In the Depth of the Heart - Chapter 38: Chapter 38
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Zuhra – First Day at Osmania General Hospital
Zuhra stepped out of the car calmly, but when she turned to face the hospital, her heart skipped a beat. It felt like she was entering a place that welcomed her body — but locked away her spirit.
She stood at the threshold for a moment before drawing a deep breath and stepping forward — carrying a heart filled with verses she couldn’t speak aloud.
Her father, Brigadier Imran, stood beside her in full uniform, watching her with pride and authority. He stepped closer and said:
> “Zuhra, today is important — not just for your studies, but for your future. Walk in with your full name.”
Zuhra straightened herself, nodded, and together they walked inside.
Zuhra – Inside the Hospital Walls
As they entered, cool air from the hospital’s air conditioners brushed against her face — like a chill of anticipation and fear. The corridors were busy with patients in pain: some seated, others on wheelchairs, and staff in white coats moving swiftly with patient files.
They reached the first floor and stopped at a gold-labeled office:
> Dr. Ragav Srinivasan – Consultant Physician
Brigadier Imran opened the door. Inside sat an older man with a dignified face and a turban, typing on a computer.
> “Imran! Old friend, you actually brought me a working student from University of Hyderabad?”
Dr. Ragav stood and shook hands firmly with Brigadier Imran, smiling.
> “This is my daughter. She’s been posted here from the university. I asked that she start with you — I know you understand what real work means.”
Dr. Ragav turned to Zuhra with a calm, warm expression.
> “Zuhra, welcome. This hospital is tough, but it teaches strength. If you have heart, you’ll learn what it really means to be a doctor.”
Zuhra gave a respectful nod. “Thank you, sir. I’ll do my best.”
> “Good. You’ll join my team. Your first ward will be Male Medical. Come — I’ll introduce you.”
Brigadier Imran added:
> “Take care of yourself. I know you won’t waste this opportunity.”
Then he turned and walked out, leaving Zuhra with Dr. Ragav.
Introductions and Wards
Dr. Ragav led her to Ward B – Male Medical Unit. Nurses and medical students bustled around. There, she met Dr. Priya and Dr. Ahmed, the registrar and resident doctors. They greeted Dr. Ragav warmly, and he said:
> “Meet our new team member — Zuhra Imran. She’s from University of Hyderabad. Treat her well.”
Dr. Priya smiled. “You’ll start with observation and recording vitals. We also have morning clinic today.”
Zuhra greeted them respectfully. But inside, she felt like she’d been thrown into freezing water.
In the ward, she noticed a young man with severe pneumonia wearing an oxygen mask. Dr. Ahmed asked:
> “Zuhra, can you check pulse and BP?”
She hesitated. “I’ve studied the theory, sir… but I haven’t worked directly with patients.”
> “Today, you will.”
She stood at the side, staring at a syringe and blood sample. Her heart began to tremble. She quietly stepped back.
One of the nurses commented:
> “Don’t panic. But if you can’t handle it, it’s better you leave the room.”
Zuhra closed her eyes and said softly:
> “I can do it.”
But inside, her heart was crying.
Clinic Room – Facing Truth
Later, in the clinic room, a line of patients waited to see doctors: an elderly man with hypertension, a young man with ulcers, and a woman who had recently given birth.
Zuhra sat at a corner desk, recording notes. But beside each line of medical writing, she found herself scribbling secret verses:
> “Even in the face of illness, my heart hums… Kamal…”
Dr. Ragav noticed her distracted state but said nothing. Eventually, he offered her quiet encouragement:
> “Zuhra, it’s okay to feel small on your first day. But don’t let that smallness define you.”
End of Day – Exhaustion and Questions
At the canteen, Zuhra didn’t eat. All she felt was exhaustion, anxiety, and an avalanche of unspoken questions.
After completing ward rounds and the clinic, she walked out with her lab coat stained slightly and her notebook filled with both medical notes — and whispered poems.
Home – A Proud Father, a Silent Daughter
When she got home, Brigadier Imran sat sipping tea. He looked up and said:
> “Now you’ve entered the real world. Today, I finally see a doctor in you.”
She smiled weakly. “Thank you, Baba.”
But in her room, she stared out of the west-facing window, feeling a quiet song rise from her soul:
> “I’m in the hospital,
but my heart is somewhere else…
where a voice once asked:
‘Are you still alive?’”
Zuhra stepped out of the car calmly, but when she turned to face the hospital, her heart skipped a beat. It felt like she was entering a place that welcomed her body — but locked away her spirit.
She stood at the threshold for a moment before drawing a deep breath and stepping forward — carrying a heart filled with verses she couldn’t speak aloud.
Her father, Brigadier Imran, stood beside her in full uniform, watching her with pride and authority. He stepped closer and said:
> “Zuhra, today is important — not just for your studies, but for your future. Walk in with your full name.”
Zuhra straightened herself, nodded, and together they walked inside.
Zuhra – Inside the Hospital Walls
As they entered, cool air from the hospital’s air conditioners brushed against her face — like a chill of anticipation and fear. The corridors were busy with patients in pain: some seated, others on wheelchairs, and staff in white coats moving swiftly with patient files.
They reached the first floor and stopped at a gold-labeled office:
> Dr. Ragav Srinivasan – Consultant Physician
Brigadier Imran opened the door. Inside sat an older man with a dignified face and a turban, typing on a computer.
> “Imran! Old friend, you actually brought me a working student from University of Hyderabad?”
Dr. Ragav stood and shook hands firmly with Brigadier Imran, smiling.
> “This is my daughter. She’s been posted here from the university. I asked that she start with you — I know you understand what real work means.”
Dr. Ragav turned to Zuhra with a calm, warm expression.
> “Zuhra, welcome. This hospital is tough, but it teaches strength. If you have heart, you’ll learn what it really means to be a doctor.”
Zuhra gave a respectful nod. “Thank you, sir. I’ll do my best.”
> “Good. You’ll join my team. Your first ward will be Male Medical. Come — I’ll introduce you.”
Brigadier Imran added:
> “Take care of yourself. I know you won’t waste this opportunity.”
Then he turned and walked out, leaving Zuhra with Dr. Ragav.
Introductions and Wards
Dr. Ragav led her to Ward B – Male Medical Unit. Nurses and medical students bustled around. There, she met Dr. Priya and Dr. Ahmed, the registrar and resident doctors. They greeted Dr. Ragav warmly, and he said:
> “Meet our new team member — Zuhra Imran. She’s from University of Hyderabad. Treat her well.”
Dr. Priya smiled. “You’ll start with observation and recording vitals. We also have morning clinic today.”
Zuhra greeted them respectfully. But inside, she felt like she’d been thrown into freezing water.
In the ward, she noticed a young man with severe pneumonia wearing an oxygen mask. Dr. Ahmed asked:
> “Zuhra, can you check pulse and BP?”
She hesitated. “I’ve studied the theory, sir… but I haven’t worked directly with patients.”
> “Today, you will.”
She stood at the side, staring at a syringe and blood sample. Her heart began to tremble. She quietly stepped back.
One of the nurses commented:
> “Don’t panic. But if you can’t handle it, it’s better you leave the room.”
Zuhra closed her eyes and said softly:
> “I can do it.”
But inside, her heart was crying.
Clinic Room – Facing Truth
Later, in the clinic room, a line of patients waited to see doctors: an elderly man with hypertension, a young man with ulcers, and a woman who had recently given birth.
Zuhra sat at a corner desk, recording notes. But beside each line of medical writing, she found herself scribbling secret verses:
> “Even in the face of illness, my heart hums… Kamal…”
Dr. Ragav noticed her distracted state but said nothing. Eventually, he offered her quiet encouragement:
> “Zuhra, it’s okay to feel small on your first day. But don’t let that smallness define you.”
End of Day – Exhaustion and Questions
At the canteen, Zuhra didn’t eat. All she felt was exhaustion, anxiety, and an avalanche of unspoken questions.
After completing ward rounds and the clinic, she walked out with her lab coat stained slightly and her notebook filled with both medical notes — and whispered poems.
Home – A Proud Father, a Silent Daughter
When she got home, Brigadier Imran sat sipping tea. He looked up and said:
> “Now you’ve entered the real world. Today, I finally see a doctor in you.”
She smiled weakly. “Thank you, Baba.”
But in her room, she stared out of the west-facing window, feeling a quiet song rise from her soul:
> “I’m in the hospital,
but my heart is somewhere else…
where a voice once asked:
‘Are you still alive?’”
End of In the Depth of the Heart Chapter 38. Continue reading Chapter 39 or return to In the Depth of the Heart book page.