Fading In The Sun

Chapter 4: No Point Running, There's A Second Coming

Seated on a square table, four chairs, separated in sets of two. Prachi and Shahana together holding hands once more, weight- reassurance. Riya and Abhishek together but apart, Abhi's arms folded in his lap, Riya's hands still playing with the fidget cube. Eyes fixed in front of them, incapable of looking at each other. Together but separate, an invisible boundary line.

"From what we have gathered, Mrs Mehra-"

"Miss Arora," Prachi interrupted the doctor. She and the other three sat in the managing doctor's cabin, breathing nothing but a silent whisper of the morning dew.

"Right," the doctor said, nodding awkwardly. "Miss Arora has dissociative amnesia. People with that kind of amnesia tend to forget important information or time periods. In extreme cases, their identity. But the good thing is Miss Arora hasn't experienced anything of that sort," he was quick to reassure. "As the situation presents itself, it's because of the trauma from the accident. She has forgotten from what you told me- twenty years. My guess is she had experienced some other form of accident or trauma previously with whom she called Kiara?"

Abhishek nodded meekly. Accident was the term he used more times than he bothered to count to silence his guilt, to make it seem like that was all it was- an unfortunate accident in which he lost two daughters and a wife. The fact that he didn't fight harder for his daughter and wife who was likely grieving just like him was left buried deep within the debris of a nasty nightmare as he declared it to be.

Her words still rang in his ears. You killed her. The accusation hurt as much as it did twenty years ago, if not more so. It hurt more that some part of him knew her words to be true. Yet he still remained too ignorant to admit, a fool.

He took a side glance at Prachi- my daughter- wishing to hold her, but she had made a point to move furthest from him. He lost that privilege that the day the infant version of her had walked out of his life in the safe arms of her mother. The daughter he had in his own arms incapable of taking up responsibilities, the one that was right beside him, he overlooked. His love was never consistent nor unconditional. He never appreciated what he had until it was gone, lost in the darkness of pretence.

"In that case, her mind has reverted back to that time period. Everything else after that is forgotten almost as if it never happened."

"What are you saying?" Prachi found herself asking.

The doctor took a deep breath, finding the easiest way to break the news. "She doesn't know who the three of you are," he said, pointing at the teenage girls. "That is because three of you came after the incident which occurred twenty years ago. There is also a possibility that this amnesia will last quite a while."

"How long are we talking about?" Shahana asked desperately, needing to cling on to some shimmer of light- hope.

"Weeks, months or years. It really depends on her."

"So what do we do now?" Abhishek finally finds his voice, gruff, quiet. Two pairs of eyes darted to him, then instantly away, fixed on the doctor once more.

"It would be best to go along with what she believes is reality. How it was twenty years ago, a similar environment will put her at ease. Allow her mind to heal, she has lost twenty years of memories. It will be a confusing time for her so surround her with familiar faces. Kiara- she seems to be fixated on her. Give her what she needs."

"How can he? He- killed her. He killed- my sister." In barely controlled fury, Prachi stood in one swift motion, chair clattering to the floor beneath her. Tears flowing from her eyes, those that she cannot control. Cracks appear on the boulder, wanting to be isolated with her emotions. Shahana stood as well, to stop her but it was Abhishek who grabbed her hand.