Neil's car speeded up with a roar on one of the busy road. If had any witnesses, they would definitely conclude he was on a suicidal path heading straight towards death. But that was not the case. His destination was a place that scared him more than death. A place that could make even the deepest corners of his soul to cry out loud. A place where he lost a very important person to him and yet again this fateful day has forced him to go in there with the same restlessness and worry he had few years back, when he lost the love of his life, Juhi.
The car came to a halt with a screeching sound due to a sudden pause in its acceleration. It had reached the large parking lot outside the lavish hospital. The whole place was lit up with bright white lights as if no one ever sleeps there. The irony is that, it is the same place where people tend to go into deep sleep and never wake up. Nevertheless, all this failed to gain his attention as his feet raced into the wide reception area, his hazel brown eyes searching here and there.
Outside the emergency room, Neela sat with her elbows glued to her knees, palms joined together touching her forehead. Her beautiful kohled eyes were closed, tears noticeable on her cheeks. Ali stood near the entrance of the ER, peeping through the round pane of glass on the door. His gaze moved onto Neil who was standing about ten steps away from them.
Ali had a good look at the man infront of him.. He cannot believe that it was the same Neil that he was used to seeing everyday, who was focused and composed. The person standing infront of him was not the same. His space grey shirt was crumpled as if pulled out from the bottom of a cloth pile. Blood shot eyes were full of salty tears. Hair strands disordered as if he stopped styling his hair since the beginning of the new decade. This Neil was totally different and seeing him like that Ali's heart ached a bit more for his buddy.
N: How did this happen Ali? Neela ma? Will someone please open their mouth and tell me how my wife ended up here...
With the last shout, he kneeled down on to his knees holding his head hard. Both Neela and Ali were heart broken to see him. To see this helpless and shattered side of him that they didn't even know existed.