Hi Guys! This is the OS I had submitted for an OS writing competition in the forum. It was a new idea I had delved on, and I really want to know your opinion on the plot. Please drop by and leave in your comments! I would love to know how you feel about it!
Happy Reading then!! 😃😆😉
------------------------------------------------
The Schizophrenic Fan Girl - An OS on AbhiGya
There are three things about myself that has never changed, under no circumstances - ever - really.
1. My diminutive nature - Bulbul says she will award the prize money of all her income to anyone who can make me even slightly less submissive, let alone aggressive.
2. My love for anarkali suits (well, my husband likes to call them my collection of colourful "chatris") - I have this incessant love for them since college - it hides my kishmish-like (another of my husband's coinage) body with the long drapes and gives my body, volume.
3. My dislike for loud/shrilly/noisy things- well initially it was just loudness, I disliked it in kindergarten when the kids cried loudly - I hate to confess, but Bulbul's pre-adolescence shrilly cries, sometimes curled my bones in irritation - loud car honks - loud post breakup crying sessions of Purvi - watching TV in loud volume - but nowadays, rockstar Abhi's LOUD rock music surpasses my irritation for all things loud and noisy.
So, you must have understood by now, I am this quiet, boring, bespectacled, professor. Oh, I am also married. To the same man whose music I just cribbed about - Rockstar Abhi.
I call him Abhishek.
About him, I don't know what to say - he is very different from the annoying rockstar and his loud music that you all are fans of. I tease him sometimes, calling the rockstar his alter ego. Trust me, if you knew my Abhishek (I hope you never do, he is especially reserved for my eyes to see, and maybe daadi and Aaliya's also), you would know this for yourself. He is the most caring husband one can ask for. That doesn't mean he is not goofy or immature - he is all of that, and so much more. He is the force that holds me to the ground, the voice that breaks through my deep slumber and pulls me out of blackness, he is the reason I want to find myself. He is the force that holds me together, and he is also the forces that scatters my soul and liberates me.
My Abhishek - the drug that gives me my high and also holds me back from drifting far away. For Abhishek, every evening, I find a way back home.
***
Why can't the universe let happy people be? Why can it not stop conspiring? Well it's first conspiracy against me was making me fall head over heels for a rockstar! Hah. Like I had a chance - the impossible happened, he fell in love with me! I managed to scoop Abhishek out of him and found my abode - but no, yet again there is a conspiracy here - now the attempt is to scoop me out of Abhishek's life - that to by a fan girl? Someone go explain to that crazy woman trying to get her hands on me every other day- I don't even love the rockstar image of Abhi - he is all hers to enjoy. Just leave the man - Abhishek Prem Mehra for me, and I am more than happy.
***
Yesterday night, Abhishek had a concert - one more of his loud "Can you hear me? Make some more noise! I love you all!" non-sense. I knew he would be late, so I took my favourite classic, "Sense and Sensibility" to bed, and decided to call it a night.
Imagine my surprise, to wake up in the morning on a hospital bed, with Abhishek bending over me with sunken eyes and deathly weariness. Judging by his bling attire, I realized he was still wearing his concert clothes. His expression revealed that he was worried sick, and he hadn't slept one bit over the night.
"Hey honey, are you alright?" he whispered as he placed a soft kiss on my forehead. I could feel the crack in his voice.
"Abhishek, what happened?" I was surprised to see how weak my own voice was.
"It's the fan girl Tanu again" he whispered, he was shaken to the core.
"I was at home, how could she get me there?" I asked raising my hand, perplexed. But then I noticed my arm. It had angry red finger marks all over it - like I was manhandled or something. There were a few small cuts - nail scratches I think. I was surprised one more time - when did she manhandle me in my own house, and how was it that I didn't feel a thing?
"You did feel it love, but since you were in your sleep, the attack was a shock for you. Hence you don't remember a thing" said Abhishek nonchalantly. He was deep in thoughts, I am sure he was planning of various ways to punish that psycho fan girl of his - Tanu
But before I could ask more, Daadi rushed inside with Aaliya at her heels. They questioned Abhishek, how it all happened - when Abhishek narrated, I got the story.
***
Abhi was just done with the concert and had receded to the greenroom. He was taking a shower when there were erratic bangs on his washroom door.
"Open the damn door rockstar! You can't hide from me forever!" she screamed.
"Who are you?" came Abhi's cautious voice.
"Don't who-are-you me rockstar, you already know - Tanu! Your Tanu! Come out now!"
"Listen, calm down. Please sit on the couch, drink some water and wait for me. I will be out in a bit." Replied Abhi holding on to his nerves.
"Fine, come fast" came the reply.
Abhi came out of the shower wearily. He had had the confrontation quite a few times now - this girl, Tanu was very aggressive. She was suffering from schizophrenia - she was under the illusion that she was dating the rockstar. She believed that Abhi had promised her hand in marriage at some point of time in life and then ditched her for the other woman - that Pragya. She was going to kill her. Abhi couldn't love anyone other than her - Tanu.
"Calm down first" said Abhi softly
"Calm down? Why the hell should I calm down? You left me, got married to that other woman, didn't even inform me and now whenever I manage to meet you, you ask me to calm down? I know you don't care Abhi, so don't fake it." Screamed Tanu.
"Pragya, relax!" tried Abhi once more.
"P-R-A-G-Y-A. Did you just call me by that name? How dare you Abhi? Now she is everything to you? I will kill her" boomed Tanu's voice.
***
I never heard the rest of the story, the nurse came in to inform Abhishek, daadi and Aaliya that the visiting hour was over. They needed to leave. I enquired about my discharge. Abhishek gave me a tired smile and promised to take me home in the evening.
"Go get some sleep Abhishek, and don't ask for coffee before that - you need the sleep" I told him.
He smiled once more, but the weariness stopped the smile from reaching his eyes. He bent down and kissed me softly on my nose and whispered, "Take care, baby" and then they left.
I lay there wondering, what was playing in this Tanu character's mind. Not only did she share her name with my husband's super model ex-girlfriend, but it seemed like all Tanus' had a knack for trying to kill me or torture me. And with this Tanu, this wasn't the first time. If I remembered correctly (well, one can't be sure - look at me, I don't remember last night's attack on me at all!), this was the third attack that Tanu launched on me. First time, Abhishek and I were attending a film screening where Abhishek had a special appearance. It was just after he left the venue and were driving back home, a lady came on the middle of the road, and to avoid running over her, Abhishek had screeched the break, the inertia pulled me in front and my head hit the front glass - I blacked out. Later Abhishek told me, he had tried helping the girl on the road too, because she also lost balance on the road and fell over - but when he went to help her, she had screamed at him saying she was his biggest fan and he had apparently ditched her - she challenged him, that she would win him back - then she had left. Abhishek had told me this next morning when I woke up on the nursing home bed. Of course, I wasn't hurt enough to land in a nursing home - you could call it my husband's paranoia.
Then another time, Abhishek was returning home from an endorsement's success party, she met him outside our residence gate, she tried to compel him to accept her back in his life, when Abhishek refused, she had threatened to kill herself - Abhishek had taken her to the hospital himself that time, and the doctor's had confirmed his doubt - she was schizophrenic indeed. I was of course shocked beyond my wits when I woke up next morning with a splitting headache and he told me this.
I had insisted that for his safety, Abhishek should inform the cops, but he argued against it.
"No honey, it's a disease. She can't help it. The cops will stress her out, she doesn't need more stress right now in life."
Abhishek's leniency was both pleasing and annoying to me that time. Pleasing because, it showed how amazing a human being he was - this girl here was making life difficult for him - and here he was going out of the way to keep her away from trouble - It also annoyed me because, this character was inherent to Abhishek, not the rockstar - only I was privileged to receive this behaviour - Tanu was prying into our private life - Abhi was turning into Abhishek for her - I didn't like it. Of course I sympathise with her state, but I hate this Tanu too. And for whatever reason, I do not remember her face at all! It's like I never met her!
However, this time's incident is different - it isn't Abhishek, I am attacked - Abhishek wouldn't take this lightly. I knew for sure, his patience with Tanu will be gone now.
***
Abhishek kept his promise. I was discharged in the evening. He brought me home and made me lie down in the middle of the bed, with all his love and care. He made me take my medicines and kissed my forehead and asked me to sleep. I suspected being treated to sedatives, because I could feel drowsiness takeover - Abhishek sat by the bedside stroking my hair - his soft murmurs of "I love you so much baby", "You're going to be fine soon", "I won't let her take you" soothed me, and soon I drifted off to sleep.
***
I could hear muffled voices from faraway. It sounded like Abhishek, he was talking to someone - by the voice, was it Purab? Yes it was him. They were saying something.
"...yes bhai, I heard. Then she was trying to come home to find Pragya di? Then?"
"Purab, I called her Pragya by mistake, and that shot like a catalyst, she was trying to come home, I pulled her back with all my might - after struggling for a bit, she never gave in, but then in frustration I screamed out - Pragya please, come back to me, I am your Abhishek - she stopped fidgeting and calmed for a moment and then collapsed. I took her to the hospital."
"It was a close call bhai, they media could have had a hint today, everyone saw Pragya di entering your greenroom in a fit of anger in a pair of shorts and tank tops today"
"You handle that part Purab. I am more worried about her - this was a third attack in a month - the doctor had said the medication was working, she was likely to retract - but every time it scales up - at this rate, there are chances she will permanently change to Tanu - moreover, how can I keep making excuses? She keeps telling me, she doesn't remember Tanu's face from the first incident - how will she? I had braked because there was a cat on the road not a woman- her head had hit the glass and she blacked out, when she was in her senses, she was speaking that non-sense. Then she passed out again. Of course, later I told her, it was a lady I almost hit on the road, and who claimed she was Tanu, it was actually all her doing - then again Purab what if she gets suspicious - I don't know how to protect her from herself Purab" he was close to tears.
"Bhai don't worry. It's not late, she is positively reacting to medication."
"Purab, I don't want to lose my fuggy to my fan girl Tanu- EVER" he sounded deeply pained.
I wanted to open my eyes for Abhishek and ask him what he was saying - but the effect of the sedatives were strong, I couldn't move my muscles by an inch even - I tries opening my eyes, but my eyelids were heavy - I think all the attempt at waking up tired me - I could feel sleep taking over again. I wanted to talk to Abhishek about this - I hoped I would remember this conversation when I woke up - was it even real? Or is this an ugly bout of sleep paralysis? Whatever, I didn't care. Right now, I just wanted to tell Abhishek something - but I knew I couldn't beat the drugs. It was getting black again.
***
Abhi and Purab heard a soft moan, and both moved close to Pragya.
"Abhisshhe-jussscalmebymaname-willcomoutof-allabysfru" she mumbled and passed out again.
(Abhishek, just call me by my name, I will come out of all abysses for you)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Dear readers, though this is not necessary, and is not mentioned anywhere in the OS, but I wanted to validate my choice of name for Pragya's hallucinatory alter ego (who is schizophrenic)
So, I saw in a very old IV clip that Sriti said she sympathises with Tanu's character - whats her fault in all this? she questioned. (It was a Shabbir, Sriti and Madhurima IV) - from that thought I have based my story.
Pragya somewhere feels, the way she got misleadingly married to Abhi was Aaliya's doing, not as much Tanu's fault - Tanu was just another superficial model who wanted fame over love - it's her choice and if Abhi had promised to wait and he ultimately fell for Pragya, then somewhere it was unfair on Tanu too! (I know it's difficult to sympathise, we hate her too much. but still) - from this deep-seated unconscious sympathy stems her alter ego - Tanu.
621