Chapter 6 – The Final Journey
"Come, Rajni. Uncle said they are in that hospital. I know how to get there. We need to go to the railway station," Rajni's friend said gently.
Rajni wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Her voice trembled.
"Okay…"
That was all she could manage to say.
The two girls began walking toward the nearby railway station. Neither of them spoke during those ten minutes. Rajni's mind felt strangely numb, as if her thoughts had been wrapped in thick fog.
When they finally reached the station, Rajni instinctively checked her small purse.
There wasn't much money inside.
Her friend noticed immediately.
"Don't worry," she said, pulling out her wallet. "I'll get the tickets."
She joined the queue while Rajni stood silently nearby.
After a few minutes she returned with two tickets.
"Come on."
While walking toward the platform bridge, Rajni's friend stopped a porter carrying luggage.
"Brother, which platform has the local train that goes near the district hospital?"
The porter pointed down the corridor.
"Platform number three. That train standing there will go. Hurry, it will leave soon."
"Thank you," she replied.
Then she grabbed Rajni's hand.
"Quick, Roshni. And listen… don't worry. I'm with you, okay?"
They hurried across the bridge and reached platform three just in time.
The train doors were still open.
"Perfect timing!" her friend said with relief. "And look, there's a little space in the ladies' compartment."
They squeezed inside.
As expected, almost every seat was taken.
Still, they managed to find a small corner near the door to stand.
The train started moving.
The station slowly disappeared behind them.
Rajni leaned against the metal wall of the compartment.
By now her crying had stopped.
But it wasn't because she felt better.
It was because her mind still refused to fully accept what had happened.
Everything felt unreal.
Like a terrible dream she would wake up from.
The train passed three stations.
At the fourth one, her friend tapped her shoulder.
"This is our stop."
They stepped down quickly from the ladies' compartment.
Outside the station, Rajni's friend looked a little embarrassed.
"Rajni… you know my situation," she said honestly. "I don't have much money either. We'll have to walk from here to the hospital."
Rajni shook her head slightly.
"Why are you worrying about that?" she replied quietly.
"It's not far… we'll reach soon."
She took out her phone and called the man who had informed them earlier—her father's coworker who was waiting at the hospital.
"Hello… yes uncle… where exactly should we come?" she asked.
He explained the location.
Within minutes, the two girls were walking quickly toward the hospital.
---
Soon they reached the emergency ward.
And once again Rajni stood in front of the two stretchers.
Her parents.
Covered with white sheets.
The moment she saw them again, the fragile control she had built inside herself shattered.
She threw herself toward her father's body first, crying uncontrollably.
Then she rushed to her mother.
Back and forth.
Clinging to them.
Weeping like a child who had suddenly lost the entire world.
Her friend couldn't stop her own tears either.
Nearly half an hour passed like that.
Then suddenly someone entered the room.
It was Kalu's site supervisor.
He looked exhausted, as if he had rushed there immediately.
"I came as quickly as I could," he said.
His eyes moved toward the two bodies.
"So… they didn't survive."
He sighed deeply.
"We tried everything… everyone tried… but maybe this was God's will."
He looked at Rajni.
"May God give their daughter the strength to bear this loss."
---
Earlier, when Kalu and his wife were first being taken to the hospital in the ambulance, the supervisor had called the company owner.
"Sir, it's me, the supervisor from the site," he had said nervously.
"There's been an accident. A large portion of debris fell on two workers. Husband and wife. Their condition looks very serious… they might not survive. What should I do?"
The owner's voice from the other side sounded calm and irritated.
"What kind of question is that?"
"Is this the first accident you've seen?"
"Listen carefully."
"Take twenty or fifty thousand from the engineer. Find out which hospital the ambulance is going to."
"Keep checking their condition."
"If needed, give some money to their family and settle the matter quietly."
"Then report back to me."
"Understood? Don't call again for such small things."
The line had disconnected.
---
Now, back in the hospital corridor, the supervisor spoke to Rajni.
"Rajni beta, don't worry about anything here," he said gently.
"I'll handle all the hospital expenses."
"Let me talk to the doctor."
He walked away to find the doctor.
After a few minutes he found one near the ward.
"Doctor, I know they're gone," he said, "but if there were any expenses during treatment, please tell me."
The doctor spoke in a flat voice.
"Go to the counter. Ask for the bill of patient numbers 32 and 33."
"Thank you," the supervisor replied.
He quickly walked toward the hospital reception.
"Madam, how much is the bill for patients 32 and 33?" he asked.
"Please check quickly. I'm here to pay."
The receptionist typed something into her computer.
"One moment…"
After a few seconds, she printed a sheet and handed it to him.
"Here is the bill."
The supervisor looked at it and frowned.
Ten thousand rupees.
He muttered to himself quietly.
"Damn… ten thousand just for tests and the ambulance? I thought most of that money would stay in my pocket…"
Still, he handed the cash to the receptionist.
"Here," he said.
Then he asked another question.
"Is there an ambulance available here to take the bodies home?"
The receptionist barely looked up.
"No. We don't provide transport for deceased patients."
She pointed toward the entrance.
"There's a sticker outside with the number of the municipal corpse vehicle. Call them."
The supervisor walked outside angrily.
"What kind of hospital is this?" he muttered.
"Like a butcher shop…"
Then he sighed.
Though he was also planning to keep some money for himself, the situation still made him uneasy.
He called the municipal vehicle.
It would take about an hour to arrive.
So he returned to Rajni.
"Here, Rajni beta," he said, handing her a bundle of cash.
"Take these twenty thousand."
"Use it for your parents' last rites."
"If anything remains, keep it for yourself. Maybe start a small job or business."
He paused.
"I know you should be studying at your age… but life has changed now."
"You will have to become strong."
His words were blunt, but honest.
An hour passed slowly.
Finally the municipal vehicle arrived.
The ward boys, the supervisor, and another worker carefully placed the two bodies inside.
Rajni and her friend were also asked to sit inside the vehicle so they could guide the driver.
However, the supervisor had already suggested something else.
"It's better to take them directly to the cremation ground," he had said.
"Your house is far from there. Arranging another vehicle later will be difficult."
Before leaving, he asked the driver.
"How much will it cost to reach the cremation ground near their house?"
"Five thousand," the driver replied firmly.
"Not one rupee less."
The supervisor handed him the money.
"Fine. Take them."
Inside his mind he cursed again.
"All that trouble… and I saved only fifteen thousand…"
The vehicle started moving.
Rajni and her friend sat quietly in the back.
Between the bodies of her parents.
Rajni's tears returned slowly.
Her friend placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It will be okay, Roshni," she whispered.
"I'm with you."
Outside, the city continued moving.
Cars rushed past.
People walked on busy streets.
Life went on.
But inside that vehicle, Rajni felt as if her entire future had disappeared into a distant fog.
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