"Bilkul badhiya!" Maa beamed. "Holi ki tayyariyan chal rahi hain. Tu kab aa rahi hai?"
I leaned back, tucking my legs beneath me. "Do-teen din mein, but sirf ek ya do din ke liye. Hospital ka kaam hai na..."
Maa's expression turned disapproving. "Hamesha kaam, kaam, kaam! Beta, thoda time nikalna chahiye."
"Baba, aap samjhao na Maa ko" I pleaded playfully, making Baba chuckle.
"Beta, hum toh bas keh rahe hain ki iss baar toh proper Holi mana le. Adya ki shaadi ke baad yeh uski pehli Holi hai hamare ghar pe."
I smiled. "I know, Baba. Let's see, kab Ishaan tickets book karta hai. Tab hum dono saath aa jayenge."
Maa's face lit up at the mention of Ishaan. "Haan, haan! Waise woh kaisa hai? Kaam kaafi busy rehta hoga uska?"
Busy toh rehta hai, par mujhe pareshaan karne mein bhi equally time nikalta hai.
"He's fine, Maa" I answered simply, glancing at the clock. "Okay, I have to go now. Duty time."
Maa nodded. "Accha beta, khud ka dhyaan rakhna. Aur Holi ke liye jaldi aa jaana!"
"Haan, haan! Pakka."
After ending the call, I grabbed my hospital bag and headed out. 
It was already past 11:30 AM, and my shift started at noon.
──★ ˙🧷 ̟ !! 
Walking through the glass doors of the hospital, I felt the familiar rush of routine settle over me. 
The smell of antiseptic, the soft beeping of monitors, the murmurs of conversations—it was all second nature now.
I stopped by the reception to check the patient list before heading to the locker room to change into my scrubs.
By the time I stepped into the general ward, my mind was already in work mode.
A small boy, around six, sat cross-legged on the bed, fiddling with his IV tube. I sighed, walking over to him.
"Arjun, kitni baar bola hai ki IV se mat khelo?" I placed my hands on my hips, raising an eyebrow.
He grinned cheekily. "Par doctor didi, bore ho raha tha!"
I chuckled. "Acha? Toh yeh batao, kal wali 온라인카지노게임 kaun si thi?"
His eyes lit up. "Woh jisme super doctor sabko bacha leti hai!"
"Toh aaj uska next part sunna hai?" I asked, picking up his chart. 
He nodded enthusiastically, settling back as I checked his vitals.
Once I was done, I moved on to the next patient—a woman recovering from surgery. 
I checked her reports, adjusted her medication schedule, and made a few notes before heading to the emergency wing.
ER was a different world altogether.
A trauma case had just come in—a man in his late 40s with a severe head injury from a road accident. 
The team worked quickly, stabilizing him while I assisted with wound cleaning. 
My hands moved on autopilot, the weight of responsibility pressing against my shoulders.
"BP stable?" I asked one of the nurses.
She nodded. "For now, yes."
I exhaled.