Baskadia

The curtains open to the scene of the registration counter of the hospital. It is 1 a.m. The protagonists have been told to stay and complete the formalities before getting the body. Mrs. Kalyani doesn't seem to be in a state of writing, so Mr. Balbir is seen going through the forms. He is not done filling in all the necessary information when Doctor Lal passes by. He gets up and runs up to him...

Mr. Balbir: Doctor, I have a few questions which I would like to ask you about my elder brother you recently operated on, Vinay Sharma.

Doctor Lal: Yes, go ahead.

Mr. Balbir: Doctor, what was the cause of death?

Doctor Lal: It was cardiac arrest.

Mr. Balbir: Sorry?

Doctor Lal: Heart attack.

Mr. Balbir (breaking down): But how doctor? My brother was so healthy. How could this have happened?

(Mr. Balbir falls to his knees)

Doctor Lal (after thinking for a while): Which was why something was bugging me earlier.

Mr. Balbir (Struggling to regain his composure): What, doctor?

Doctor Lal: Normally, a heart attack at such a young age follows a huge spike in the cortisol and adrenaline levels because it is either due to extreme stress or grief. Cortisol and adrenaline are hormones that are released by the adrenal gland when a person gets caught in an emergency where the only effective response is to either fight or run. But in his case, the adrenal gland was practically dormant. In fact, at the time of his death, his body was in a relaxed state and his muscles weren't strained, which implies that he was lying in bed. I also noticed that there were no signs of struggle on any part of his body, which implies that his death was rather painless. As for his other organs, they were running surprisingly well at that time, so basically it was only his heart that failed. These cases are exceedingly rare, but not impossible. I offer my condolences to you, but even though I was myself skeptical of the fact that it might not have been a natural death, I now firmly believe that it was. I have to go now; there are other patients deserving immediate attention.

                                                                                                   (Doctor Lal exits)

(Mr. Balbir sits down murmuring to himself)

Receptionist: Sir, have you completed the forms?

Mr. Balbir: Give me a minute, please.

                                                                                                                                    (Curtains fall)