Daastan [#MissionDesi]

Chapter 10

I felt a hand on my shoulder, gently nudging me. My mind fuzzy from sleep, it took seconds for me to get my bearings. 

"Vinayak?" My heart pounded against my chest, in rhythm with the rain pattering against the window panes. Something felt wrong.

He placed his hand on my shoulder and said, "Sujatha..."

I pushed him aside and ran towards the ICU ward. I could hear him shouting after me. The ward was empty. The bed that Sujatha had been lying on before, now was unclaimed. Adrenaline rushed through my veins. Where is she? What happened to her?

Vinayak came rushing by my side and said, "She's fine. Don't panic. They've shifted her to the general ward since she's woken up."

I grabbed at his shirt collar, my voice shooting up an octave, "Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"Well you didn't even give me a chance to say anything. You just took off with that nape tied around your neck, flying through the corridor!" he said rolling his eyes.

I chuckled under my breath. 

We went to the general ward where Sujatha's father sat beside her bed. Tears seemed to have left smudges under her eyes. Her face looked pale, lips had lost their colour, pallor was visible on her cheeks. Doctor Nayar stood to the other side of the bed. Vinayak and I went inside.He stopped next to Sujatha's father and I stood by the foot of her bed. 

Her eyes followed me blankly, not even a flicker of recognition crossing her features. 

"Sujatha?" Doctor Nayar spoke softly as if talking to a child. She continued, "Do you remember who he is? She pointed a finger at me. 

Sujatha looked from me to her father and then from her father to the doctor and then back at me again, shaking her head. I heard a faint whisper emerge from her lips, "Who is he?"

I exhaled sharply. I didn't realize I was holding my breath.Doctor Nayar came by my side and explained to me that it happened in cases like these. Sujatha had lost her recent memories which is why she seemed to remember her father and not me, since we had known each other since last one year. That's how far her memory had been wiped out.

In a daze, I walked out of the room. I had no idea where I was going. Vinayak came running behind me but I pushed him away. I got into the elevator, pushed the ground floor button and as the doors slid open, got out of it as if it was the most natural thing to do.  As I stepped out of the hospital, I heard temple bells ringing in the distance. I headed out in that direction. 

I climbed the steps of the temple and as I rang the bell, I felt tears leaking through my eyes. But before I could stop them, I started shaking convulsively. My knees gave out beneath me and I sat there crying for what felt like almost an eternity. 

Why wasn't I there with her? If I'd been there, I could have done something, got her to the hospital on time. I should have taken her to her parents place as she had insisted. It wouldn't have happened if I would have listened to her. 

You had promised you would look after her. Look what you've done! You had promised you would never let business or anything come before her. See what's happened! I broke my promise and now I was gone forever from her life. Wiped out!