Chapter 17: Chapter 16- Live action Grey's Anatomy

Dinner at the Sehgal mansion was always lively, filled with chatter, laughter, and the occasional teasing. The youngsters were their usual boisterous selves, teasing one another over trivial matters.

Siara sat at the table, quiet as usual, maintaining her cold demeanor while mechanically eating her food. Mahir, seated next to her, occasionally glanced her way, still mulling over the events at the office earlier.

As Siara’s phone rang, her expression didn’t shift. She picked it up, barely glancing at the caller ID, and began to rise from her seat. Before she could take a step, Rajeshwari Sehgal’s commanding voice halted her.

“Siara, you know the rules of this house. No one leaves the table without finishing their meal,” Dadi said sternly.

Siara paused, her hand clutching her phone, and looked at Dadi. “It’s an emergency call,” she replied, her voice calm but firm.

Dadi softened a bit but nodded. “Sit down and answer it here, but don’t leave until your plate is empty. And if you need to reach your hospital then I won't stop you.”

Siara sat back down, answering the call. As she did, the stammering voices of her juniors came through the line, their panic palpable. “Dr. Siara... we have an emergency... two patients—”

Her voice turned ice-cold, cutting through their panic. “You have ten seconds to explain the situation properly and this time without stuttering.”

The entire dining table fell silent. They were clearly able to hear what the person on the other side was speaking as their was pin drop silence in the dining hall. The youngsters exchanged shocked glances, whispering to one another.

“She just gave them a ten-second countdown. Who even does that?” devansh whispered

Myra said,“Wait, wait... I need to hear this. It’s like live-action Grey’s Anatomy!”

The junior doctor quickly summarized the situation,“Two patients, accident victims. The wife is pregnant and in labor. The husband( Naman kapoor )has a severe head injury with a fluid build-up near his brain—”

Siara cut him off. “How long does the husband have?”

“Twenty minutes, maximum, before irreversible damage occurs,” the doctor stammered.

“Are there any senior surgeons available?” Siara asked, her tone sharp and precise.

“No, ma’am. Dr. KV is on his way, but he’s fifteen minutes out,” the junior explained.

Siara didn’t hesitate. “Connect me to Dr. KV immediately.”

The table remained silent, everyone hanging on her every word. The whispers continued.

“She’s like james Bond meets Grey's Anatomy.” shivay whispered

“Wait, is she about to conduct surgery over the phone?” Myra hushed

“Didn’t know Bhabhi could multitask dinner and save lives.” kabir said

Dr. KV’s voice came through the phone. Siara didn’t bother with pleasantries. “How long until you arrive?”

“Fifteen minutes at least,” he replied.

“Understood. I’ll manage on call until then. Have your assistant clear your route and remove any traffic. We don’t have time to waste,” Siara instructed before switching back to her juniors.

“Put me on speaker,” she ordered.

The table collectively leaned forward, their food forgotten. It was like they were watching a live thriller series. Even dadi was as invested as others.

Siara’s tone shifted slightly as she greeted the patient. “Mr. Kapoor, this is Dr. Siara speaking. Can you hear me?”

The man’s voice was faint. “Yes... Doctor... my wife... my baby... are they okay?”

“They’re being taken care of,” Siara reassured him. “But we need to focus on you right now. We’ll need to perform tracheostomy to help you breathe. It will be painful as we can't administer anesthesia right now but I need you to trust me.”

“Will I be okay, Doctor?”

Her voice was steady and calm. “Not if you keep asking questions. Focus on talking to me instead of the pain.”

The youngsters exchanged shocked glances.

“She just told the guy to stop asking questions. Who does that?” kabir whispered

“Apparently, our Bhabhi.” devansh said

"I’m officially terrified of her.” shivay mocked horror.

Siara was talking with the patient alongside instructing her juniors.

The patient, barely coherent, asked, “Doctor, are you married?”

Siara froze for a second, glancing at Mahir, who had stiffened. “Yes, I am,” she replied curtly.

“Do you have kids?” the patient asked, his voice weak but curious.

“No,” she said, her expression unreadable.

“You should,” the man murmured. “The world needs more people like you.”

The room fell silent at his words. Siara blinked but didn’t respond, refocusing on the task.

“Dr. Mehra, begin the insertion,” she instructed, her tone icy.

The procedure began, and the patient groaned in pain. Siara’s voice cut through. “Mr. Kapoor, stay with me. Talk to me.”

The patient, groaning, said, “If it’s a girl... tell my wife to name her Siara... if I don’t make it.”

"You'r not dying," siara replied

Done mam" the junior doctor informed

The tube was successfully inserted, and the patient’s breathing stabilized. Siara then instructed, “Now administer anesthesia. We’ll proceed with drilling to relieve the pressure.”

“I have never lost a surgery till now so you better come out alive out of it Mr. Kapoor. Your family is waiting for you” Siara said coldly

The junior doctors hesitated. “Ma’am, we—”

Siara cut them off. “Follow my instructions exactly. Begin drilling at 2 millimeters depth. Do not exceed the parameters I provided.”

One of the doctors, Dr. Mehra, stepped forward but began sweating profusely. “Ma’am, my hands are shaking.”

Siara’s voice turned icy. “Step away and leave the OT. Bunch of idiots, I regret the day I signed your medical certificates.  Someone competent, take over.”

The Sehgal family collectively gasped.

Kabir “Savage.”

“She doesn’t even need a scalpel to cut people.” devansh said

A more experienced doctor stepped in and began the procedure under Siara’s guidance. She monitored every step, her tone sharp and precise. When complications arose, she ordered them to adjust the voltage for the defibrillator.

“Increase the charge by 5. No, decrease by 2. Again,” she instructed.

The Sehgal family was on edge, their dinner forgotten. The Sehgal family watched the scene unfold with bated breath. Myra clutched Shivay’s arm. “This is more intense than a thriller movie!”

Siara’s voice took on a steely determination. “You’re not dying, Mr. Kapoor. Your wife and baby are waiting for you. I’ve never lost a patient, and you won’t be the first.”

The patient’s vitals began to stabilize. Siara’s voice softened as she said, “He’s back.”

The moment Siara ended the call and placed her phone on the table, the previously silent dining room erupted into a flurry of whispers and stifled laughter among the younger Sehgal clan.

Kabir leaning toward Shivay "Did we just witness a full-blown ER drama... at the dinner table?"

"Forget ER. She sounded like the boss of a mafia hospital. 'Follow my instructions or leave the OT.' Man, I almost stopped breathing myself!" Shivay copied siara

"Did you hear how she told that doctor off? ‘I regret signing your medical certificates.’ I would’ve resigned on the spot!" Myra giggling

"No, no, the best part was when she said, " Drill his head, she said it like she was asking to add extra cheese to her burger" shivay laughed out

Kabir mocking Siara’s stoic tone "Mr. Kapoor, stay alive or else!"

"Or else what, Kabir?" Siara asked totally amused

For the first time in three years siara involved herself in their conversation. To say they were shocked was an understatement. Kabir's jaw dropped and eyes wide opened. Every family member was equally shocked. Heck even siara herself was shocked.

Kabir acted to wipe his imaginary tears and said "Or else you’ll come to the afterlife, drag him back, and make him apologize for dying."

The group burst into laughter, earning a stern glare from Rajeshwari, which quieted them momentarily.

Shivay whispering to Devansh "She didn’t even flinch when the patient asked if she was married. I mean, how does she stay that cold?"

"Maybe Mahir bhai has frozen her soul. Ice queen meets ice king. A match made in Antarctica." Devansh replied

Kavya teasing "Did you see Mahir's expression, though? He wasn’t eating; he was dissecting her every word like it’s some business strategy."

"I’m still not over the patient telling her to have kids. Did you see her face? It was like her brain glitched for a second!" Divya laughing furiously

"If they have kids, those kids will come out giving TED talks on how to survive life-threatening surgeries." Shivay said

The youngsters burst into uncontrollable laughter again, but this time Mahir’s sharp gaze silenced them instantly.  "If you’re done, maybe you can all focus on your food instead of turning dinner into a stand-up comedy show."

"And there’s the ice king to match the ice queen."  Shivay muttered

Kabir nodding solemnly "Balance restored."

Even Siara’s lips twitched slightly at their antics, but she quickly masked it, turning back to her plate as though nothing had happened.

_______________________________________

Mahir's pov-

Later that night, as the house fell into silence and the younger clan finally quieted down, I found myself in my study, staring at the untouched glass of water on the desk. The events of dinner replayed in my head, particularly the sight of Siara calmly orchestrating a life-saving operation over the phone, all while sitting at the dining table as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Who is she?

That question kept circling my mind. The woman who commands respect and fear in the hospital, who could effortlessly call someone’s bluff with a single glance, who doesn’t flinch under pressure or when faced with blood and chaos—how could she also be the same person who was, only days ago, writhing in pain and unable to ask for help?

And then there’s the other side of her, the side I saw when she broke that man’s wrist in my office. Yes she broke it, though i thought she just twisted it. I was wrong because after she went home, I paid a special visit to that guy as promised and made sure he doesn't get up from  the hospital bed for atleast 6 months .

When she broke his wrist, There was no hesitation, no second thought. Her movements were swift, precise, as though it wasn’t the first time she had hurt someone. The coldness in her eyes in that moment—it wasn’t just the confidence of someone defending herself. It was the ease of someone who knew how to destroy.

I clenched my fists. Could she really kill someone? My mind flashed to that haunting moment in the office when her stoic demeanor had cracked for a split second. That flash of humanity, pain—was it regret? Or was it simply a fleeting weakness she couldn't suppress?

I leaned back in my chair and exhaled deeply. I can’t hate her. I’ve tried to find reasons, to hold onto the resentment I’d nurtured when this arrangement was forced upon me. But with every passing day, those reasons feel less valid, more like excuses to avoid confronting the truth.

But love her?

I shook my head. No. Loving her isn’t possible—not for me, not after…everything. I’ve built walls around myself that even I can’t dismantle. And she’s built her own fortress of ice, one I don’t even know if she wants anyone to break.

We’re like two parallel lines—never meant to intersect.

Still, as I closed my eyes, I couldn’t help but hear her voice from dinner. The way she reassured that dying man, her cold tone carrying an unspoken warmth. “You’re not dying, Mr. Kapoor. Your wife and baby are waiting for you.”

And then his words haunted me. 'There is a need for more people like you in the world.'

Would he say the same if he knew about her past?

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. Siara is a puzzle, one I can’t solve and am too afraid to even try. Because solving her might mean unraveling myself. And I’m not ready for that. Not yet.