Hunting Hubris

When she gets a Sleeping beauty for sister

Tears streamed down Arunthati's face while she discreetly tried to wipe them off. At that moment there wasn't a single soul who could empathize with her and she felt lost.

"You know, you are the single specimen who would cry over a superhero movie." Sam scoffed.

"He is ready to sacrifice himself for her" she defended.

Sam could only roll her eyes, "But he doesn't! She dies and he's gonna turn into the bad guy. You know that" she was frustrated. "You are watching this movie for the seventh time this month." And Sam couldn't stand this slow torture anymore. She would happily rush into that two-faced villain's hands than watch this movie one more time. And it was way past 10 in the night. When she should have been riding a unicorn to save the Prince in her dream, she was forced to watch this agony.

"That's it" Sam unplugged the television and lumbered to her bed.

"SAMANTHA!" was all Aru could do.

"Don't wake our neighbours up. I can't explain to them that my sister is an unhinged moron who cries over psychotic villains at night.

Bonne nuit, baby"

"Oh let's see how 'bonne' your night gets." muttered Aru.

Few minutes were all that were required by Sam to drift into her city of dreams. Tickling session by a feather, strong aroma of her favourite coffee, clattering kitchen vessels, threat to burn down her wardrobe and a bucket of ice-cold water could not wake this sleeping beauty. The maximum response Aru's efforts received was a lousy thanks from a sleeping Sam for making the room cool.

And it did nothing to lessen Aru's irritation.

Few minutes later a wide-awake Samantha was running around the house yelling for her sister.

"Will you stop this infernal din!"  Ragini's house was blaring with a latest peppy south Indian song. One of Aru's favourite. One that would make her elder sister run for life.

Finally she found the source of the sound that slayed her sleep.

Locked inside the glass showcase was her mobile connected to the speaker, fully charged, completely out of reach with a playlist that could drag her to the doors of death, on loop.

"ARUNTHATI!!"

"Bonne nuit, sister" Aru smiled.

**********

Aru was staring at the same playlist while Sam's hollow eyes were fixed on her hands. Those once sparking brown orbs were now lifeless.

"Catatonia..." Arjun had said.

"Some people, when faced with a lot of emotional stress...  stress happening all at once over a short period of time, something that they were completely not able to deal with will go into this state, where they become completely unresponsive. The person 'chooses' not to respond to stimuli to escape emotional pain. They just don't respond... Their higher brain functions just shut down.

And Samantha chose to shut herself down..." his eyes had glazed over.

She eats when fed, walks when is made to, stands at the same spot if we fail to make her sit, stares at everything but sees nothing. She could hear while we speaks but nothing reaches her brain.

She was asleep with eyes open.

My eyes drifted back to the playlist. As I touched play, the stereo blared. The loud music pierced my eardrums and I was still increasing the volume.

I wanted Sam to wake up. Curse me to remain unmarried for playing this song. Scream at me to stop this 'infernal din'.

But she was still staring at her hands. With those hollow, lifeless eyes.

And I hated her for it.

I was crying and she was asleep.

Throwing the remote away, I stomped to her.

"Wake up sister..." I wishpered, placing a hand over her shoulder.
But she was still staring at her hands. Still asleep...

"WAKE-UP!"

Shaking her by shoulders, I screamed at her to wake-up. To step out of the stupor. To give me back my breath. But she was still asleep.

"Aru!!" Arjun ran to me. Releasing Samantha from my vicious hold, he moved me away.

I remember me screaming and thrashing in his hold, finally falling over him and sobbing aloud.

"Tell her to wake-up, Arjun"

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Bonne nuit!!

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