The second season of Mumbai Diaries revolves around the devasting floods of July, 2005 that caused absolute mayhem in Mumbai. The overflowing of the Mithi River brought the entire city to a standstill. Nikkhil Advani’s retelling of this devastating flood places Bombay General Hospital in the middle of a natural calamity and tests its ability to withstand the rising waters. The makers take us through the ordeal the doctors and staff at the hospital face. This article will help you understand what transpired on that fateful day and how one night changed all of them.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Was A Case Filed Against Dr. Kaushik Oberoi?
Mumbai Diaries Season 2 begins with Mrs. Savita Kelkar filing a murder case against Dr. Kaushik for his alleged role in the death of her husband, who was martyred during the attacks on November 26. She believes Kaushik had the resources to save her husband, but he chose to save the terrorist instead. She feels betrayed by the system and the hospital. Kaushik was already under pressure because of the ongoing inquiry into his conduct on that dreadful night. The inquiry was probably requested by Mrs. Kelkar to the ICM so that he would face the consequences of the actions he took in the name of saving lives. Kaushik was known for going against protocols. Only the verdict will tell if Kaushik will be able to practice further or not.
Does Mansi Hirani Go Into Crisis Mode?
Mansi Hirani, the infamous journalist from Mumbai Diaries Season 1, now helms the job of a news anchor with the same news channel that runs a debate on Dr. Kaushik and Bombay General Hospital. Since the flood story was picking up steam, Mansi had to end up presenting a segment on the growing calamity-like situation. Mansi’s crisis lay in the fact that she could not present any of the stories of her choice in prime time, and one of them included a piece on corrupt builders who were partially responsible for the flood-like situation. Mansi was probably tired of being a stooge under Mallika, her boss and wanted to prove her worth. Just like any other journalist who wants to bring about a change in the city through her journalism instead of feeding the people news that did not help anybody. Her friend Sachin, a cameraman with the channel encouraged her to invest in meaningful journalism. Mansi’s moment came when she went rogue with her colleague and Sachin to present a story on the parent company of the news channel she worked for, which happens to be a reputed construction firm. Their corrupt practices are partially responsible for the worsening water logging situation. Her actions got her fired, but her conscience was happy she was stepping away from something that gives only false hope instead of providing concrete solutions.
What Is The Relationship Between Dr. Chitra And Dr. Saurav Chandra?
Bombay General Hospital played host to a British delegation of doctors who wanted to commemorate and study the work done by the team during the 26/11 attacks. To Dr. Chitra and Dr. Subramaniam’s shock, Dr. Saurav Chandra is also a part of the delegation. Chitra and Saurav were married to each other, and the latter put her through traumatic physical and emotional abuse, which led to her fear of closed spaces as well. Chitra spirals at the sight of him because she never expected to see Saurav again. We assume she ran away from her marriage to rescue herself. If she had stayed in that marriage, there is a high chance she would have ended up dead because of suicide or at the hands of Saurav.
Chitra’s reaction to seeing him is a result of the years of trauma she was put through. She figured their love is enough, and eventually, Saurav would change, but that day never came. This is the story of every domestic abuse victim who remains in the hope that their partner will change. Chitra decides to confront the demon instead of running away. Saurav claims to have joined the delegation at the last moment as a replacement for another doctor, but she does not trust his words anymore.
Saurav claims to have changed, which we feel is a classic tactic used by serial abusers to manipulate their victims. It would be wrong for Chitra to trust him, as there is no proof except his words. Saurav might be a great doctor, but that is not enough for any normal relationship to sustain itself.
Ahaan learns from one of the delegation members that Saurav learned about Chitra’s presence in Mumbai through the 26/11 coverage and used his influence to get into this team to meet her. The couple had not divorced yet, but this night at the hospital would help her decide on it. Saurav might be back in the hope of winning Chitra back and trying to smooth talk his way into helping all the doctors by volunteering as a medical practitioner.
What Happened To Dr. Kaushik’s Wife, Ananya?
Ananya was supposed to head to Pune to speak at a seminar, but she canceled her plans because of the rain. She is seven months pregnant, and Kaushik is devoted to her well-being. The pregnancy is a result of their reconciliation after years of them struggling with their married lives. The two are now in a good space as husband and wife, and they cannot wait to become parents. Amidst the worsening increasing flooding situation, Ananya gets stuck, and she accidentally opens the door of her car, which almost drowns her.
Ananya was on the phone with Kaushik when that happened, and ever since, Kaushik went into panic mode and desperately searches for her. Kaushik, being a doctor, ends up helping a lot of people who need medical attention on his way to locate Ananya. She is found at a local chawl being taken care of by a bunch of women. Kaushik was just happy to have found her, but she was barely alive. This could be because she probably stayed in the flooded water for a long time, and it may have affected her unborn child as well. A midwife helps the couple make sure the child inside her is safe, while Ananya’s condition worsens.
Kaushik fears treating her because, as per the rules, he cannot treat a family member. Lately, he has been in a lot of trouble for breaking rules, and he cannot add to it by risking diagnosing Ananya. If her condition worsens under his supervision, she might end up losing her life—a guilt he will never be able to live with. Ananya has been his pillar of support during this media trial and the humiliation he is being put through. He cannot afford to lose her at this juncture. He finds a way to get an ambulance that takes her to the Bombay General Hospital.
Why Was Sujata Suspended?
Dr. Sujata Ajawale admits a family of three that met with an accident during the flood, and the team at the ER was unable to save the mother. Sujata is adamant about saving the daughter from the same fate. She diagnoses encephalitis and requests all her senior doctors perform quick surgery on the kid, which will improve her survival chances. The entire unit asks her to back off and not try to change the rules of the ER.
Sujata feels the need to take matters her own hands and bend the rules in the hope that she will be hailed as a hero like Dr. Kaushik. She does not realize that his actions might cost him his job, a fate she too will suffer. Sujata comes from a background where she and her family had to fight through the system to reach where she is. She feels the fight is never-ending and wants to help this child because she now has the chance to do so. With that thought, she forges Dr. Kaushik’s signature and prepares for the surgery—not before she is caught by Dr. Subramaniam. Sujata is immediately put under suspension for breaking the rules.
Sujata is contacted by Samarth from a juvenile home center as he senses the kids are being mistreated. Samarth’s experience as a nurse allowed him to figure out that some shady business is being carried out, with the kids being forced to get involved in it. Sujata senses the children might be afflicted by an STD, and she lures the caretaker to take the younger and older kids to the hospital to carry out tests for leptospirosis. It was the only way for her to get them to agree to get the kids to the hospital and convince Ahaan or Chitra to conduct an STD-related test. Sujata was sure that the kids were being molested. She did not want to lose that day, and helping the kids was the only way to attain a sense of achievement. Sujata is successful in convincing Ahaan to conduct other tests, but she is strictly asked to be the visitor at the hospital because of her suspension. Sujata and Samarth hoped being in the hospital would give the kids a sense of security, but things didn’t go as planned.
What Is Diya’s And Ahaan’s Dilemma?
Diya’s patient Sandeep has an abusive and controlling mother, and the young boy seems to have attempted suicide. Though his mother claims that her son is not a drug addict, his blood results tell another story. It turns out Sandeep’s mother might get arrested for abetting his suicide. Diya tries to empathize with Sandeep because she went through a phase where she thought no one understood her. She probably sees another version of herself in Sandeep. As per the reports, he is transitioning, as she found traces of hormonal pills in his bloodstream as well.
Sandeep tries to commit suicide in the hospital to prove a point, but Diya stops him from doing so by being reasonable. She allows him the benefit of the doubt, and Sandeep comes out as a woman who wants to be called Sanjana. Sanjana’s mother, Shaalu, seems to have a mindset that does not understand what her son is going through, which forces her to be cruel to him. She fears that society will question her if her son chooses to live like a woman. This constant friction between mother and son could have led him to be highly suicidal. The doctors recommend he admit himself to the psychiatry ward, but Shaalu is still in denial.
Ahaan has feelings for Chitra, and he tries to express them in many ways. Chitra, being a mature person, does not take his infatuation seriously but tries to be a mentor and spends time with him. Ahaan was shocked to learn about the relationship she shared with Dr. Saurav. He was willing to believe the worst when he finally understood Dr. Saurav’s game plan. Ahaan, on the other hand, is trying to stand still after spending more than forty-eight hours in the hospital without any sleep. His lack of sleep is a representation of what resident doctors go through daily. It is not recommended, but it counts as an experience. Ahaan also tries his level best to be a good friend to Diya and Sujata and offers brutally honest opinions on how to deal with their matters.
Who Survives In The End?
Kaushik is asked to join the team in the ER owing to a bridge collapse that happened in the hospital vicinity. One of the victims is Mansi’s friend Sachin, whose leg is brutally damaged. Kaushik had no option but to amputate the leg, even though Mansi was not sure if his family would have wanted that. Kaushik is in full rescue mode, which is why he ends up having to make tough decisions.
Kaushik, before getting into the ER, also encouraged Dr. Subramaniam, who is a neurosurgeon by qualification, performs surgery on Saba, the child patient with encephalitis. Difficult surgery leads to a successful outcome that brings back the confidence they lost after a horrifying day. Subramaniam needs this as a morale booster, which he is passing on to his team to carry out procedures on the collapsed bridge victims. This needed a bit of suspension of disbelief, which the viewers were willing to be put up with.
The results of the tests done on the kids of the juvenile home reveal them to be positive for Hepatitis B, and the caretaker is confronted by the police officer, Mayank Bhat, who was earlier a part of Bombay General Hospital. One of the children with lesions and injury marks on his body was in deep fear and trauma, but after several reaffirmations, he revealed that the caretaker had repeatedly molested him and other kids of his age. The trauma the kid and his friends went through must be of enormous scale. We are not sure how soon or later the kids will recover from it, but rescuing them is the first step towards their rehab and healing process. Sujata and Samarth had the heart to save the kids, and we can hope they might not have a bleak future from this point on.
Ananya is put through an emergency C-section to rescue the baby, but her health worsens by the minute. The time she spent in the contaminated flood water was the reason why Ananya’s body and organs were rejecting all forms of procedures and medicines. Kaushik offers to help, but he is not allowed to be around the surgery because of the rules. Kaushik probably had a future planned for him, Ananya, and their newborn son, but fate had other plans.
Ananya passes away due to an infection that caused multiple organ failures. We are not sure how soon or later Kaushik will recover from this loss. He has his son to look forward to, and he will probably remember Ananya through his child. Mrs. Kelkar and Mansi attend Ananya’s funeral and soon have a change of heart. She decides to withdraw the case in the wake of a tragedy that has hit his family. Mrs. Kelkar understands the pain of being alone without having a spouse by their side. She probably did not want to put Kaushik through any more pain. Mrs. Kelkar finally has someone who will empathize with her pain as well.
Dr. Saurav Chandra, under a fit of rage and jealousy, severely injures Ahaan after understanding that the young man will do anything to save Dr. Chitra. This proves that Saurav had barely changed, and he intended to manipulate Chitra like before and take her back to the UK. His plans work initially, and he forces Chitra out of the hospital. By the looks of it, Saurav comes across as a narcissistic man who will do anything to bring her life under his control. Chitra brutally injures Saurav, finally being able to get away from him. She is rescued by the hospital staff. Chitra was done being under his spell and being taken advantage of for her vulnerable state of mind. Chitra is far from healed from the trauma she has been put through, but filing domestic abuse charges and divorce is her first step towards moving away from toxicity. Chitra’s arc was most harrowing, keeping in mind that she went through years of abuse and lived under the fear of being punished or, worse, murdered by Saurav.
How Did Season 2 End?
The second season of Mumbai Diaries ended with Dr. Subramaniam speaks his heart out about the media trial that Kaushik was put through and numerous questions being raised about the hospital and the ethics they follow. Dr. Subramaniam’s words come across as inspiring because, at the end of the long shift at the hospital, he speaks deeply about the people of Mumbai and their spirit to move on after having gone through the worst night of their lives. His words implied that all the doctors at Bombay General Hospital work to make sure everyone survives, and for that to happen, they will have to break the protocols sometimes. Dr. Subramaniam is proud of his team and the work they do.
