Love in Time

Ch.5 Broken

*2009*

*Baroda, Gujarat *

The couple stood looking in horror at the little girl covered in blood. They ran towards her. Her chachu laid her on his lap and patted her cold cheeks.

"Bondita,Bondita!?"

But alas, they got no response. The girl appeared to be lifeless in front of them. Scared, her put his hand to her chest. At first, he felt nothing, but on more observation, he felt a very light rythemic beat of her heart. He sighed in relief and quickly picked her up. They ran back to the car.

But now, they had to make a difficult choice. They could either take Bondita to a nearby hospital or travel for almost 5 hours to reach the hospital where her parents were taken. Bondita's heartbeat was very faint. But a guardian or relative was also needed for her parent's treatment. With no other choice, her chachu remembered durga ma and started the car, driving with full speed.

At around 1 in the morning, they reached the hospital. Bondita was rushed to admit in the hospital. Her chacha went to talk to the doctors about her parents.

The doctor gave him the sad news. Bondita's mother and grandma had died. Her father was in critical condition and needed immediate surgery. Although it is not right, the doctors had started the surgery. Her Chachu signed the papers and went back to see Bondita. She was also in the OT.

15 mins later, the light on the door turned off, and the doctors came out. They shifted Bondita to the ICU.

"Doctor, Bondita kaisi h? Kya hua usse?"

"Bacchi ke throat muscles m bohot swelling aa gyi thi aur uske gale ki bhot saari choti choti nase phat gyi thi. Isi vajah se usse khoon ki ultiya bhi hui. Kya isse koi allergy h? Peanuts se ya fir lactose intolerant. "

"Nahi sir, usse koi allergy nahi h. Aur usne to kuch khaya bhi nahi tha."

"Hmm. Vaise bhi peanut allergy k bhot se case dekhe h, lekin itne bhayanak symptoms kisi ko nahi hue. Anyways, humne anti inflammatory medicines diye h. Lekin bachi bhot weak h aur blood loss bhi bhot hua h. Ek unit blood to humne chada diya h. Dusra unit ka apko intezam karna hoga."

"Ji. Thank you very much doctor."

*1909*

*Tulsipur, Bangal*

Anirudh was tossing around on the ground. He could not sleep. He got up and went outside and sat down in the courtyard. He looked up at the sky, gazing at the stars, he found the brightest one amongst them. He smiled while looking at it.

Tears rolled from his eyes while looking at the star with a smile on his face.

*2009*

*Amreli*

*Bondita's dream*

Bondita woke up in the room. She looked around here and there but saw no one. The darkness was scaring her. She wanted it to go away. Suddenly, the room lit up with light. Bondita went to the window and looked out in the sky. While looking carefully, she realised that the previous two times she came here there were the same number of stars in the sky but this time there were two more. Bondita walked around looking for the boy she had met the previous two times but he was nowhere to be found. Unable to find him, she sat down in a corner, eyes closed and head hung low. Minutes later, when she opened her eyes she saw a different surrounding. There were bright lights and pale walls. Then she saw that in front of her, her chachi was sitting in a bench, dozing off.

She suddenly remembered what she heard before passing out. Immediately she got out of bed trying to run away, but a sharp pain in her hand stopped her. She looked at her hand and saw tubes attached to it. She plucked them off harshly, causing blood to gush out with a strong wave of pain. Tears formed in her eyes and she shreiked. Her chachi woke up from the sound and rushed to her.

"Bondita! Kya kar rahi h. Hey bhagwan abhi itni mehngi bottle chadayi thi aur iss bewakoof ladki ne. Aur ro kyu rahi h. Pagal. Saara khoon bhi barbaad aur kheech k tube bhi nikal di. Dard to hoga hi."

"Cha- cha- chachi." She stammered and choked while crying. "Ma baba ko kya hua h. Vo dono thik h na. Unka accident ho gaya h. Vo chale jayenge. Mujhe baba k paas jana h. Chachi please mujhe baba k paas jana h." She cried.

Her chachi held her tightly and took her back to the bed. She left her hand to call the nurse, and immediately, Bondita ran off crying.

"Maa! Baabaaa! MAA! BABAA!" She shouted with all her strength and started coughing up blood. Other patients and their guardians who were annoyed by the girl shouting saw her coughing up blood. A few ran to call a doctor or a nurse. Amidst the commotion, the doctor entered and tried to check her. But she pushed the doctor and ran away. She ran here and there, doctors and staff trying to stop her. And finally she saw her chachu talking to a doctor. She ran towards him but stopped in her tracks.

"I am sorry, Mr. Subhash. Your brother is no more. Apke bhai ki death ho gayi h."

Subhash's tears fell as he stumbled from shock. The doctor left from there and nurses brought the body out from the OT to shift it to the mortuary. He rushed towards the stretcher and saw his brother's body covered in white cloth. He removed the cloth a bit. His face was covered in blood completely. The nurses seperated him and did their work. Subhash turned around to check on his wife and niece when he saw her standing there, lifeless, or shocked maybe, like she had seen a ghost. Her mouth was covered in blood, dripping down her chin to the neck, staining the blue dress of the hospital. Suddenly, she shouted loudly, a sharp siren noise, followed by more and more blood coming out of her mouth. He could see that she was unable to breathe. He rushed towards her as she fainted and picked her up. He ran to her ward and called the doctor.

The doctor checked on her. A high dosage of medicines was given to her again. She lay unconscious in her bed.

The doctor came outside the room. Subhash rushed to him.

"Doctor ye kya hua achanak se vapis."

"Yaha koi baitha nahi tha kya. Bondita drip nikal k yaha se bhag kaise gayi." Doctor asked

"Sir m nurse ko bulane gayi thi utne m to ye ladki yaha se gayab bhi ho gyi." Her chachi taunted.

"Bondita ne kuch khaaya ya piya ho?"

"Nahi doctor, uthte hi idhar udhar bhaagne lagi."

"Abhi filhal hum confirm nahi kar paa rhe h ki uski iss condition ka karan kya h. Koi allergen hi h ya body kisi aur cheez ka response de rahi h." The doctor explained.

Suddenly, something striked Subhash's mind.

"Doc- doctor, Bondita...... bondita ne pehli baar apne maa baba ke accident k baare m suna tha aur vo ek andhere kamre m band thi. Jab humne kamra khola tab hume vo uss halat m mili thi. Aur iss baar bhi usne mujhe Dr. Malik se baat krte hue sun lia tha ki..... ki dada.....uske baba ki death ho gyi h. Kahi iss vajah se.. to nhi Bondita-"

"Dekhiye hum aise conclusion pe nahi pohoch sakte h. Lekin ha ye ek psychological reaction- ek trauma response ho sakta h." Saying that, thr doctor left.

Bondita's chachi was looking at her husband with wide eyes, trying to take in what he said.

"Apke- apke dada. Vo- vo." She stammered.

"Hmmm." Subhash said, silently crying.