Epistle 8: The Cure of Companionship
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17th June, 1996:
My soul still shivers. Shivers with the barbarity I've witnessed.
I cannot believe what has happened with me in the past one day. All I wanted to do was cure Ranveer. But what I found before my eyes was the nearly dead form of my friend. I don't know how so much could have happened without me knowing anything about it. My friend was dying all these days and was calling out for me, but I was oblivious to the tantamount pain he kept pushing into his heart.
This morning, only Maa was awake enough to hear my shout of help. She managed to reach the room within ten minutes of my pleading, and she gasped in shock. Ranveer was limp on my lap, his hand fallen uselessly to his side, his chest barely rising. His mouth remained agape as a thin stream of blood trickled from his nose, his hands icy.
Neither did my mother ask me anything nor did she even sit to pacify me. She quickly stooped and picked up Ranveer from my lap, pulling him into a standing position with his arm around her neck. He was tall enough to be supported, which was a blessing for both of us. I quickly wiped away my tears and stood up to support Ranveer's partial weight over my shoulders once I got cue of what my mother wanted to do.
I was about to ask her nervously when she understood my question and replied quickly.
"Not now, Ishaani. I'll see Baa when we have to. I can't let the boy die."
She gave me a reassuring nod and we both managed to take him outside towards the car. We gently made him sleep on the backseat while I took my seat beside with his head on my lap. I tried slapping his cheek lightly and dabbed my handkerchief at his now-bleeding mouth, but to no avail. He did not even let out the slightest of groans nor did he as much as twitch.
"Just wait here, I'll be back quickly," said Maa hurriedly as she rushed back into the house.
She returned back five minutes later with a huge haversack in her hand. She kept the bag beside her and quickly took control of the car, putting it into motion. The trip to the hospital was a thirty minute one and only had the most dreaded silence between myself and my mother.
I kept rubbing Ranveer's palm furiously to give his body some warmth, trying to check his pulse time and again. Sometimes I could feel it, sometimes I couldn't. I tried to keep my thoughts positive, praying that my friend was alright for losing him would be losing myself. Barely had I conceived of this though when Maa asked me what I was doing in Ranveer's room.
"I went to give him some proper food and medicines, Maa," I replied tartly and she sighed.
"I've been visiting him from the past two days. Couldn't let Baa kill the boy in isolation. He hasn't been having anything to eat. It's only with difficulty that I've been able to get him to eat his medicines. But I don't think that they are working."
In that moment, I regained all the respect back for my mother, knowing that she was my Maa and that she had to be good. I lost all sense of resentment at her for the incident twenty days back, and I sighed. This was some tough love I had to battle. The remaining journey to the hospital went in silence, albeit this time, it was a colder one.
There was a strange fear that tugged at my heart as I kept looking at Ranveer's white and badly bruised face that had the most formidable of expressions on it. I had a strong urge to run away from the grotesque images and thoughts that my mind kept conceiving, but I knew that I had to be strong for him. I had to be his pillar of strength, I had to be there for him when he needed me the most. I did not know what had happened to him, or whether he had actually tried to do what I thought he did, but either way, I knew that I needed a lot of answers.
We reached the hospital faster than I expected to, or maybe it was just because I was so lost in thought that I did not realize it. Ranveer was immediately taken into the emergency ward while Maa made me sit outside in the corridor, heading off to complete the necessary formalities. It's been four hours now since the doctor told us that Ranveer had to be taken into surgery, and we haven't had a reply till now.
Maa knew how broken I would be and perhaps it's why she brought you along with the necessary eatables and drinks for me. Mothers. They always know everything. On the other hand, she finally managed to get Harshad Uncle's line and has informed him about the situation. They should be back as soon as possible. But I'm too afraid... I don't know what's wrong with my friend. I don't know why it's taking so long.
I just hope he is alright... I'd die without him.
Falguni nudged Ishaani, who looked up from her diary, hastily shutting it close. The doctor had just left the surgery, and looked grave.
"How is he now? And what's wrong with him?" asked Falguni the moment the doctor walked up to them. He gave them a grim look.
"Mrs. Parekh, I need to ask you something first. Has Ranveer been in any case of sexual abuse or physical violence?"
"Neither of which I can remember, why?"
"Okay, then I guess you mustn't be aware about it. We've found several bruises on his body apart from those on his face - primarily his chest, back and stomach. He has four fractured ribs and a mild swelling in his brain."
"What does this mean? For all I know, he hasn't been into anything that could cause him such harm."
"Has there been any incident at school?" Falguni and the doctor shared a look of common understanding and she gasped in a mixture of horror and revulsion.
"No... You don't say that he's been a victim of- of ragging now, do you?"
"I suspect the same. And this is quite serious. Ranveer had suffered from a gastro-intestinal internal bleeding because of a blunt force trauma that he's received over his abdominal area. You've brought him in at the right time or else things could really get ugly."
"How is he now?"
"Not good, I'm afraid. These incidents, I'm assuming there's been more than one because his body has bruises from as far as fifteen days ago, but these incidents have had a strong psychological trauma upon the boy. He isn't receiving to the medication as well as we would like him to. It's as though he has lost the will to fight."
Falguni gave the doctor a nervous look before asking worriedly, voicing a question that had been upon Ishaani's mind as well.
"Doctor, he didn't try to commit suicide now, did he?"
"No, I don't think so, why?" asked the doctor, suddenly looking surprised.
"We found him in a compact closet," replied Falguni, and the doctor's face relaxed into one of understanding.
"Ah. Well, victims of ragging usually seek dark and compact places after incidents like that. As to what exactly must have happened with him, I cannot say, but it has had a huge impact over him. And your finding him in the closet would explain why he suddenly developed the internal bleeding."
"What do you mean?"
"The closet must have cut out the oxygen supply for him, causing him to nearly asphyxiate. The internal bruise must have ruptured because of the same. But it does not matter now. What matters is that he is in safe hands."
"When will he regain consciousness?"
"We can't say. The next 48 hours will be crucial for him. We've shifted him to the ICU right now for further observation. If he responds to the medication well, he should be awake within a couple of hours."
"Is he that bad?" asked Falguni, the worry upon her face only increasing with every addition the doctor made about his condition. The doctor sighed.
"I'm afraid so. His respiratory system isn't working well because of the bleeding. We've managed to stem it, but it's going to take some time before he can start breathing on his own because of which we've kept him on an artificial respirator for now."
Falguni nodded her head and fell silent, shutting her eyes tensely.
Ishaani looked at the doctor, not comprehending the complexity of her friend's condition, but only knowing that he was badly hurt and that he desperately needed someone to set him right. The doctor looked at her and noticed her tear-stained face. Giving her a small smile, the doctor slowly got to his knees and asked her softly.
"Darling, what's your name?"
"Ish-Ishaani."
"That's a pretty name," complimented the doctor gently and Ishaani sniffed in response. He raised her chin slowly and gave her a soft smile.
"Is he your friend?" Ishaani nodded her head furiously, more tears leaving her eyes.
"Y- Yes... M- My best friend. My only friend," she emphasized, the doctor giving her a sad smile. Ishaani asked suddenly.
"Is he going to die?"
"Good Lord, no, honey. He is going to be perfectly alright. But he needs a lot of love and affection. He needs to know that you love him, and that you care for him. That you will be with him no matter what. You just need to be there for him as his friend, like a shadow."
"Will he be alright? I'm so afraid..."
"Yes. He is a fighter, so he will see this through. And you are a brave girl too, courageous, I'm sure. Just stay strong for him. He'll be alright." Ishaani nodded her head strongly as her eyes met the pair of older ones with a newfound determination.
"Can I see him?"
"Honey, I'm afraid you can't. It's hospital procedure."
"Please? I promise I won't do anything. I just want to be with him." The doctor contemplated her request for a few minutes before nodding his head.
"Alright, but this is just for you." Ishaani gave the doctor a blazing smile, before shooting her mother a questioning look. Both mother and daughter shared a look of mutual understanding before Ishaani nodded her head and left their company, making her way to the ward where Ranveer was.
She entered the room to see Ranveer attached with a set of instruments and wires that made very eerie, rhythmic beeps, but she knew she had to remain strong. She went and took a seat beside him, staring at his bruised form tiredly.
Ishaani took his hand into her own, stroking his hair gently as she now watched the air being forced into his lungs. She was glad that he had lost the ghostly white colour that his face held and he now looked considerably normal. His hands were no longer icy, and she was assured that he was alive.
She could not deny, however, that she was afraid of seeing him attached to so many wires. A tube went down his throat that gave him the necessary respiration, causing his chest to expand and contract unnaturally with a strangely frightening sound. She shook her head frightfully to rid herself of all the terrible thoughts that kept floating into her mind. She relinquished her hold upon his hand stronger as she took a deep breath before speaking softly, her voice passionate.
"I don't know whether you can hear me, but I mean to make one point clear. I'm in this for the long haul, and no matter how far you push me, I'm going to break away that cold prison of yours forever."
Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D
Next chapter:
Epistle 9
Edited by LadyMeringue - 8 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
