The corridors of Sunshine Hospital buzzed with the usual Monday morning energy - patients shuffling in, monitors beeping in the background, and the steady hum of hurried footsteps. At the center of it all, Dr. Arjun Mehra strode confidently, his pristine white coat billowing behind him. With his sharp jawline, neatly styled hair, and an aura of unmistakable authority, Arjun was the epitome of a star surgeon. He was the kind of man who knew his brilliance and made sure everyone else did too.
"Dr. Mehra, the cardiac patient in Room 302 wants to see you," an intern stammered nervously, trying to keep up with Arjun's long strides.
"Let him know I'll be there in fifteen," Arjun replied without breaking stride. "And remind him, I'm a surgeon, not a magician. If he skips another follow-up, he's not getting my sympathy."
The intern nodded and hurried off, leaving Arjun to revel in his morning ritual of command. It was just another day of being extraordinary - or so he thought.
At the nurses' station, Priya Sharma was juggling chaos of her own. A seasoned nurse with years of experience, Priya was the hospital's go-to problem solver. Whether it was a panicked patient or an inexperienced intern, she handled it all with a cool head and a sharp tongue.
"Where's the chart for Mr. Singh in 207?" she barked, scanning the cluttered station.
"Uh, I think Dr. Mehra took it," a junior nurse replied hesitantly.
Priya rolled her eyes. "Of course he did. Why ask when you can just take?"
She grabbed a tray of medications and stalked off, muttering under her breath about inconsiderate doctors. Her day had barely begun, and she was already regretting coming in.
Their fateful collision happened at precisely 10:23 AM, though neither would remember the exact time. Priya was rushing toward a patient in critical condition, balancing a tray of medications and a stack of charts, while Arjun, engrossed in recounting his latest surgical triumph to a group of interns, turned a corner without looking.
*Crash!*
The sound echoed through the hallway as pills scattered across the floor and papers flew into the air. Priya landed on her back, the tray clattering beside her. Arjun, caught off guard, stumbled but managed to stay upright, his coffee cup miraculously intact.
"What the - " Arjun began, looking down at the mess.
"You've got to be kidding me," Priya interrupted, glaring up at him. "Are you seriously blaming me for this?"
"Well, you were running like it's the 100-meter sprint," Arjun replied, offering her a hand to help her up. "Maybe slow down next time?"
Priya ignored the hand and got up on her own, brushing off her scrubs. "And maybe you should try looking where you're going instead of showing off for your interns, *Dr. Mehra*."
Arjun's eyebrows shot up at her tone. "Showing off? I was simply sharing valuable knowledge."
"Valuable knowledge doesn't mean much if you're too distracted to notice someone coming straight at you," Priya snapped, kneeling to gather her scattered papers.
Arjun crouched down to help, though his smirk remained firmly in place. "Well, maybe if someone labeled themselves as a walking hazard, this wouldn't happen."
"Funny," Priya shot back, snatching the papers from his hand. "I was about to suggest the same thing for you. Except your warning sign would say, 'Caution: Overinflated Ego.'"
By now, a small crowd of staff had gathered, stifling their laughter as the two continued to bicker. It wasn't every day that someone stood up to Dr. Mehra, and they weren't about to miss the show.
"Okay, Nurse Sharma," Arjun said, standing up and dusting off his coat. "I'll admit, this wasn't entirely your fault. Maybe eighty percent you, twenty percent me."
Priya glared at him. "It's more like ninety percent you, ten percent me. But sure, let's go with that."
"Deal," he said, flashing her a grin before turning to leave. "And next time, try not to run me over. I'm valuable hospital property."
Priya watched him walk away, fuming. "Unbelievable," she muttered under her breath, grabbing the tray of medications and stomping off in the opposite direction.
The incident quickly became the talk of the hospital. Doctors and nurses alike buzzed about the fiery exchange, many of them delighted to see someone finally put Dr. Mehra in his place.
As for Arjun, he couldn't stop thinking about the encounter. He was used to people either idolizing him or fearing him, but Priya had done neither. Instead, she had met him head-on, matching his wit and refusing to back down.
"She's... interesting," he admitted later that day to his best friend, Dr. Rohan Kapoor, as they scrubbed in for surgery.
Rohan smirked. "Interesting? That's a first. Usually, you just call people boring."
"Well, she's definitely not boring," Arjun said, thinking back to the fire in Priya's eyes.
Meanwhile, Priya was determined to avoid Arjun at all costs. She didn't have time for arrogant surgeons with too much confidence and too little consideration. But fate, as it often does, had other plans.
End of Chapter 1