Part 1
The waiting room smelled of antiseptic and fear.
I stood frozen as the doctor’s words echoed around me, each syllable heavier than the last.
"The internal bleeding is worse than we thought. We need to operate immediately."
My breath hitched. "Then do it."
The doctor hesitated. "The surgery is complicated… costly." He paused, his eyes softening. "It will require at least seventy-eight lakhs."
Silence.
Aanya’s sharp inhale cut through the room. Ma sank into the chair beside me, her hands trembling.
Seventy-eight lakhs.
The number felt unreal. Like something out of a nightmare.
"B but Baba has insurance," Aanya stammered. "Right?”
The doctor sighed. "Not enough to cover this. And in cases like these, the hospital needs an advance before proceeding."
An advance.
The word h
