Hypnotized by you

13

Kuyili

Hours expired before he was shifted to a normal ward. The doctor asserted that he was fine but the injury would take time to heal completely. Until I heard those words, I was restless, weeping silently...

The relief I felt after listening to the doctor was immense. I was glad my neighbor was out of any danger. Even so, I'm still as remorseful as ever for hurting him physically. I'm so idiotic to have done what I'd done. But the circumstances were arranged in such a way that I couldn't help but frame him as a thief.

How will I explain this to him? What If he doesn't want to talk to me anymore? He was already resentful of me and now this would definitely have intensified his hatred for me. I'm so doomed!

I seat myself outside his ward, hesitant to go inside and watch him. After a while, the early morning came by and I paid the bills and brought him medicines as prescribed. As I then walk towards his ward, I gather up courage and enter as quietly as possible.

Placing the medications aside, I stepped closer to him and felt my heart beat faster the longer I stared at him. He looks exhausted, obviously...

His forehead is wrapped in a head bandage and as the thought of me being the sole cause of it strikes me, regretful tears pool within my eyes and stream down my cheeks endlessly.

I cover my mouth when my cries start to get louder and that's when my neighbor slowly unseals his eyelids. An equal amount of terror and comfort set within me as I gaze at him. I feel the former because I'm terrified of how he would react to the girl who assaulted him standing next to his bed.

He glances in my direction tiredly and I pull my hands away from my mouth, peeping at him with apprehension. "Enna ma paavam pannaen nan unaku?" (What sin have I committed against you ma?) He asks it in a gentle and weary tone that has me shed more tears.

"I...I'm...sorry.." I apologize amidst my crying and start to explain what made me hurt him. "I mistook you for a thief and that's why..." I trail off, my words dissolving as the stupidity of what I'd done pricks me harder.

"Sure..." He drags as If he doesn't believe me. "I really did have no idea that it was you! If I'd known it was you, why would I hurt you, mister? Besides, you hadn't spoken to me for a whole two weeks hence how could I doubt that it was you who came into my apartment in the night? So I thought it was a thief and acted accordingly," I blurt out, frustrated by his mistrust of me.

"Fine, it's justifiable from your perspective. But you see, I came into your apartment in the first place, because of your carelessness. As you failed to attend to your father's call due to your busy slumber, your dad contacted me to check in on you. Which is the reason why I came into your apartment. So Kuyili, this whole incident wouldn't have occurred If you were a bit alert and responsible," He sees me blankly and I stand there, speechlessly.

Thus it's entirely my fault.

He actually came there to check in on me but I have wounded him instead. More the reasons to feel down.

"I'm sorry...for laughing at your face that day as well," I speak guiltily while he waves his free hand, not connected to the IV drips.

"That's okay. I just overreacted. I'm sorry for calling you stupid," oh he does remember that. My heart felt smoothened as though it was being caressed with a peacock feather.

"You don't have to apologize. I am indeed stupid it seems," I point to his head bandage and smile it off. "You are quite brave to have done it. Don't ridicule yourself," Why is my neighbor behaving sweetly?

Adicha adila moozha mazhungidicho...

(Did the pan strike mess up his head or what?)

"I can predict your thoughts you know," my eyes broaden at his utterance. What?

"This is how I usually am. Certain issues caused my behavior to change but I'm getting back to my normal self..." He shares a bit of information about his character and I analyze it within my brain. His breakup must have made him sour. I nod understandingly at him while he gazes elsewhere, as though dazed, and closes his eyes.

I peek at him for a while longer than necessary and smile softly as I exit the room. Dad called me subsequently and I informed him that I was in the hospital accompanying our injured neighbor. He doesn't question me anything further about how the incident occurred but rather queries about the hospital's name, the ward number and disconnects the call.

Father would scold me for sure once he came to know about my actions. I'll have to endure it cause I deserve it.

A few minutes later, father comes to the ward in his police uniform. His overwhelming presence renders our neighbor conscious and I stand on my feet, scared. "How did this happen Kuyili?" Father asks me, seeing the worn-out state of our neighbor.

"Appa...that he came into our apartment and..." My neighbor unexpectedly carries onto my words and I blink at him in suprise.

"...the power had gone and we heard some noises in the kitchen. When I went to check it, I accidentally slipped and hit my head on the edge of the counter...quite savagely," his eyes run to me in quick order and his lips pull into a tiny smile. "Your daughter acted swiftly and got me admitted to the hospital," alike a statue, I exist there, disbelief crossing my features at the confession of my neighbor.

Father then turns towards me and pats my head lovingly. "I've raised my daughter well," he claims proudly while our neighbor hooks his view to me again and smiles. I feel a flip within my chest and glance towards my neighbor who's now gone to slumber again...

But...why did my heart skip a beat?

No, I can't let myself be carried away by him. I shake my head internally in horror. However, the strong feelings that my heart seemed to bear clung rigidly to the said organ, inducing it to skip a beat yet again!

How could this happen, oh my god?..

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