Forgotten Fires

Chapter 7

Aarini

As I drove back, my mind raced with the events of the day. The streets outside blurred past me, the familiar scenery turning into a haze as I struggled to focus. My thoughts felt jumbled, like I was trapped in a fog, and something deep inside told me that something was off. There was a sense that I was missing something—something I didn’t know yet, but needed to understand.

Suddenly, a sharp jolt interrupted my thoughts. Everything around me began to spin uncontrollably. I could feel my grip on the wheel slipping as the world twisted in a dizzying blur. The lights—headlights, streetlights, everything—became a swirling mess of brightness. I couldn’t make sense of it, couldn’t even react.

Then, everything went dark. The last thing I remembered was the sensation of being thrown, and then… nothing.

When my eyes finally fluttered open, the sterile smell of the hospital air hit me like a wave. My vision was blurry at first, but as it cleared, I could make out the familiar figure of my mother sitting by my bedside. Her face was etched with worry, but there was something else—something I couldn’t quite place. Behind her, I saw Meera Aunty, her back to me as she spoke with the doctor in hushed tones.

My heart skipped a beat when I overheard fragments of their conversation. "Her memory… I hope there’s no bad news, like there was with Reyan."

Bad news? Reyan? My mind raced, but the dizziness in my head only deepened the confusion. What had happened to Reyan? What did she mean by that? The words hung in the air like a dark cloud, leaving a trail of unease.

I tried to sit up, but my body felt heavy, weak. The room around me seemed to close in as I strained to listen more closely. What was wrong with Reyan? What had happened while I was out of it? I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more—something they weren’t telling me.

I strained to listen, my mind racing with questions, but before I could make sense of anything, a wave of dizziness hit me. My vision blurred again, and the room seemed to tilt. I tried to focus, tried to grasp onto the fragments of their conversation, but it was as if my body was betraying me. Everything went quiet, the voices fading into a distant hum, and then… I don’t know what happened after that.

It was as if the world slipped away from me once again.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in the room at Vinay Uncle's house—the same room where Tata and I had stayed. A soft beeping noise from a machine beside me brought my attention to the present. A nurse stood nearby, and suddenly, an intense thirst overwhelmed me. My throat felt dry, and I managed to whisper, "Water."

The nurse quickly brought me a glass and helped me drink. As I sipped, I noticed her making a phone call. "She's back from the coma," she said into the phone. Coma? Had I been in a coma? For how long? The thought spun in my head like a whirlwind.

Just then, the door swung open, and a flood of people rushed in. I could barely focus on their faces, but I felt a sense of confusion rising within me. Before anyone could approach too close, the nurse stepped in, her voice firm but gentle. "Don't all come at once; she might go into shock."

With that, she motioned for only two people to stay. My mom and Tara stayed by my side, while the rest reluctantly filed out, leaving me alone with the two people I felt most familiar with. But even with them there, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong—something I still didn’t understand.