DEPTH

Chapter 15

Vel woke up to a sore neck. Oh! He was making it habit of sleeping in awkward positions on hospital chairs and couches. But it was not the pain that woke him up. The shrill cry of the phone was heard again. Rubbing the back of his neck he reached for the switch board as the day light was long gone and the house was dark. Just then the clock chimed twelve. Who could call so late. Hoping that it wasn't Vikram or Mark, he picked the call warily.

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Chotu couldn't manage Valli's hysterics. All day the meds made her sleep like a baby. That evening after he spoke to Vel and informed him about Valli's Amnesia, the doctor came to visit Valli and check her progress. Letting him in he went to call Vel again. Why was Vel sounding so detached when he said that her parents are coming over to take her home.

That day in the hospital he had found Vel with Valli. Vel was in a peaceful and happy mood and without Vel's knowledge he had immediately clicked a picture. He had used that to tape it to the cctv camera lens.

Chotu felt, well any fool could figure it out that Vel was in love with her. Then how could he be so detached? Was he giving up? But why?

Lost in such thoughts he tried Vel's number only to find it engaged in another call. Should he call Mark? Or may be Vikram? But how was he to explain himself to them? Soon there was some commotion from inside the house and that was when she had the first bout of panic attack as she seemed to fear any male who came near her.

She was okay the previous day, when she woke up and limped to the French window wincing in pain to look out and take in fresh air. Probably she tried to remember what happened with her and that could have triggered a panic attack followed by hysterics. Nobody could soothe her as she started behaving warily even with the women probably likening them to the men. The only consolation being that women didn't cause hysterics or panic attacks. She was after almost 2 hours was brought under control and the doctor gave her an injectable sleeping dose.

Before Chotu could exhale a sigh of relief, a new predicament arrived in a Black Hyundai Accent. One Mr.Sambhasivam claimed to be Valli's father and said that Vel had given him the directions to the Farm House. With him came his wife and other two children, an older daughter and younger son.

Just then Jasmine mentioned that Vel had sent their details including her father's photograph to help Chotu identify them.  But shouldn't Vel be here personally? Why was he avoiding Valli?

Chotu took them to the room where valli was sleeping and the doctor was seated nearby checking her vitals. He had given a mild dose he said only  to calm her and not to put her to sleep for a longer time.

Her parents, with tears of happiness that they found their daughter and sorrow that they had to find her like this, on either side of their daughter Valli. While her mom was stroking her cheeks her father just held her hands as if she may slip away any moment, her brother said his prayers probably thanking God that she was found. Mrs Sambhasivam had thought her children that it is not always enough to pray, you must also thank when the prayer is answered, and her son was doing that on behalf of all of them.

Devi, her sister as chotu learnt later, had a lot of questions: how, what, when, why, where and such and that was why chotu felt as though he was hit by freight train while talking to her. But he commended her for being strong for all of them.  She stood when her parents or brother couldn't under the weight of the sorrow.

After interrogating him she turned her attention towards the doctor, but the clever man wanted to talk to the father instead.

"Yes doctor"

"To be very frank, there has been a rape attempt but no rape. But even that can cause severe trauma. She also has a head injury. Choturam said that she couldn't remember anything. It is too early to conclude anything but I presume that the injury and the trauma together are at to be blamed for the happenings. Brace yourself she may react differently to you."

"Yes, Vel told us about the Amnesia".

"No, am not talking about Amnesia"