R A A H A T
[hindi/urdu → relief, ease]
Maya lay on the bed, her eyes closed. Her chest rose and fell slowly, the air cool and damp—it smelled of faint coffee and medicine. Opening her eyes slowly, the bright fluorescent light on the ceiling blinded her.
She moved her hand, feeling a sharp pain spreading across her arms. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself to a sitting position. She saw narrow plastic tubes running down from her wrists, connecting to the water bag that was perched on the long, metal stand beside her.
Surprised, she saw Emily—already asleep on the couch located in front of her. Where am I? Groaning, Maya moved her legs. She couldn't move that much, her body felt heavy as though she was pinned to the bed, unable to make any movements.
"You're awake!" Emily's voice croaked.
Dazzled, she saw Emily standing in front of her bed, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes watery and swollen—it looked as though she'd been weeping for days. "Where am I? What happened?"
"You know how worried I am about you?" Emily's voice rose louder.
"What?"
"What the hell were you thinking that day?"
Confused, Maya asked. "What day? What are you talking about?"
"Right," Emily's voice cracked. She sat on the edge of the mattress, breathing in slowly. Emily's eyes met Maya's, already shiny with tears. She sobbed, her hands grasping Maya's. "Do you know how much I care about you?"
Maya looked down, tears started to rain down her cheeks.
"You were like a sister to me, Maya! Without you, I'm completely alone!" Emily sniffed, wiping her unstoppable tears with the palm of her hands. Sobbing, she pulled Maya into a hug. Maya sat still, not knowing what to do. "You're all I have and I don't wanna loose you,"
"What happened?"
"You got hit by a car," Emily said. "You were unconscious for two weeks."
"Two weeks?"
"Yes, two weeks." Emily sighed, teary-eyed. "Now that you're okay, it's all that matters." Patting her back, Emily walked away and went out of the room she was in. Then, there was silence.
Lonely she felt, her mind still scrambling over him. He was the man she loved, the man she cared about, the man who left.
YOU ARE READING
The Man Who Left | ✔
Short StoryFor Maya, there is never a happy ending. All her life she'd loved Nathan - the man who always stood by her side during the dark days of her life. But when she gets news of Nathan's sudden death, will she ever accept it? Will she ever have a happy en...
