at peace around Aeleya, as if she was a sister he had lost years ago. His mother died when he was young, so it was only him and his dad. Everyone started to loathe him and avoid him after the incident with Sara, so after such a long time, he finally found someone to talk to.

She nodded her head and slowed down. Eating a bit did make her feel a little better, yet she still felt lost.

"Aeleya bhabi, since you're feeling down, why don't we watch some family videos? My dad has dada's old cassettes, which have childhood videos of Aarush and the rest of us. Do you want to watch it?" He asked. After all, if she missed Aarush, why not watch his childhood? It was pretty close.

"You have his childhood videos?" She asked with a bit of excitement.

"Of course. My dada didn't have much of a hobby, but he loved to make videos of when we were all children. There are also videos of Aarush before your marriage which Ayun uncle would send to dada. The various trips Aarush went on, the things he did, and so much more. These videos are enough to last you a few days." The more he spoke, the greater her excitement got.

"Let's go and watch some. I want to watch it from the very beginning." She got up and smiled brightly.

"Wait, first finish your food. Aaru bhai will get mad at me if you don't eat properly while he's gone. So slowly eat, while I go and ask dad to set it up." He got up and left with a smile. Aeleya sat down and began to eat quickly. She felt a new excitement fill her.

'Aarush as a baby? As a kid? Wow.' She felt so excited just thinking about this. As she was finishing her food, she heard a knock from her door. "Hazim, you can come in." The door opened and the person who appeared was Tari. She looked around the room, then at Aarush. She then glared at her with a smirk.

"So, Aaru is gone and you're now hitting on his younger cousin?" She walked in, but her words completely ruined Aeleya's mood.

"What do you mean by that? Do you have any idea what you're saying?" She got up and glared back. "Are you really still not over Aarush? Get over it, he doesn't like you and never will. He loves me more than his own life, and I love him the same way back. You're just trying to butt into something that you have no business butting into."

"Whatever, once Aarush finds out you're being so close to Hazim even though he warned you not to, I wonder what he will think?" She showed a look of curiosity, yet it was filled with evil intent.

"Do what you want. You know what? Call Aarush right now, let's see what he thinks. Please, go right ahead?" Aeleya smiled and said with a sarcastic tone. "I'm waiting."

"Don't bluff, I will tell him. Let's see if that smile stays." She said with a glare.

"Tari, what the hell are you doing here?" Suddenly, A deep voice came from behind. Tari turned around and saw Hazim, somewhat turning pale.

"Hazim, don't get any funny ideas. Everyone is here right now, if you do anything, then you will get beat by everybody." She said with a malicious look.

"Me? You think I'm scared of anyone other than Aaru bhai and dad? Don't forget, this is my house, not yours. Also, who the hell are you to say anything? With a single word from me, I can have Aaru bhai kick you out of this place permanently. Don't forget that." Hazim glared a little, not feeling scared by her. Even in normal days, Aarush would have his back, and now that Aarush knew what really happened, that was even more likely. "Tari, you may have been engaged to Aaru bhai at one point in your life, but don't forget, Aaru bhai had been fighting against the marriage ever since it became a thing. His parents didn't like you especially from the rest, they just wanted someone to look after Maazi and Maya in the future. Even Sara was sent a rishta, so just know that you aren't someone special. Aaru bhai has never, and will never like you nor any of our cousins the way he likes Aeleya. I know this and so does dad. Also, don't do anything that would make Aaru bhai mad, he has already warned me that if anything happens to Aeleya, whether it's one of his cousins saying it, or even his elders, he won't spare them." Hazim threatened in a low voice.

"Watch your tongue Hazim. What are you worth here? This is Aarush's house, not yours. Since he is my cousin as well, I can stay here if I want…" Just as she was about to say more, she saw a small smirk appear on Hazims face. "What?"

"You're kind of dumb." He said while walking into the house. "The truth is, this was dada's house at one point, and then Aaru bhai took it for himself after becoming a doctor. This is something everyone in our family knows, but there is one thing that you and many others don't know. Aaru bhai didn't completely take the house under his name, he actually split it into three owners. Aaru bhai has the main control, but I am the second owner of the house, with Maazi being the last. So yes, this is my house."

"W-what!" She was shocked.

"That's not all. Very soon, the main owner of this house is going to be me, with Aaru bhai only owning one percent of the property. And this is just his last measure, in case something happens. Aaru bhai already decided that this house would belong to me and Maazi, since he is planning on making his own home with Aeleya bhabi. They already bought a plot and everything. Tari, why do you keep chasing behind a guy who isn't looking at you? He has decided on a future with Aeleya bhabi. Also, don't think that Aaru bhai favors any of you. The fact is, Aaru bhai has already made me the owner of many of his private properties. For example, his house in the Defence, that's completely under my name. The pharmacy in his main commercial plot? I own that as well." Hazim smiled and explained. He wasn't lying. Aarush made him the owner of many properties, giving him full rights over it. Although Hazims actions from the past did disgust Aarush, the latter still had a soft spot for him. Hazim grew up without a mother plus he was his chacha's only son, so how could he not care for him?

"A-Aarush can't do that! That's family property, it's supposed to be equally distributed." She spoke with shock and anxiety.

"Who does Aaru bhai need permission from? Your dad? My dad? His own dad? He doesn't need permission from anyone. He bought these properties and he can do whatever he wants with them. Actually, funny thing. I remember him saying that the house he plans on getting for himself and Aeleya bhabi would be under Aeleya bhabhi's name. He also decided that Aeleya bhabi would be the owner of over sixty percent of his properties. Noori is supposed to be left with twenty percent, with the remaining twenty split between me, Maazi, Aliya, Maya, and Zaid bhai."

Tari looked at Aeleya with shock. "S-sixty percent?!"

"You heard me right. If it wasn't for Aaru bhai still caring about the rest of us, he would have probably left everything to Noori and Aeleya bhabi. Maybe, he might have only left everything to Aeleya, since Noori is already from such a wealthy household. Anyways, Aeleya bhabi, let's go. Dad already brought everything out." He smiled at Aeleya, leading her out of the room. Aeleya was also a little shocked by the news. She didn't know how much property Aarush owned, but she heard it was a lot. Just his salary as a doctor allowed him to reach the top one percent in various states of America. He also had a huge savings account which had been collecting his salary as a professor and even his book money for various years. Only he knew how much was in there.

'I own sixty percent? When did this happen?' She was curious as she never heard of such a thing.

She followed Hazim, who had a bright smile on his face. He looked more refreshed, as if a huge load was taken off his shoulder. "Aeleya bhabi, if Tari ever bugs you, just tell me. I'll deal with her."

"That's fine, also what is this thing you were telling her? Is it true?" She was still very curious.

"Of course, it is. Aaru bhai has already finalized this with his lawyer. Dara and his three friends were witnesses." Hazim knew Dara and the rest as he met them a few times when they came to get some work done on behalf of Aarush.

"Why didn't he tell me? Also, the new house is going to be under my name?" Hazim laughed a little, seeing her like this.

"You know, most of this was completed before you guys arrived in Karachi. Also, I knew he liked you when he gave so much to you, but only when he was leaving did I see how protective he is of you. Like, he literally told me to inform the officers nearby that if anyone even touched you, they should be sent to jail and tortured." He shook his head. "Aaru bhai is really too much. Still, it's great knowing he has you to accompany him." Hazim smiled sweetly.

Aeleya smiled back at him, feeling warmth in her heart. 'Aarush, how much more have you kept secret from me?'

She soon entered a small room, with a tiny takat. She saw Aarush's chacha laying on top of it, while a big tv, one bigger than any she had ever seen, showed a static screen. "Hazim, the first one is already inside, hurry and play it. Aeleya, sit over her, I'll tell you who is who." He pointed at a comfy sofa, which she happily on.

The video soon played. It was dull, yet the colors were still present. There was a date on the bottom right, while a few flashes of grey would appear on the screen.

"So, this is a video of when Aliya was born in Queens. Ayun bhai loved to record these things, so the camera man is of course him. In our family, Aliya was the first child, so my dad loved her the most. After all, she was his first grandchild." The screen showed a woman, her face similar to Aarush's mom, yet a lot younger, laying on a bed with a baby in her arms. "Funny thing is, Aliya was born with a tiny birthmark on her left foot, but it disappeared as she grew older." Hazim's dad explained everything in the video, from who was who and what was going on. After that video ended, Hazim quickly put in the next one. It showed Aliya, a bit older, but they were back in the hospital.

"Is that Aarush?" She asked with excitement.

"Yup. Aarush was the first boy in our family. Ayun bhai was so excited that day that he took out all the money he had on him and gave it to the nurse that brought Aarush to him. He danced with excitement that day." Chacha laughed while talking about it, as if it happened yesterday. "Something else that was very funny. Aarush was born very dark. Like, for the first month, he was very dark, so dark we thought that he wasn't even our child." Hazim laughed hard at this. "Well, a month after, his skin went to a very light color. Did you know that out of all of the babies in our family, the chubbiest and cutest was Aarush? Like, he was so cute and chubby, a modelling agency contacted Ayun bhai, wanting Aarush to model for a few diaper commercials. Of course, Ayun bhai agreed. They were able to get a few pictures, but Aarush was such a crybaby that bhabi decided not to go with it. Still, his photos were all over Times Square for a few days." Aeleya listened carefully.

He went on and explained many more interesting events. The videos kept ending and new ones would start. There were some in Pakistan as well, unrelated to Aarush, yet still funny and interesting. Somewhere in America with different places. The sky was darkening quickly and chacha had already fallen asleep. Hazim was laying on his legs, yet Aeleya was entranced.

Suddenly, a new video popped up. It was a young boy dressed in all black. He looked very handsome, especially with his hair in a neat mess. He was standing on top of a stage, lightly tapping his shoes. He then began to sing.

"I-is that Aarush? He sings?" She heard the voice and could tell that, although it was nervous, the vocals were very nice. After the song was done, she couldn't help but play it on again. After listening to it a few times, she continued watching. Another clip popped up, this time it was inside a hospital. Laying on a bed was a young boy. He looked extremely similar to Aarush, just a bit younger and more immature. "A-Aarush?" He was laying on a bed, with a few needles inside of him. His body looked thin, and he looked extremely weak.

"Aaru, tell dada what happened to you." The cameraman, namely Ayun uncle, asked the question.

"I got acute pancreatitis. Something happened to my pancreas during ramadan." The young Aarush spoke with a bitter smile.

"Tell dada what the doctors said." Ayun uncle spoke again.

With a sigh, Aarush continued. "The doctors said, the pain level is supposedly equivalent to getting shot by a bullet. They said if I continue to be in pain, then they might have to scan my body using a machine which might give me cancer in the future."

"That's right. While we were in Pakistan, Aaru decided to not tell anyone he was in pain for a month. When we came back, he fell onto the ground and finally fainted. What a stupid son." With that the video changed into a new one, but Aeleya paused.

"Aarush went through that as well? He never told me about this." She played the video and continued watching. This time, it showed a somewhat older Aarush. He had a small beard, and he was wearing a uniform of sorts.

"Where are you going Aarush? Tell dada." This time it was Aarush's mother speaking.

"It's my first day of working at a fast food place. Well, hopefully I don't screw up." His speech was causal, yet he seemed slightly annoyed.

The video continued and this time Aarush was in the hospital again. There was blood all over his hands.

"Tell the camera what happened Aarush." It was Aliya's voice this time, although slightly younger.

"Relax, I just cut my hand. Nothing crazy. Why are all of you overreacting? It doesn't even hurt." Aarush spoke in irritation, yet his pale face betrayed his words.

The video continued. Various scenes popped up. Aarush got older and older. Some scenes were funny, others painful. Finally, a loud video came up.

Aarush was wearing a doctors cloak, yet his face didn't show a smile.

"Aarush, tell dada the good news!" It was his father's voice.

Aarush sighed visibly in the camera. "Dada, I got into med school. I'm finally one step closer to becoming a doctor, just like everyone wants."

Aeleya watched this scene with her heart clenched. "Aarush, what do you mean everyone? Aren't you happy as well?"

Watching closely, she saw that Aarush shook his head slightly, but a painful smile appeared on his face. "Of course, I'm happy. I'm finally one step closer to achieving my dream." She sighed watching this.

The video moved forward once again. This time, Aarush was in the kitchen, making some food. "Aarush, what are you doing? Would you mind explaining it to us?"

"Aliya, I'm learning how to cook." A smile played on his face as he cooked with a bit of difficulty.

"Why are you learning how to cook?" She asked. Her voice showed her laughter.

"Well, I don't want my wife cooking for me. I'm going to spoil her like crazy. I will work for her, clean for her, cook for her, I will even bathe her. All my wife has to do is be happy and live stress free." Hearing his words, Aeleya smiled sweetly. He seemed so genuine that she felt a weird sensation in her body.

"So, you plan on doing all of this for your wife? Meaning Tari?" When Aliya said this, Aeleya couldn't help but frown. Aarush, who was in the video, also frowned.

"Aliya, you know I don't like jokes like that. If you make a joke like that again, then you can forget this little runaway game. I will take you back home." He growled at her in the video, and then soon the video changed.

She watched more and more. Not getting tired at all. Morning already arrived, yet she was still going.

"Aarush, your beard is way too messy, you should shave it." The current Aarush looked very similar to how he did now, yet he gave off a much more masculine look. His beard was messy, yet nice to look at. He looked more mature and attractive. Aeleya couldn't help but feel her heart race.

'Why doesn't he keep a beard any more? Maybe I should ask him to grow one out. 'She smiled at the thought. Just thinking about playing with his beard and feeling it on her face as he kissed her made her feel extremely excited.

Soon the videos ended. There were no more cassettes. She looked around, hoping to find another, but sadly there was no more. She felt lost. Watching all of the videos made her feel like she had seen Aarush grow up. It was a weird feeling, yet she felt a lot more complete.

"Aeleya bhabi? Are you still awake?" Suddenly, Hazim woke up and looked at Aeleya while yawning. He was surprised.

"Oh, umm I was watching the videos. They just ended." She smiled bitterly.

"You're done? Well, Ayun uncle has more back in New York. They should be more Aarush specific. Anyways, why don't you go and sleep for now? It's morning and you haven't slept yet." He got up and smiled at her. His eyes were still narrowed, and he looked tired.

"Yeah, I'm feeling tired. Should I make you guys breakfast first?" She asked, but Hazim rejected.

"That's alright. I know what dad likes and my cooking isn't bad. You go and get rest. Once you wake up, I'll make you something as well." He smiled at her.

Aeleya nodded her head and left the room. Her eyes were red, and she yawned. Walking up the stairs, she entered her empty room. Locking the door, she went over to the bedroom. Picking up her phone, she saw she had three missed calls. Looking at the name, she saw that it was Aarush every time.

"Aarush called?" She felt rejuvenated and quickly face timed him. After a few rings, the call was received.

"Aeleya?" Aarush looked through the phone and saw Aeleya with a disheveled look. "What happened? Why are you looking like such a mess?" His face dropped as his voice turned serious. "Also, why weren't you picking up? Did something happen? Are you alright?"

Hearing his voice, and seeing him be so concerned, she felt her eyes become wet. "I'm fine Aarush. I just stayed up all night, watching your family videos." She explained, while wiping her eyes.

"Hey, why are you crying?" He spoke gently. "Here, since you were up all night, get some rest, alright? I'll hang up for now."

"No!" She panicked when he was about to hang up. Her tears appeared again. "Aarush, I really miss you. Don't cut the call. Just talk with me. I want to hear your voice." She laid on the bed, her lips quivering a little.

"Alright, don't cry. I'm still here." Aarush smiled at her. "Anyways, how were the videos? I don't think I have actually seen them before." He asked with confusion.

"They were great. You were such a cute baby. Plus, who knew that you could sing? Can you still sing?" She asked with curiosity.

"I don't know about how well I'm at singing. I'm assuming you were watching my grade nine performance. Yeah, the class forced me to sing since my voice was deep yet not terrible." he explained with a bitter smile.

"Oh, why don't you grow your beard anymore? You looked so good with one." She spoke with a smile. Her body was covered with a blanket, showing only her face.

"I could grow one out, I just didn't since I thought you might not like it. Do you want me to grow one?" He asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, grow one. When you come back, I want to touch it and I want to rub my face against it." She spoke boldly, not caring about what it sounded like.

"Haha, well if you want me to, then I won't shave for a bit. It won't grow back right away, but it should be somewhat long in a week or so." he said with a smile.

Both of them laughed and spoke about the videos. Aarush felt embarrassed about certain parts and found others funny. Soon, Aeleya felt her eyes become heavy.

"Why don't you go to sleep?" He said, showing a gentle expression

"I will, but I want you to stay on call. Just keep talking. Tell me about your day, I'll fall asleep myself. Maybe sing a little for me. Your voice is very nice." She said with a smile, while her eyes closed.

"Alright, as you wish." He began to sing a small tune. It was slow and calming, although not a lullaby, it was similar. His singing voice couldn't be considered amazing, but it wasn't terrible.

Aeleya smiled as she snuggled with her pillow. Aarush waited a few minutes until she finally fell asleep. "Good night, my pretty wife." He kissed the screen before closing the call.

On his side, he was holding various pages. He was slowly writing and filling different things. He looked tired, yet a smile continued to play on his face.

"After I get these last few pages, the official documents should be ready. The reports about the kid are here too. If I do this, maybe I can save him, but the chances of failure are also not low. I have to find a better method. There must be something to prevent this from turning into a major issue." He sighed and continued to read the reports, whilst filling out a form. On his right, laying on the bed, was a medical book. Occasionally, he would look through it, yet he still scratched his head.

After a long search, which took him more then a few hours, he sighed. "Let's go see how the kid is doing." he got up from his seat. He was within the hospital, in his own office. His whole room was a mess, with papers everywhere. "That James, if he waited a few more months, or atleast a few weeks, the kid's surgery could have gone without a hitch. He could have been normal, but he had to rush. These reports clearly show how dangerous it was to get surgery at that time." He sighed and walked out of the room. He quickly found the kid's room and saw the child's parents sitting beside him. He sighed and walked over.

"Doctor, did you figure anything out? Is there a way to save him?!" The mother noticed him and walked in. Lots of people knew about Aarush and his skills as a doctor. He was renowned, and many hospitals wanted him. He couldn't be considered the best, but he was nearly there.

"Don't worry, the methods are many, I'm just trying to choose the one which is the safest. Also, your son is a lot more stable than before. He looks exhausted because his body is recuperating after the surgery." He explained. It wasn't a lie that he was stable, yet it also wasn't the complete truth. He looked extremely exhausted because the surgery harmed his body rather than helped it. The body was recuperating the damages done to it very slowly, but Aarush knew that such speed wouldn't help the kid.

"Please doctor, you have to do something. He's our child, w-we can't lose him like that." The mother began to wail, looking at her son. Aarush was about to say something, but suddenly the father rushed towards him and grabbed his collar.

"You fuckers caused this! You knew that his body couldn't take it, yet you guys still continued with the surgery! You knew!" With his eyes red, the father roared, landing a punch on Aarush's face.

Falling to the ground, he sighed. Getting up slowly, he nodded his head. "This is completely our fault, so I can understand your anger. I will make sure that your son is alright, the hospital will handle all the fees." Seeing the father still glaring at him, he shook his head. He walked over to the child laying on the bed. He was in an almost coma like state, yet not there completely. His body was very pale, yet he laid on the bed silently. Aarush looked at the monitor and saw that the pulse was only strong enough to keep the child alive, albeit barely. There was an I.V. entering his body, keeping him alive. He was hooked up in a way that he would still receive all the nutrients to keep the body functioning and healing. It was a terrible sight to see, especially for the boy's parents.

Aarush took out a small needle and poked it through the kid's arm, receiving a tiny amount of blood. He called a nurse over. "Go and take this to the lab. I want this to be prioritized, alright? Bring it to my office within thirty minutes." The nurse nodded before running away. This time, Aarush called a young man over. He had dirty blond hair, and a pair of glasses. He stood in a corner with his head lowered. "James, bring me more reports related to him. I want to know about past medical issues. His allergy report, stool report, everything. Send it over. If you have an x-ray scan, then send that over too." Aarush spoke these calmly. He didn't show his anger or anything in front of the family.

James quickly nodded and ran off. "What are you planning on doing with all that information?" The mother asked with a bit of hope.

"Don't worry, everything I do will be told to you guys. I plan on running a few simulations in my office. Once I find the best method, I will bring it over and you guys can decide whether you wish to carry forward with it." The mother nodded her head, yet the father continued to glare. "Sir, I'm extremely sorry about the situation, but right now, to save your son, we all just need to concentrate on him. I will put my best effort, and I just hope you guys can trust in me. I will save your son." He smiled before walking away. The father still glared, not feeling convinced.

"If he isn't able to save my son, I will make sure to tear him apart." He spoke ruthlessly, his eyes turning redder.

Aarush headed back to his office. He pulled out a notebook and began to write a few things down. From the description of his body, to the numbers he saw on the monitor. Using his skills in art, he began to sketch the body of the boy, labeling parts that were a little abnormal. After half an hour, the report on the blood sample arrived. A few minutes after that, James brought everything else.

"James." Before the young man left, Aarush called him over. Feeling a little bit scared, the young man walked over with a bit of hesitation. His head was lowered.

"Dr. Yunus. I'm sorry for causing such a big mess." He spoke again, but Aarush ignored these words.

"Tell me what the condition of the boy looked like when he arrived. What were conditions you remember seeing, yet aren't in the report." He asked, while adding more to the sketch he had. Using the information, he was able to figure out a basic idea of what the condition of the inside of the body was like.

"I'm not sure. He was constantly falling unconscious, which was the main reason the parents brought him in. I thought that maybe he might have a sort of condition, so I went an examined more. When reports came to me, I saw an issue in his brain. It was a black spot. I thought that maybe this was something important, even thinking that it may be a brain tumor of sorts." He spoke, describing everything he saw. "Yet the way the kid was acting didn't show signs of a brain tumor, it felt like something else."

Aarush listened quietly. "When you got the surgery performed, did the surgeon find this supposed black spot?" He asked while a bit of anger began to develop.

"No, the surgeon didn't see it. Well, atleast that's what he said." James said after thinking for a bit.

"The person who led the surgery was a resident, right? He was being supervised by another doctor I assume?" Aarush asked again.

"Yeah, it was a resident, but he didn't lead it. A different doctor did. I think it was Dr. Krit." When Aarush heard this, he picked up his phone and dialled a number.

"Dr. Krit, this is Dr. Yunus speaking." He stopped for a second. "I need you to come to the hospital right away. This is urgent." After that, he shut the phone. Next, he called a new number. "Chairman, can we hold a quick board meeting? It's related to the kid; this information is vital." After listening for a bit, Aarush nodded his head. "I hope you can call any available doctors. I have already called Dr. Krit over, so you just need to contact others. This meeting will be headed by me."

"Dr. Yunus?" James asked with a bit of curiosity. A board meeting was no minor thing. It was usually for important information, especially if it was called so suddenly.

"James, I have found the issue with the patient, but I need to understand something, so this board meeting is necessary." He got up from his seat, bringing all of his work. "James, this time, you made a major mistake, but from what I have gathered, you aren't at complete fault either. Your inexperience led to the start of the surgery, but this surgery could have been stopped in time if some people in this hospital weren't careless."

"What do you mean?" James asked with a bit of shock. This whole time he had been thinking that it was completely his fault, yet now he was told that there was a chance someone else might be more responsible?

"You'll know soon enough. Go and find that resident who also did the surgery, he's needed. You have to come to the board room within fifteen minutes. Things will become a little interesting." A dark look appeared on Aarush's face as he exited his office. On his left was the boardroom, so he quickly entered and began to prepare.

Fifteen minutes passed quickly, and people began to enter the room. Aarush was standing in the front, watching everyone enter. The first person to come in was an old man, someone who looked like he would fall over at any moment. His skin was a bit darker than Aarush's, yet his hair was a lot greyer. This old man was none other than Aarush's mentor, the person who he treated like his own grandfather, the chairman of the hospital. He was the most senior person in the hospital, having been a doctor for more than forty years. His experience was vast, and his skills even slightly higher than Aarush's.

"Aarush? What is the reason behind this meeting? Did another issue pop up?" He asked with a frown. He also treated Aarush like his own grandson, plus Aarush had extremely high skill as a doctor, which was why he was promoting him to become the chief of doctors. The position was vacant, and Aarush had the skill to take it. The only thing he wanted before Aarush was officially promoted was for Aarush to specialize in a surgical path, namely neurosurgery. The hospital had only two neurosurgeons, Dr. Krit, and the chairman himself.

"Don't worry, everything will be revealed soon. Who knows, after this, the hospital might only have you as a neurosurgeon, atleast until I finally get the license for it." He smiled darkly, but this only made the chairman a little shocked. He knew that Aarush wasn't a simple person, he would work in a straightforward manner, getting things done quickly and efficiently, no matter the size of the matter. If it wasn't because the chairman thought Aarush would go much higher then even the chief of doctors, he would have given the chairman title to Aarush right away.

The chairman sat down in the highest position, waiting for everyone else to enter. Fifteen minutes passed and everyone finally took their seats. There were only a total of maybe twenty people in the room. This included the parent's of the child. Their presence was important, as this information wasn't something that could be hidden from them.

Aarush nodded his head and then began. He used a remote to dim the lights. On a screen behind him, he began a small slideshow. "All of you may be wondering why this meeting was called so urgently, well it is related to the young boy who has been admitted to our hospital. With the boy's parent's present, I would like to continue and talk about the issue and the solution." He smiled and began to pace the room. "A week ago, the boy, namely Kenrick Porter, was brought to the hospital in a rush. James, a senior resident, took the lead of this patients issue. From various reports and other information, I gathered throughout the day, the symptoms were as follows…" He changed the slide and showed a few points. "There was vomiting, issues with his vision and hearing, there were weird mood changes, motor problems, and many more as listed on the screen behind me. Right away, it can be diagnosed that there is an issue with Kenrick's brain. He supposedly fainted many times for no good reason, something James said made little sense as the monitors couldn't pick out any abnormalities for the before, after, and ruing of the faints." He moved to the next slide. "Well, James went ahead and did a CT scan of the brain, and also decided to do an MRI. Both of these are dangerous, especially for Kenrick, who was already weak and vulnerable to begin with, James was smart enough not to postpone this even with the danger, since both scans seemed to find an abnormality in the brain." He showed two pictures of a brain on the slides. Both of them are slightly different, yet slightly similar. They had a black spot in the same area.

"That is an initial thought, but without more testing such a thing should not be concluded. James, who doesn't have much experience, decided that the condition the boy was suffering from was caused by this 'tumor', yet as doctors, we know that tumors don't cause the symptoms listed. Plus, Kenrick did not seem to possess any cancerous cells to cause this issue. Sure, there are tumors without the cancer cells, but even that wasn't present. Instead of doing further testing, James went ahead and approved for a brain surgery, which should have been checked by a head doctor beforehand. As I wasn't present, he should have informed the chairman, yet he continued. This is James's fault." He stopped here, looking at everyone in the room, then at James and the parents. The latter were glaring at James, with their eyes red, yet Aarush didn't stop speaking. "Well, his fault was actually not too major. Approving the surgery is one thing, but it's the head surgeons job to also dictate whether the surgery should be carried forward or not. Other types of surgeries may not require this, but we all know that areas such as the brain and heart, require the approval of the surgeon." He went onto the next slide and then came another list. "Well, after the surgery, Kenrick had a few seizures, and eventually fell into a coma like state. It isn't a coma, but it isn't far from it." His slide changed again, this time showing a sketch, something Aarush drew himself. "Based on all of these different incidents, I was able to figure out one thing. Kenrick did not have a tumor, rather it was a serious Brain Lesion case. I examined his reports and found that many of his brain cells were dying, decay… which is a sign of Parkinson's disease, yet the symptoms were very different. Death of brain cells was present, yet the signs didn't point towards this serious condition. Further testing and history check ups showed me that Kenrick was actually born with this issue. It was a genetic issue. When I checked previous reports, although there was no scan present, I can confirm that the very black spot we saw before was present since birth, just on a smaller scale." He then sighed and looked at the parents. "I'm sorry that such a situation has occurred, but the fault of this issue reaching such a point is the fault of this hospital." This time he sharply looked at a middle-aged doctor. "Dr. Krit, you headed this surgery, did you not see the signs of dead brain tissue? Based on the scans, these were present both on the surface and the internal region of the brain. As the person heading this surgery, did you not see this? If you didn't, then I can only say your skills are incompetent, as such a large spot should be present. However,…" He took a pause here and glared strongly. "...if you did see this, why did you continue with the surgery? This was a serious case that you should have been able to identify. With your many years of experience with the brain, you should have noticed that James's report did not contain full information. This should have been a signal for you to stop the surgery." He spoke in a deep tone.

"Dr. Yunus, when I was doing surgery, I did see this, but in the surgery room, it looked like the tumor that was described to me by the resident. As I felt that I am able to remove this tumor, I continued with the surgery. I don't understand why you are saying such things." Dr. Krit rebuked with a snort.

"I see, so you continued thinking that it was a tumor?" He then looked at the Chairman. "As the position is vacant for the chief of doctors, I believe that I hold the highest seniority here, correct chairman?" The latter nodded his head. "The chairman agrees which means I am able to use this authority I have to make the proper decision for our patients and for this hospital." The chairman nodded again. Aarush smiled darkly, looked at Dr. Krit. "Dr. Krit, as you endangered a patient, and continued with a surgery without having full knowledge of the patient's condition, you shall be suspended of your license for three years. I have sent a message to the Federation of State Medical Board about the incident, and they have replied before the meeting. This suspension is done by them, and you shall report there after this meeting." He spoke seriously, and everyone in the room went dead silent. The FSMB issuing such a suspension meant the issue was serious. Dr. Krit's face went pale, but he didn't say anything. He knew that he couldn't do anything anymore. He glared at Aarush, but sat on his seat, sighing.

"Dr. Yunus, you said that there was a solution?" The mother ignored everything and finally asked the question she wanted to know the most about. She didn't care about the suspension or anything, only about the safety of her son.

"Of course. After finding out the cause and where all of this stemmed from, I found a way to solve the issue with his life." He then sighed a little. "However, as this issue is genetic, I can alleviate it and help him live for a while longer, but his brain is already on it's way of falling apart. Even if the surgery wasn't done, Kenrick had at most ten years left of his life, just based on the spreading I saw. I can allow him to regain the same strength as before, but I can only apologize, as the surgery led to his brain devolving at a quicker rate. I can only guarantee him surviving for at most six years." He lowered his head. "My deepest apologies." He leaned forward and bowed. There wasn't much he could do. The surgery sped up the rate of decay.

"W-what?!" The mother got up suddenly and shouted.

"Dr. Yunus, what do you mean by this?! Six years?! He had ten years before?! Why didn't we hear about this before?! Are you trying to cover up your incompetence?! What happened to you promising to save his life?" The father rushed over, grabbing his collar again. "Tell me you're lying! Tell me!" He yelled in his face, yet all Aarush could do was sigh.

"I'm sorry mister Porter. This issue was something that no one could stop, as a cure for such a decay has yet to come out. As for the shortened time, I apologize greatly, that is the fault of this hospital, and we will compensate you for it." He couldn't say anything more. He was a doctor, not God. He couldn't increase someone's lifespan.

"You son of a bitch!" The man grabbed Aarush's throat and threw him to the ground. Turning around, he glared at all of the doctors. "You fuckers will pay for this! You caused this! You fucking did this!" Lifting his wife's arm, he led her out of the room. Aarush got up from the ground and leaned against the wall.

"Aarush, is it true that this can't be solved?" The chairman asked calmly. He wasn't taken by surprise at all, he had seen many other situations.

"I already checked. Currently, there is no way to stop this. If within the next six years someone could find a way to reverse this procedure then maybe Kenrick can be saved, but other than that, it is difficult to say. I say six years only because that is what I can see him living atleast, he could survive for longer, but that would be hard to say." he shook his head bitterly. "Anyways, Dr. Krit, you are free to go. The lawyers here will handle the rest, a three years suspension is already enough punishment. You can leave." Aarush sighed before finding a seat.

Dr. Krit lowered his gaze. He knew that he messed up this time. If Aarush didn't handle the situation, he may have been in a lot more legal problems. He could have been sent to jail for malpractice. "Thank you Dr. Yunus." He bowed slightly before exiting the room. Everyone slowly left. There were three people left in the room. James, Aarush, and the chairman.

James got up and walked towards Aarush. His face was pale, and he looked like he was about to cry.

"James, don't worry too much about this. If you break apart now, then becoming a doctor will be difficult. These things happen everyday, all you can do is move on. As you slowly continue as a doctor, you find yourself in an even worse situation. Someone might die because of you." He explained seriously. "However, even that can't break you, it shouldn't. For every mistake, just remember that you are saving so many more lives. We are human, we make mistakes, but as doctors, you have to understand where that mistake was and try your hardest not to make it again. Make amends by saving more people. Suffer, fall, and then rise again. That is the path you chose when you decided to become a doctor." Aarush explained slowly.

"I-I'm sorry Dr. Yunus, because of me you had to face the issue yourself." He bowed deeply. "I'm sorry for my mistake."

"Don't worry about it. You're under my wing, so it's my responsibility, plus this could be considered my fault too." he sighed and then waved him off. "Go, get some rest. You can head home. Try to take this as a learning experience. Who knows, you might become a better doctor than me in the future." He smirked and spoke. James nodded his head and left with a heavy face, leaving only Aarush and the chairman.

"Shall I handle the lawyers?" The chairman asked.

"Can you? I still need to head back to Pakistan." He said casually.

"You still have to stay, just until the child can leave. This is your job." The chairman spoke in a calm manner. "How many days do you think it will take?"

"I should be able to get the kid well enough to leave in a week at least, but that still won't help his situation. He will be well enough to just survive, that's it.." He shook his head bitterly. "I told her I would be at most a few days, but it seems like I will be here for a bit longer. What a life."

"Don't worry, it will go by quickly. After that, you can have a month off, with pay of course. After that month, I will be personally making sure you complete your surgical training. Dr. Krit is gone, so now I have to do it." The chairman laughed a little. "Once you're licensed in neurosurgery as well, I can finally let you take the role as the chief of doctors. After that, I'm going to go to Pakistan myself and visit my son and daughter. You will be handling this place yourself." He laughed, but Aarush sighed.

"Then you better increase my salary. Since I will be handling your job, I should get more benefits." He smirked wickedly.

"You want a higher one?" The chairman laughed. "Don't worry, the FSMB will likely send a certificate for you, and that will make you more desirable by others. If I don't boost your pay, then I may lose you. Here, I will double the pay for you. Anyways, it's not gonna harm us." Aarush smiled and nodded his head.

"That's better." He then got up and walked towards the exit. "Also, I hope that during the lawsuit, you guys don't mention the father's violence. Whether it can be used to win or not, don't bring it up. He was mad rightfully, so let's just ignore that." To him, winning the lawsuit that might occur was important, whether the hospital was in the right or not. Sure, they messed up, but that didn't mean that the whole hospital should take the hit. Plus, as doctors, some mistakes are bound to be made. It may not be good, but it's inevitable.

"I wasn't going to bother about that anyways." He said with a smile. He watched Aarush leave and nodded his head. "Good person, and good doctor. Really, I picked up a gem."

Aarush headed back to his office and sat down on the chair. He felt exhausted. He lifted his hand to rub his face, which had a bruise. "That man could pack a punch; my face is already starting to swell." He lowered his hand and opened up a small container under his desk, pulling out a small blue bag. Twisting it a little, the bag began to turn colder. He placed it on his face and sighed. "One week again. Hopefully it goes by fast, but let's see. Even one week is hopeful. If things get worse, the child may not even wake up for two weeks." He sighed and leaned against his chair. "Let's see how I tell her."

He closed his eyes and rested a little. After a few minutes, he got up. Tossing the pack back into the cooler, he stepped out of his office, slowly finding his way back to the room where the kid was placed in.

"Better explain the situation in more detail. The parents are probably a little confused still." He reached the room and found the mother crying while the father clenched his fists. Seeing this, he sighed. He gently knocked on the door before stepping in.

When he entered the room, he felt his back shiver a little. He looked and saw that other than the father, even the mother was glaring at him.

"Sorry to intrude, but I think I should explain the situation more to you guys. Just so you understand what is going on." He found a seat in the corner and sat down.

"What else is there? You guys have caused my son's future to be destroyed, what else is there to explain?" The mother growled, glaring at Aarush hatefully.

"I can understand how you feel, and I'm truly sorry this has occurred, but rather then staying on this, wouldn't it be better to understand what is really going on and trying to use that information to give your son a great life?" He spoke gently, knowing the mother was very hurt. He didn't like to handle such situations, not many did, but as a doctor he needed to.

"What else is there?" The father, still angry, walked over and asked.

"Well, it would be better if you guys sit down and listen calmly." He said, gesturing them to seats nearby. They did as they were told, reluctantly, and sat down. "Let me begin. As you guy's know from my previous explanation, Kenrick was born with this issue, it is from the beginning. If this issue was taken care of from the beginning, then something could have been done, but no one could ever notice something like this unless they actively looked for it." He spoke calmly. "Before visiting us, he might have had ten years left, but now that he came, he has only six…" Seeing the parents getting riled up, he quickly moved forward. "...but it's not all bad. There is some good news as well, and also some bad news, but this news is something that was bound to happen."

"Good news?" The mother finally got excited.

"Yes, after this event, your son won't be experiencing most of the symptoms he has been. Although the surgery did do damage, it did resolve the issue with his random symptom outbursts." He spoke with a smile. "Meaning, he won; t wake up acting like someone new, nor will he be vomiting. The pain he has been feeling is also gone."

"Then what; s the bad news?" The father asked in a panic.

Aarush sighed. He took a deep breath and continued. "The thing is, the decaying of the brain cells is not pausing, rather it is going at a slightly faster rate. The time limit, six years, ten years, these are not because of me thinking he will just pass on, rather it is related to his bodily functions. In the next few years, he will slowly regress in skills, and so on. Because his brain is dying in a sense, during these six years, he will lose his motor abilities, then his sight and hearing, and then he might not be able to walk. He won't be able to move around without help, go to the washroom without someone's support. His speech will become impaired, and overall, he will start to lose the ability to function normally. Once this happens…" He stopped here. The parent; s understood what he meant. The mother's eyes became wet as she began to cry again. The father also began to panic.

"There has to be a way. Please, there has to be a way to save my son! You're Dr. Yunus, everyone keeps saying you can resolve what others cannot, so you must have a solution." Thinking that not only will his son have a short life, but such a difficult one, made the father anxious.

Aarush shook his head with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but treating something like this isn't a skill we doctors possess. I'm helpless." He sighed again.

The father got up and glared at him. "Then if you can't even do this, why should we stay here? I'll find someone, someone who can solve this issue."

Seeing that the father was about to move Kenrick, Aarush quickly got up. "Mister Porter, you can't move him right now. Once he gets up and is able to walk, you are free to take him anywhere you wish, but for now, you have to let him properly recuperate. If you move him and anything happens, the situation could become even more serious." He spoke seriously, even willing to call security at that moment. Kenrick was in no position to move.

The father stopped, not willing to hurt his son anymore. His eyes were filled with tears as he found a seat on the ground and just laid down. He didn't know what to do anymore, this was his son.

He sighed at the sight. If he could help he would have done it already, but this was something out of his control. For now, he had done his job at informing them about the situation. Now, he just needed to move on with the next step in helping the child recuperate.

He went back to his office and began to prepare for the next steps.