Kasauli – Morning
The first rays of sunlight spilled over the hills of Kasauli, brushing the treetops with gold and waking the quiet town from its slumber. Mist hugged the ground, swirling through pine branches and curling around rooftops like a protective blanket.
Inside the Mehra residence, the smell of fresh coffee mingled with the sound of soft music and rustling paper. A warm home, filled with laughter, books, and peace the kind that came from living a life of purpose.
In the kitchen, Dr. Kavita Mehra hummed to an old tune, preparing breakfast with the kind of calm only a woman who'd delivered hundreds of babies could possess. Her eyes sparkled when she turned to see her daughter walk in.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," she said, placing a plate of toast on the table.
Dr. Siya Mehra, wrapped in a pale sweater over her scrubs, yawned and smiled. "I was up late stitching a kid's forehead. He said he wanted a 'cool scar like the heroes in movies.'"
Kavita chuckled. "You should've told him the real heroes don't need scars."
Siya poured herself coffee and walked out onto the porch, where her father sat, deep in a medical journal. Dr. Arjun Mehra looked up, gave her a small nod, and returned to reading.
That was his way of saying "I'm proud of you."
Siya leaned against the wooden railing, sipping her coffee as the sun rose over the valley. From here, the world looked untouched by pain. Just trees, sky, and the hum of life. Birds flitted through the branches. Somewhere, a bell rang in a nearby temple.
Her phone buzzed.
Dr. Tiwari: Emergency at the hospital. Car crash victims. Four. Need you in OR in 15.
Siya didn't panic. She was used to emergencies. That's what being a surgeon meant being calm when the world broke apart.
"Duty calls," she said, already pulling on her white coat.
Kavita placed a kiss on her head. "Be careful, beta."
As Siya climbed into her car and drove toward the hospital, she didn't know that somewhere far away, in a colder, darker part of Himachal, another story was beginning. One soaked in danger. One that would collide with hers.
But for now, she drove through sun-drenched roads, unaware that her world of healing was about to crash into one built on blood