A husband's regret

Episode 8

Mumbai 

India

The day had been exhausting for Prithvi. Surgeries after surgeries had lined up at his desk. Because of it he had almost spent the past twenty four hours in the operation theatre. However he loved the unpredictability that came in the profession of medicine. Different cases, different techniques and new discussions.

Though it wore him down occasionally since he was the executive head of the hospital. Being hospital administrator and exceptionally talented in performing complex surgeries were two entirely different things. He believed there was a unique way of maintaining the functionality of any unit. It should be empathetic and understanding yet demanding enough to fulfill the requirements.

Unlike his brothers, more specifically his father, he couldn't bring himself to be a corporate centric. Sanjay Rathore was a strict and productivity centred man despite being in a noble profession. He acted more on discipline and meeting up to the expectations of excellency. Prithvi wasn't complaining about his father's rule though. It was that their ideologies weren't matching. Thus he wanted stay in Mumbai and not Rajasthan, administrating and directing his hospital his own way.

It also had nothing to do with his brothers without whom he couldn't live a second. Okay..who was he kidding?

The bromance was complicated to say in the least. He shared his both sweet and bitter memories with these males, so attachments were bound to occur. Call him an idiot for wishing a joint family but he loved his bhaiya's stern behaviour and Abhinav's child like glee. He was grown up for god's sake but he wasn't ready to be separated from his brothers yet.

But they couldn't stay young and single forever, could they? They would eventually need to settle down..

Would their wives understand their bond? Or would they force them apart?

It was Wednesday and Prithvi was ready to take a long hiatus from surgery for the sake of his health. As threatened by his mother, the queen herself, he had to act on it. The Rathore queen was a force to be reckoned with. His oldest brother possessed most of her mental attributes save for his unnatural reticence. Prithvi believed he was intentionally faking it to keep the younger ones under control. After all the man used to gossip like an old lady with Vikram.

Or it could be his nightmares.

Surprisingly enough, they began when he was eighteen years old. Prithvi was in ninth grade at the time when his brother would wake up in the middle of the night screaming bloody mary. Which made him realise how he needed to convince his brother again. Since those nightmares had begun disturbing his life, he had denounced Jaipur in a way.

And he thinks I don't notice it.

The puja was merely a fortnight away now. Just like every disappointing defeat later, Prithvi had an idea how the oldest would evade it.

Work this...work that.

This trip...that trip

Prithvi sighed. Well..what could he do?

The car was driving through the traffic jammed roads of the lively city. Prithvi leaned back against the backseat to close his eyes, tired. His mind was empty all of a sudden. Perhaps it had given up on rumination. Just as he draped an arm over his dry and droopy eyes, the car halted to an abrupt break.

He frowned as he straightened. There was a lot of commotion outside. Other cars had begun to stop as well, their drivers poking out their head, concerned and worried. It appeared like a major accident had occurred at the cross way. "What is it?"