Love At Last Sight ✔

Chapter Seven

Nandini Murthy

"Mr. Hale, w-what's happening to me?" I question fearfully, sitting on the other side of the glass table. My throat chokes as somewhere down the line, I know the answer to my own question.

He sighs, interlocking his greyish fingers. I gulp. My own fingers has a grey shade too. I want to stay calm but I have no more patience to stay quiet. So, I tried explaining him further, "I mean, I know, the shirt I'm wearing is navy blue but now, it seems almost black."

"Miss Murthy, I'm going to be very honest with you." He rests his elbows on the table between us and I nod in response, waiting for him to continue. He takes his own time to respond, "You are becoming colour blind."

I blink. Tears threaten to fall off but I don't let them. I'd guessed it. Though, I'd never thought it'd be all grey but I know, colour blindness is bound to come along with the Cone-Rod Dystrophy. It is inevitable. But when it actually did come, I don't feel myself ready enough.

I was so normal until a week back. I haven't imagined something like this will happen to me. Except for the a not-so-normal talk I had with The Manik Malhotra, whom I've not seen afterwards, everything has been normal in my life. Yeah, 'normal', so fucking normal!

How can I just forget that my life isn't 'normal'? For fuck's sake, Cone-Rod Dystrophy is nowhere near that bliss!

It's just 3-4 days back when a few colours started to fade away, though not noticeably enough. It increased with each day until I realized that something is terribly wrong with me. I could see every other thing mixed with grey.

I take in a sharp breath to try stop those fucking tears from falling. A sob escapes me eventually as all my efforts to keep my tears at bay go futile. I cover my mouth in order to muffle my loud wails.

Mr. Hale gives me a pitiful, sympathetic look. This—this is the only thing I hat the most after Cone-Rod Dystrophy. I don't want anyone's pity or sympathy. Instead, I need someone's support. But I'm not that lucky.

"Miss Murthy, please, control yourself." Mr. Hale looks anxious as he passes me a glass of water. I drink it in a go, holding it with shivering hands.

"But c-colour b-blindness ain't just—" I breath as I try to control my heavy sobs, "—se-seeing a few colours dif-differently?"

He sighs, "We name that as colour blindness but that is actually loss of colour perception. The real colour blindness is black and white."

"But—how?" I speak almost incoherently. Why is life being so cruel on me? I was holding myself together till now but all this has started to take a toll on me. How long will I be able to stay strong?

I am truly tired.

"Your Cone cells are dying, rapidly than before." Mr. Hale's voice pulls me out of my thoughts, "Cones help our brain process the colours around us. If Cone cells die, you won't be able to see any colour but grey."

"But, the trees are still green!" I almost yell frustratingly as I reason, just to give myself a little assurance that my world isn't grey yet. But who am I fooling? Myself?

"Or maybe, a shade between green and grey." I gulp as Mr. Hale's words fall on my ears. It is indeed true. They aren't completely green either.

My body shakes as another heavy sob leaves me. I'm not ready. I need time. Please, I'm just another human. I can't be stronger. I,'m falling. I'm falling terribly weak. Will I even be able to survive this?

"Wh-what if—" I stutter, my heart filled with fear, "—my Rod cells start dying like that too?"

"It'll happen soon." He passes me another pity filled look, "Once they do, you won't be able to identify shapes. Rods help us process the shapes we see."