AASHIQUI 2

CHAPTER 30

When I next woke up, I realised I had a pillow underneath my head, which was pounding, and a blanket covering me. I jolted up looking around the hospital room, finding Nia sitting on a couch to the right of me, waving at me, 

"Finally......." she sighed, "it's been a while."

A while?

"How long?"

"About 19-20 hours" she said absent-mindedly, handing me a fresh pair of clothes and pointing to the bathroom. 

"How did I get on the bed? I mean I was sitting on a chair and...."

"You fell asleep holding Ruhaan's hand. When Abhi was taking him for X-rays, he told Abhi to put you on the bed, so Abhi carried you from the chair you were sitting on to Ruhaan's bed."

For some unknown reason, I felt like blushing knowing Abhi had carried me to bed.

When I walked out, I saw a sight that would hurt even the coldest of all hearts. A limp, lifeless, Kishan was being helped up from a wheelchair onto his hospital bed by Abhi, who was almost carrying him. He winced as he was being placed on the bed slowly. 

I was fixed in my position. 

My heart ached knowing this is the same man who never needed any help, no support, until today. His head was now resting on his pillow, his eyes closed, as he now sat upright in his hospital bed. 

I slowly walked over to where Nia sat and held her hand tightly, tears slipping out through my tear ducts. The next thing I felt were two hands on my shoulders helping me up, and walking me over to Kishan, Abhi. 

Kishan's eyes were now rolled open as he looked at me from the side of his eyes. I was now at the side of his bed, my head bowed, and my face tear stained. 

I saw his hand slowly quivering to meet mine and I held it half way. His chapped lips parted as he spoke in a croaking voice, "Mi-ra........" 

A tear dropped from my eye and I ran out of the room, hearing footsteps behind me. I plopped down onto a chair, my hands covering my face. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to meet Nia's pale face. She sat down next to me, 

"you can't escape the reality Myra. I know it must be really hard for you to see Ruhaan in such a state, but....."

I turned around to face her, "bu-t?" I questioned, my hair sticking to my face with my tears acting as the glue. 

"But he needs you Myra. I know, after all that has happened, it must be hard for you to accept him, but all he needs right now, more than his medications, is you."

"But why me Nia? I mean he has Abhi, his parents, there are a lot of people who can be there for him, and look after him, why do I need to?"

She thought about it for a second before replying, "because Mira, he doesn't have anyone else. I ask you Myra, answer honestly, who does he really have to call his own? His estranged parents or his friend who he is not on good terms with just yet?" she sighed, "you're the only one he has to call his own. If you don't take responsibility of him, who will?"

"What do you mean responsibility?" I asked, 

"Come with me" she said pulling me with her, 

"Doctor," she said calling out to Dr. Hughes, who turned around to face Nia and I. Finally Nia left my hand, "Doctor, when will Ruhaan be able to go home?"

"I'd say maybe another 2-3 days of rest here at the hospital should be good for him. After that he can go home, but he will need 24/7 attention for at least 2-3 months. It would take him a while to learn everything again, from talking to walking, it will take a little while. We did some X rays on his left ankle earlier today and found that the bone is not broken, but there is permanent damage to that bone, which could be lifelong. It would be hard for him to start walking like he used to, but it may be a while before that happens. Till then, he may require some help with walking and can also use crutches to make it easier for him to walk. He might get flashes from the incident, but I feel it is to early to diagnose him with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He will also start forgetting and remembering things on a normal basis for a certain time period until his other wounds are healed and we can do a surgery on his amygdala to restore his memory." 

To say I was shocked, would be an understatement. "Thank you doctor," Nia said thanking the doctor and turned to me, 

"See. He doesn't need any of us, all he needs is you" she said rubbing her hand on my back.

"So you want me to leave my life, leave my education, and sit at home to look after him all day?" I inhaled a deep breath, "Nia, you know how hard it was for me to come here, learn what independence is, what life is, who I am. And now you want me to give up on all that for a man who has never given me anything but pain."

She sighed, "ultimately it's your decision. You can make your own choice. I won't interfere, I promise" she said patting my back. I nodded as she left me there, standing all alone. 

"Where are you going?" I asked Nia as she fastened her shoelaces, not looking up even once before replying, "going to meet someone you don't care about."

"I'll go with you too."

"Really? Do you even know him? A man who has given you nothing but pain? That very man has been lying in a hospital bed for the past three days, in a lot more pain than you could ever be in Myra.  Me, Abhi, Nat, Seb, Amelie and Franky have been going to see him every day, and do you know what the only thing he has asked for every day is? You. He never even acknowledged our presence. How can you be this selfish? This man, who can barely say a word, asks for you putting in every bit of strength he has to say your name. That is the only word he has said over and over again."

"I'm ashamed to call you my friend," she said walking out of the room.

"Please sign the discharge papers,"

"I'll sign them," I announced taking the papers from Abhi's hands, 

"Wh-at are you doing Myra?"

I signed the papers and looked up at Abhi, 

"I will take his responsibility."

A lot of editing needs to be done. It's been a while, but hey, something is better than nothing right?