Epilogue

Author’s Note:

Dear Friends,

I thank you all for going through this journey with me while I wrote this story. As most of you know, I dreamt this story a few months back. This story moved me so much that I had to write it down. So I woke up at 2 a.m. and ignoring my husband’s usual “crazy woman” mumbles wrote down the plot asking my friends should I continue writing it as I already had my FF: Pride and Love going at that time.

Next morning I woke up to an overwhelming response. So I decided to continue. My initial plan was to complete the story within 10 chapters. But people started liking it and identifying with it, so I decided to continue it for a while longer. My short story turned out not-so-short after all with 25 chapters and one epilogue.

Today, I just want to thank my readers, for getting so emotionally involved with the characters and having the patience to go through the story. Special thanks to those readers who threatened me with murder if I kill Khushi in the end (You know who I am talking about girls). You guys made this journey worthwhile.

I hope you all enjoyed this story. I will continue my Pride & Love until I come up with a new concept for a story.

Until then, have a lovely weekend.

Love

T

P.S. If you guys have not read my FF: Pride & Love, do check it out for a completely different flavour of writing. The link for my fan fiction is below.

FF: Pride & Love

Epilogue:

Arnav wakes up to a heavy feeling in his head. He slowly opens his eyes to a bright light and immediately closes his eyes.

He tries to move slowly but feels pain coursing through his body. His tongue feels thick in his mouth.

He tries to open his eyes again, this time avoiding the overhead bright lights and looks around to see that he is in the hospital.

He wrinkles his brow and tries to remember why he is in the hospital when suddenly his memory comes back of the last 7 days and ending in the crash.

Pain shoots through his heart as he looks around wildly for Khushi, but does not see anybody. He tries to scream Khushi’s name but only a hoarse sound rasps out of his dried throat.

He whips up the cover and tries to get out of the bed in panic and knocks off the glass jug holding water on the side table sending it crashing on the floor.

At the sound, a nurse comes running in. She tries to put Arnav back into his bed. But he shrugs off her hand with inhuman strength and tries to get out of the room calling Khushi’s name.

Hearing his voice, Anjali, Nani and NK come running in.

NK rushes to Arnav: What are you doing Arnav? You are still weak.

Anjali hurriedly shouts out for the doctor.

But Arnav snarls at NK like a wild animal: Let me go NK…

Nani gets scared seeing his wild eyes.

The doctor comes rushing in: Mr. Raizada, please lie down. You are not well. You need rest.

Arnav grabs the doctor’s collar and growls: Listen doctor, I need to see my wife right now. Either you take me to Khushi yourself or I will go find her myself even if I will have to take this hospital apart.

The doctor tries to calm him down: Okay fine. You can see your wife.

He nods to the nurses and they hit a button and a portion of the wall goes up revealing a glass partition.

Arnav rushes to the glass and sees Khushi lying in a bed, still as a corpse.

A keening cry comes out of his throat as Arnav collapses on the floor.

The doctor walks to Arnav: Relax, Mr. Raizada. There has been no changes in your wife’s condition since the last 7 days you have been unconscious.

As the doctor’s word slowly sink in Arnav’s brain, he looks up to the doctor with sudden hope. He clutches the doctor’s hands and whispers: You mean, my Khushi is alive?

The doctor wrinkles his brow: Yes. I told you before you collapsed in front of the Operation Theater that your wife is in coma. Didn’t I?

Arnav (shocked): What? Collapse in front of the Operation Theatre? No, doctor. You must be mistaken. We were in a car accident, remember?

The doctor gets even more confused: No, Mr. Raizada. You and Mr. Sharma brought your wife with a bullet wound to this hospital a weak ago remember?

Arnav gets frustrated: Yes, I remember. But then Khushi died and then I got a second chance and then we got married and all. Then we got into a car accident when the brake failed in our car and a truck hit us.

Anjali gasps behind the doctor and clutches Nani.

NK asks Arnav: What are you talking about, Arnav? You were married six months before. Remember?

The doctor looks at his family: Could you please step outside? I need to examine the patient.

Anjali, Nani and NK walks out slowly.

The nurse sits shocked Arnav back into the bed and then walks out. The doctor sits on the chair beside the bed and starts asking basic questions.

The doctor: Mr. Raizada, can you tell me today’s date?

Arnav whispers: February 14^th, 2012.

The doctor: Hummm…. Can you tell me what is your memory of the last 7 days?

Arnav slowly narrates the story of the last 7 days leaving out the more intimate details.

The doctor leans forward: Well, Mr. Raizada. Today is August 21st, 2012. It’s been six months and 7 days since the date you mentioned. The first part of your story is partially correct. You did bring your wife with a bullet wound and when after the operation, I informed you that your wife went into a coma, you collapsed in a diabetic coma yourself.

Your cousin informed us that you have been kidnapped and probably did not get your medicines on time.

Everything you told me after that was your hallucinations while you were in the coma.

Arnav shakes his head: It’s not possible doctor. It was real. Our beautiful moments were real. There were people I met, whom I have never seen before. How could I imagine them in so much details while I was unconscious? I mean I remember the woman who made that deal with me, Lachhi and I can describe her to you. She was…

Suddenly a nurse knocks the door and walks in: Doctor, I’m here to give the medication to the patient. Shall I leave them here and come back later?

Arnav looks up at the nurse’s face and whispers: Lachhi…

The nurse smiles at him: My name is Lacy, sir. Lacy D’Souza.

The doctor turns to Lacy: Lacy, you can leave the medications here with me and leave.

Then he turns back at shocked Arnav: Let me guess, you saw Lacy as Lachhi.

Arnav slowly nods his head.

The doctor continues: And the bright light you seemed to see from time to time were probably the overhead light. The twinkling stars were probably what your subconscious mind saw outside your window, the diyas were probably lights reflecting on stainless steel equipment someone carrying through the hallway and the sound of bells in the temple could be the hospital temple.

You see, everything you saw was very clearly explainable.

Arnav shakes his head and whispers: But it felt so real…

The doctor says: Coma induced hallucinations often seem more real than actual reality. We have records showing coma patient waking up thinking their dreams being more real than reality itself. One patient once woke up thinking he was married to his colleague and it took a long time for the patient to remember that his colleague was never his wife.

Often this is caused by underlying feelings or dreams we carry in our subconscious mind that we can’t express. When we go in coma, conscious mind goes in repose and subconscious mind takes over. Then those long-buried feelings and dreams manifests themselves as reality. But it’s not real.

Think about yourself. You, a rational human being, believed that you can indeed turn back clock and go into your past and fix everything wrong. You tell me, is it believable?

Arnav slowly shakes his head negatively.

The doctor writes a prescription: Here’s my recommendation for a psychiatric consult should you feel the need. However, I don’t think it’s necessary as you’ll slowly start to see the perception of reality back in place eventually once the shock wears off. In the meanwhile, take these medicines and have a rest.

Arnav gulps down the medicines like a mechanical robot.

As the doctor turns to leave, he stops him: Doctor?

The doctor turns to him.

Arnav looks at him: You said Khushi is fine, right? She will wake up eventually like I did, correct?

The doctor replies sadly: Well, we can’t predict when she will wake up as she is in coma. But hopefully with treatment and her family’s love, support and prayer, she might wake up eventually.

Arnav nods his head: Thank you.

The doctor nods back and leaves.

Arnav slowly gets up and walks out of his room and slowly limps to the adjoining room where Khushi was as pale and still as a corpse. Only the shallow up and down of her chest with her breathing was indicating that she was still alive.

Arnav walks up to her and holds her hand.

He gently places a kiss on her palm and says: I don’t know if we really had those beautiful moments or it was all a product of my subconscious mind trying to erase all bad memories and wanting to make everything right. All I know is that those moments spent with you were the best memories of my life. Please wake up so that we can relive those moments together again.

Drops of tears run out from the corner of his eyes to Khushi’s forehead as he bends forward to kiss it.

Then he sits on the chair beside her bed and holds her hand close to his heart and goes to sleep laying his head on Khushi’s bed.

One of Khushi’s fingers makes a tap with the vibration of Arnav’s heart in his chest as her heart picks up a steadier pace matching the rhythm of Arnav’s heartbeat.

THE END