Vaidehi’s pov!

The evening air felt cooler than usual as I stood by the window of my small hostel room, staring out at the sprawling Sanjeevini Medical College campus. 

Bangalore’s vibrant energy hummed faintly in the background, a sharp contrast to the quiet life I had left behind in my village. This city had its own rhythm, fast and relentless, and I was still struggling to keep up.

I hadn’t imagined I would end up here, not after everything that had happened. But Viswa Anna, my brother, had made it possible. My MBBS course in the government college outside my village had been a different world entirely—one where I felt rooted, at least until everything fell apart. The whispers, the stares, and the suffocating weight of my family’s presence would make it impossible to stay. After all, they had married me off to some stranger. 

So, here I was, starting over in a private college in Bangalore. Viswa Anna had pulled some strings, paid what was needed, and managed to secure me a spot for my residential house surgency. He assured me it wasn’t a big deal, that we could afford it. As it is we belong to a well off family and Anna is working a well paid job at some multinational company. It wasn’t the money that worried me—it was the gnawing sense of displacement that refused to leave me.

I glanced at the bed on the other side of the room. My roommate, Keerthi, had left for her evening shift at the hospital. She belongs to an influential family here in Bangalore. She was nice enough—outgoing, sharp-witted, and unafraid to speak her mind. 

My gaze shifted to the small cupboard beside my bed. A strange pull guided my feet there, and before I could second-guess myself, I opened the drawer and reached for the tiny wooden box tucked away in the corner.

Inside lay the nuptial chain I had kept hidden for reasons I couldn’t fully explain. The thin chain gleamed faintly under the dim light, its presence both comforting and suffocating. My fingers brushed over the cool metal, and as they did, Vedant’s face filled my mind.

He had saved me.

If he hadn’t come to my rescue that day, Shankar would’ve… I couldn’t even bring myself to finish the thought. The mere idea of what could have happened made my chest tighten and my breath falter. Shankar’s vile sneer, his lecherous intent—it haunted my nightmares. If Vedant hadn’t intervened when he did, I didn’t know how I would’ve survived.

For that, I was grateful. No matter what else Vedant was, I owed him my life.

But gratitude came tangled with something deeper, something more complicated. For a brief moment, I’d wondered if there could’ve been a chance for us. If Vedant hadn’t been the man he was—someone deeply entrenched in illegal activities, someone whose hands were tainted by deeds I didn’t want to imagine—maybe things would’ve been different.

But there was no denying the truth. He was still out there, shipping women off to Mumbai in the dead of night. The thought made my stomach churn. What kind of person could do something like that?

I clenched my fists and shut the box with a snap, shoving it back into the drawer as if that could silence the whirlwind of emotions inside me. 

These men—men like Vedant and the others in his world—were untouchable, protected by power and wealth. There was nothing we could do about them, no matter how much we wanted to.

Shaking my head, I pushed those thoughts aside. There was no room for them now. I had a duty to focus on, patients who relied on me. I couldn’t afford to let my mind wander down dark alleys when I had work to do.

I grabbed my bag and slipped on my white coat, forcing myself to breathe evenly as I stepped out of the room and made my way to the college for my night shift.

As I walked through the hospital compound, my thoughts drifted back to that night of my unexpected marriage. Anna had taken me to Chennai, where he works. I stayed there for two months. Anna is now trying for a job in Bangalore, so that we can stay together. After that incident, he never went home.

It has been two weeks since I arrived here. Two weeks of adjusting to a new routine, a new environment, and a new set of faces. 

Some of those faces had become familiar, even friendly. I liked Meera from the microbiology department—her laugh was infectious, and she always knew the best food stalls around campus. Then there was Arjun, a junior resident like me, who had a knack for making everyone feel at ease.

But not everything about this place has been smooth.

Two days ago, something happened that turned my carefully constructed bubble upside down.

It started with Keerthi. She had always been vocal about the lack of accountability among some of the PG students, but I hadn’t expected her to take such a bold step. When she walked into our room that night, her expression was grim. 

“Vaidehi,” she had said, her voice low, “I need you to back me up on something.”

She explained how she had seen a couple of PGs—final-year students, no less—treating patients while clearly under the influence of drugs. I had also seen them using drugs and attending to patients once. 

“You know what this means, don’t you?” I had asked her, trying to keep my voice steady.

“It means we do what’s right. People’s lives are at stake.” Keerthi didn’t flinch.

She was right, of course. I couldn’t argue with that. And yet, I hesitated. Life was already complicated enough. The last thing I needed was to make enemies in a place where I was just starting to find my footing.

But the thought of staying silent, of letting those students jeopardize lives, gnawed at my conscience. So, the next morning, I walked into the administrator’s office with Keerthi and gave my statement. It was short and factual—I’d seen the same signs she had, and I couldn’t ignore them.

Now, as I walked to the college for my evening rounds, I felt the weight of that decision pressing on me. The news had spread quickly. Whispers followed me in the corridors. Keerthi was unfazed by all that, but I wasn’t like her. I hated the attention.

The hospital wing was quieter than usual, the subdued buzz of activity a welcome distraction from my thoughts. I slipped into my white coat and checked my schedule. The evening shift would be busy, as always, but I didn’t mind. Work was a solace, a way to drown out the noise in my head.

As I walked past the nurses’ station, I caught a glimpse of two PGs whispering to each other. Their eyes flicked to me, then away, their smirks unmistakable. My stomach tightened, but I kept walking, my chin held high.

“Vaidehi!” A voice called out behind me.

I turned to see Arjun jogging toward me, a clipboard in hand. His easy smile eased some of the tension I hadn’t realized I was carrying.

“You are in pediatrics today, right?” He asked, falling into step beside me.

“Yeah,” I replied, my voice quieter than I intended.

“Good luck,” he said, his tone warm. “And don’t let the gossip get to you. People always have something to say when someone does the right thing.”

“Thanks, Arjun.” I offered him a small smile.

He gave me a mock salute and veered off toward the emergency ward, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

As I stepped into the pediatric ward, the familiar sights and sounds of the hospital filled me with a strange sense of calm. 

Here, I wasn’t the girl with a messy life or the new resident who stirred up trouble. 

I was just Vaidehi, a doctor trying to do her job.

A/N

Just a glimpse into Vaidehi's life..

Let's have Ved and Vaidehi meet up soon...

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Love,

SF❤️