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The moment he heard about the attempted suicide, his brain stopped working. How could this be? How do things change so much in a matter of months? And this was his daughter they were talking about. There was no chance that she would do something like this. She was so much in love. They were so much in love. His heart sunk a little more knowing he was miles away from her.
And almost immediately,his thoughts shifted to the woman on the phone. Ragini. Her weak voice on the other end was not making things easier. He'd hardly ever witnessed her in this state.The tremble in her voice shook his heart to the core.She begged him to come. And he did not need telling. He almost panicked on the phone. He wanted to ask so many questions about her but he decided it was best to go there first. His mind was in a state of havoc. He did not register the 22 hours he spent on that nonstop flight to Mumbai.
Heading to the hospital as fast as he could,he stopped at the sight of his little girl.It was like life had drained out of her. It was a sight no parent can be ever prepared for. There was no one else in the room but in the quick glance that he could afford, he identified Ragini's purse on the chair besides the bed.. the bed that had Nishi.. her Nishi.. and as the realization dawned more and more with every second her lifeless form filled up his vision - his Nishi.. their Nishi.. tears quickly blurred his vision as he stepped inside the room and hurried over to her side, taking her hand in his and collapsing on the chair.
He could not bring himself to even say her name, and his mind could not cope with the emotional assault of his senses.. he just gathered his child in his arms and let some desperate sobs escape his mouth before hiding his face in her hair, trying his best to keep his voice low, even as he unsuccessfully bit back bitter, bitter tears..
He didn't know how much time passed with them in the same position... he realized he did not have words. He wondered why Nishi wanted him here in the first place. He was more than glad to be at her side in such a situation but he had been such an absent father that he was surprised at Nishi's insistence that his situation would somehow help matters. He called out to her softly.. in a matter to revive her and get her to open her eyes..
Nishi.. Nishi.. Papa is here, beta.. Nishi..
As his calls went unanswered by the young woman in his arms, he broke down and called her by the nickname he had coined for her and her alone. His heart seemed to be retrieving the most painful things, handpicking them for him.. so many memories came rushing as he called out..
Gabu.. Gabuuu.. Ga..Gabu..
And she still did not respond. He placed her back gingerly on the bed and held her hand close to his heart as he let his emotions go unchecked and finally broke down and wallowed. Looking at the multiple scratches and wounds on her wrist in addition to the main one that was all covered up, his mind replayed the horror that must have been Nishi's initial attempts at killing herself.. people trying to slit their wrists usually faltered at the end moment and made many superficial injuries before actually slitting the vein.
His throat went dry as he visualized his daughter go through all this - all the while thinking that she was alone and that her life was finished.. he could not breathe .. what must she have gone through? He gasped her name out again and pressed her hand to his face.. wanting to tell her that she was always his princess, and wanting to apologize for every moment spent apart.. for everything he should have said and done and didn't..
And suddenly, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder blade.. he didn't even need to turn to see who it was.. this touch could only belong to his Ragini.. someone who was capable of so much love in so much of disappointment. He quickly dried his tears on his sleeve and looked up at Ragini.
One look at her face was enough to send him into another deep shock. She seemed to have aged 10 years in a day. The hollows of her eyes were haunting him.. the weak smile she now sported was killing him inside.. his mind replayed a reel of his emotions from the moment he got to know of this news.. and then his heart came close to giving up.. he forgot to think about this woman, about Ragini.
What must she have gone through? WHAT must she have suffered, knowing her daughter had tried to kill herself in the room next to hers? It was getting impossible to breathe.. he took one deep breath and the world seemed to black out.
And almost immediately,his thoughts shifted to the woman on the phone. Ragini. Her weak voice on the other end was not making things easier. He'd hardly ever witnessed her in this state.The tremble in her voice shook his heart to the core.She begged him to come. And he did not need telling. He almost panicked on the phone. He wanted to ask so many questions about her but he decided it was best to go there first. His mind was in a state of havoc. He did not register the 22 hours he spent on that nonstop flight to Mumbai.
Heading to the hospital as fast as he could,he stopped at the sight of his little girl.It was like life had drained out of her. It was a sight no parent can be ever prepared for. There was no one else in the room but in the quick glance that he could afford, he identified Ragini's purse on the chair besides the bed.. the bed that had Nishi.. her Nishi.. and as the realization dawned more and more with every second her lifeless form filled up his vision - his Nishi.. their Nishi.. tears quickly blurred his vision as he stepped inside the room and hurried over to her side, taking her hand in his and collapsing on the chair.
He could not bring himself to even say her name, and his mind could not cope with the emotional assault of his senses.. he just gathered his child in his arms and let some desperate sobs escape his mouth before hiding his face in her hair, trying his best to keep his voice low, even as he unsuccessfully bit back bitter, bitter tears..
He didn't know how much time passed with them in the same position... he realized he did not have words. He wondered why Nishi wanted him here in the first place. He was more than glad to be at her side in such a situation but he had been such an absent father that he was surprised at Nishi's insistence that his situation would somehow help matters. He called out to her softly.. in a matter to revive her and get her to open her eyes..
Nishi.. Nishi.. Papa is here, beta.. Nishi..
As his calls went unanswered by the young woman in his arms, he broke down and called her by the nickname he had coined for her and her alone. His heart seemed to be retrieving the most painful things, handpicking them for him.. so many memories came rushing as he called out..
Gabu.. Gabuuu.. Ga..Gabu..
And she still did not respond. He placed her back gingerly on the bed and held her hand close to his heart as he let his emotions go unchecked and finally broke down and wallowed. Looking at the multiple scratches and wounds on her wrist in addition to the main one that was all covered up, his mind replayed the horror that must have been Nishi's initial attempts at killing herself.. people trying to slit their wrists usually faltered at the end moment and made many superficial injuries before actually slitting the vein.
His throat went dry as he visualized his daughter go through all this - all the while thinking that she was alone and that her life was finished.. he could not breathe .. what must she have gone through? He gasped her name out again and pressed her hand to his face.. wanting to tell her that she was always his princess, and wanting to apologize for every moment spent apart.. for everything he should have said and done and didn't..
And suddenly, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder blade.. he didn't even need to turn to see who it was.. this touch could only belong to his Ragini.. someone who was capable of so much love in so much of disappointment. He quickly dried his tears on his sleeve and looked up at Ragini.
One look at her face was enough to send him into another deep shock. She seemed to have aged 10 years in a day. The hollows of her eyes were haunting him.. the weak smile she now sported was killing him inside.. his mind replayed a reel of his emotions from the moment he got to know of this news.. and then his heart came close to giving up.. he forgot to think about this woman, about Ragini.
What must she have gone through? WHAT must she have suffered, knowing her daughter had tried to kill herself in the room next to hers? It was getting impossible to breathe.. he took one deep breath and the world seemed to black out.
