Page 34 of Someone to Love
The voice.
More familiar to her than anything on the planet. Kind and gentle, but firm. As if demanding, no, forcing her to open her eyes. She had to open them now, she couldn’t not open them. Gathering her strength, she focused all her energies on her eyelids. The same blue and white room. And his face close to hers.
Even in that state, she gasped when she recognized the face.
Atharv.
‘Hey,’ he said gently, ‘welcome back.’
Atharv. His face inches from hers.
How could it be him? No, of course, it couldn’t be him. This had to be a dream, she knew, but a nice one. A dream she didn’t quite wish to wake up from. Oddly, this dream required her to keep her eyes open but it was a losing battle and soon she had to close them again.
It took a little less strength to open her eyes this time. The room was dark, but Atharv was still there. Sitting on the floor next to her bed, holding her hand with one hand, and a book in the other. He was reading. She wanted to say so many things but was scared that the dream would end should she speak up. Koyal remained silent and closed her eyes. Atharv was there and hence there was no reason to feel afraid any more. He was there even if this was just a drug-induced dream. He was there even if he was not there. Just like he had promised all those years ago.
Koyal opened her eyes and stared at the sunlight streaming in. Cheerful and bright. She immediately looked on her right.
No Atharv.
No hand clasping hers.
The dream had ended and she was awake. For a moment, an all-consuming sadness overcame her. In the dream, Atharv had sat next to her like he was her friend, the friend he was always meant to be, not the stranger he had become.
‘How are you, love?’ a kind-faced older nurse came up to her.
‘I…’ Koyal was surprised at how hoarse her voice sounded, ‘I am okay … but very thirsty.’
The nurse gave her some water and when Koyal said she wanted to rest, the nurse left the room.
‘Ms Raje, or is it Ms Ra-ye?’ A doctor came to her bedside a few hours later.
‘Ra-jay,’ Koyal pronounced her name for him.
‘Right, Ms Raje,’ said the doctor briskly, ‘you had a massive asthma attack which led to some further complications. Nothing we need to worry about now, but I would like to keep you under observation for at least another twenty-four hours.’
He went on for a bit, telling her in detail what had gone wrong, but Koyal barely heard him.
‘Anything you wish to ask?’ he asked in conclusion.
Koyal thought for a moment. Yes, she had a question. Had he seen a tall, broad man with spectacles and a book walk into her room and stay by her side?
She knew visitors were not allowed for such extended periods of time and the question itself seemed silly.
‘No, I am good. Thank you,’ she said politely.
It would have been a stupid question to ask. She knew it had been a dream, a very real dream, but a dream nevertheless.
It was much later in the evening, when the kind nurse was back, that Koyal decided she had to ask. Even if just to be told that she was imagining things.
Hopefully to be told that she was imagining things. Something, anything, to end the insanity.
‘Jennifer?’ Koyal said in a hesitant voice even though Jennifer had to be one of the kindest persons she had ever met.
‘Yes, love?’ Jennifer looked up from the file she had been updating.
‘Umm … umm … was there … you know, someone with … a book … I mean, a man … in this room?’
Gosh, she sounded like such an idiot, thought Koyal.