Ahana finished off the rest of her twelve-hour night shift, grateful when the steady stream of patients slowed to a mere trickle. Between her deep concerns over Aisha Sha and her ridiculous awareness of Vikram, Ahana was physically and mentally exhausted.
Outside, she paused to stare in awe at the rising sun sliding up the horizon in the east. The beautiful sight helped restore her sense of peace.
Temple services would be nice, too, even though it was Saturday she knew Moti Lake Temple always held an early morning service. Ahana slid into her car and headed in the direction of the small, beautiful, white temple clearly visible between the leaves of the trees. Ahana was glad it was Memorial Day weekend as she had the next two days off before she had to return to work. As painful as the twelve-hour shifts were to endure, the extra days off were wonderful.
At the stoplight, she yawned so wide her jaw popped. Her eyelids became unbearably heavy, and Ahana pried her eyes open with an effort. Maybe it was better to for go to temple services and head home since Ahana was likely to fall asleep anyway. Her apartment was only a few miles away. Thankfully, Ahana made it home without a problem.
Inside, Ahana set her alarm to go off in five hours, so she could try to get back on a day-shift schedule. The worst part about working nights was switching back to day shifts on her days off.
When her alarm blared five hours later, Ahana groaned and staggered over to shut it off. Every cell in her body craved more sleep, but Ahana forced herself to stay upright.
A cup of coffee and a light breakfast helped clear away the lingering fog hovering along the edges of her mind. Ahana stared outside at the bright sunlight. What she needed was a good rush of adrenalin. Ahana tugged her running gear on, pulled her wavy hair back into a ponytail to keep it off her neck. A visor helped block the harsh rays from the sun as she headed outside.
The first half mile was the hardest, but once she hit her stride and wound her way along the jogging trail, shaded by towering trees, she felt every one of her muscles relax into an exhilarating rhythm. Other than being in the temple, these were the times Ahana felt the closest to God, and she silently recited a prayer as she ran.
Distant sounds of laughter wafted up from the lake, where locals and tourists were enjoying the water. Ahana lived in a small apartment building outside of town without direct access to the lake, although buying a small house on the water was one of her goals.
Maybe next year, she thought with a smile. Ahana come to Moti Lake to escape a bad relationship and to get far away from the high crime rate of Bangalore. The night the cops busted up a drug deal going down in the apartment across the hall from hers had pushed her over the edge.
So far, Ahana absolutely loved it here in Moti Lake.
Her peaceful run was abruptly interrupted by the harsh roar of a motorbike. Ahana hugged the side of the trail, peering over her shoulder to make sure she saw the cyclist before he came upon her unexpectedly.
The growl of the engine became louder, and she stifled a sliver of unease. One wrong move on this dirt-packed, hilly trail could result in disaster.
The motorbike abruptly crested the hill, heading straight toward her. Ahana leaped off the trail to get out of harm’s way. But Ahana landed off balance, her foot slipping on loose rocks and branches. Ahana went down hard. The motorbike swerved around a curve, the driver letting out a loud whoop.
