FF: Partial Amnesia Pt 31Pg145-6th Dec - Page 4

22^nd October 2011, 20:30

"Bhabhi" Dr. Mitul breathed. "It's me" he looked into Khanak's half open blank eyes.

"Hmmm" Khanak managed. She winced slightly.

"Bhabhi? Sub theek ho jaye ga. You're fine. Kuch muth bolay", Dr. Mitul bent over and continued to look at Khanak, trying to see in her eyes, some sort of recognition, a 'Bha' perhaps, something, anything, to confirm that the surgery had been a success.  His sixth sense told him something was not right. The eyes that used to light up looking at her 'Bha' were empty. This was not the Khanak who had tied a rakhi on his wrist just 4days ago.

22^nd October 2011, 20:35

"Shaan-----beta---- sambhalo apnay aap ko" Madhvi wept soundlessly as Shaan cried bitterly on his mother's shoulder.

"Geeta-----Khanak?" Sunil choked, finally removing his eyes from the mess that his son was. Shaan heard his father and immediately looked at Geeta, waiting for her to say something, anything that would tell him that his Khanak was okay.

"Uncle--- Khanak kee brain surgery ho chuki hain---I mean it's complete----she's lost a lot of blood------obviously---- because of the baby too---- and her brain----uncle----it's not begun to respond yet-----" her voice cracked and she finally felt at ease. She was not a hard hearted doctor after all.  She felt her eyes sting. Please God, don't let anything happen to Khanak, she found herself praying silently.

Shaan tried to take in everything that Geeta said. He wanted her to keep talking, for if she stopped, something terrible would happen, something terrible like when she stopped at the sentence 'could not save the baby'. But the sentence would not end for khanak like that, he thought savagely. Khanak would not leave him, Khanak could not leave him, for the fact that he was, even now able to feel her all around, enough proof that she was okay, that she was breathing, just like he was. They were both alive, Shaan thought, even though a part of them had left them forever.

"Shaan?" Akshay came over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Shaan did not remove his eyes from Geeta. "Shaan. Khanak's parents are on their way. They are in the plane now, they'll reach in an hour. Choksi is handling it." Shaan made a noncommittal movement with his head which Akshay took to understand as an 'okay'.

Geeta sensed Shaan's eyes on her. She went over to him, grabbed his hand and rubbed it lightly. Shaan's vision blurred again as tears filled his eyes but he kept his gaze on Geeta's face intact, begging her silently to tell him that Khanak was alright, that he'd be going to her the next instant, that they would hug, that he would tell her that they would make a hundred more babies, that she would laugh and cry at once.

"Shaan----Khanak is under observation----- Mitul is confident that she will be okay-----We are just waiting for her to gain consciousness-----If she gains consciousness in the next hour---- she is out of danger----" her voice broke off as Shaan looked at her sharply. Madhvi took the chance to wipe Shaan's tear ridden face.

"If?" Shaan finally spoke "What do you mean 'If'?" his voice was a whisper. " Haan?!! Batao!!" his voice gained volume as he shook Geeta's shoulders vigourously. "TELLL ME WHAT YOU MEAN BY 'IF'?!!" Shaan yelled. "TELL ME!! TELL ME!'

"Shaan!!" Geeta, held his face tightly with her strong palms. "Shaan-----pleasee-----please understand-----this is not how Khanak would have wanted you to react-----"

"SHUT UP GEETA! JUST SHUT UP!" Shaan said pointing a finger at her, getting up, while Madhvi, Sunil and Akshay tried to restrain him.  "Take your words back!" he breathed, menacingly.

Geeta heaved a huge sigh. She had expected this of Shaan and she knew what she had to do. "Shaan I'm sorry----I meant---- WHEN Khanak gains consciousness"

"Dr. Geeta? Dr Mitul wants to see you. The patient has gained consciousness" Gehna announced, opening the door of the emergency enclosure.

 22^nd October 2011, 20:45

"You called?" Geeta said croakily. Dr. Mitul looked at her and felt irritated.This was not the time to be a cry-baby, he thought. He rolled his eyes but said nothing on the topic.

"Yea Geeta" he said pouring over a file." We have a problem" he looked at her sideways to see how she took it and then looked at Khanak lying on the bed, her eyes closed.

"Okay---- shoot!" she sighed, also glancing at Khanak.

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23^rd October 2011, 09:00.

Shaan stood at the entrance of the room that Khanak was admitted in. The door was closed but he could see through the circular glass at the top of the door. Mitul sat with Khanak. What was Mitul doing? Why wouldn't he let him meet his wife? WHY? Why had he asked for pictures of all the people in Khanak's life? WHAT had this got to do with them losing their child? A hundred questions ran through his mind. At one point he had decided to barge open the door of the room and storm inside to his wife. But just then Natasha had held his wrist.

"Let Mitul do his job Shaan. He knows what he is doing." Natasha had said to him seriously. 'Trust me." And as Shaan felt the warmth of her hand on his wrist, he knew that Natasha was right. He rubbed his eyes with his hands as it hit him how much his life had changed in the last 20 hours. He ran his hands through his hair, wondering what would come next.

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23^rd October 2011, 09:05

"Bhabhi----yay dekhay----" Dr. Mitul shoved a picture under Khanak's nose. Khanak was sitting on the hospital bed, wincing in pain.  Her head was heavily bandaged and her stomach hurt at the slightest touch. She wondered what she was doing in the hospital for the hundredth time since she had regained consciousness.  She wondered why she was in pain. But the nice gentleman had told her he would answer all her questions in a bit. She wanted to see her Bai and Ada desperately, she wanted to hug them.

"Aap----mujhay-----bhabhi------kyun-----kah rahay hain? Meri---- Bai----- kaha -----hain?" her voice cracked because of the tubes that had been stuck down her throat and had been taken out a few hours ago.

"Sorry---- I mean Khanak-----tumhara naam Khanak hain na? "he asked conversationally.

"Haan" Khanak replied. "Laikin main yahan-----"

"Tumhara poora naam kya hain?" Dr. Mitul asked.

"Khanak---- Singh Jadeja"

Dr. Mitul looked at her closely. Khanak felt uncomfortable. She looked away. Dr Mitul shoved the picture under her nose again. "Isay pehchaantee ho?"

Khanak looked at the picture. It was her mother. "Haan!" Khanak said loudly and winced in pain again. Shaan did a double take outside the room and closed his eyes bitterly. He wondered for how long he'd have to see her like this. "Yay meri Bai hain-----Aapkay pass-----?"

"Hmmm. Aur yay?" He shoved another picture at her. Khanak'e eyes flashed in recognition as she saw her father's face.

"Meray Ada" she whispered, hoping that if she was softer it wouldn't hurt her head.

"Yay?" Dr. Mitul showed her Gopi's picture.

"Meri dost" she said with a small smile. Shaan made a fist and was close to punching the glass on the door.

"Yay?" Dr. Mitul showed her Sunil's picture.

"Yay?-----Yay?" she held her head and tried to recall. Dr. Mitul looked into her eyes, hoping against hope that Khanak would not say what he knew she was about to say next.

"Pata nahi" she finally said, sealing Dr. Mitul's worst fears. He gulped and his hands became a little unsteady as he put Madhvi's picture in front of Khanak's eyes.

"Pata nahi" Khanak repeated.

Dr Mitul sighed as he took out another picture. Khanak looked at it and her face became stony as she saw it. Shaan studied her expression from far away. He could not see the picture Mitul was showing her but he was certain it was his. For Khanak had looked down and smiled gradually, her lips thinning and widening as her smile became prominent. She touched the picture lightly.

" Meray pati----" she finally said and then suddenly stopped smiling. Dr. Mitul looked at her as though x-raying her. He scratched his eyebrow and looked at the picture in her hand again.

"Meray swarg waseeyay pati, Suraj" Khanak said and her face became solemn. Dr.Mitul's face remained expressionless as Shaan saw him turn and look at him, straight into his eyes, for the first time since he had entered the room.  Khanak kept staring at Suraj's picture, not noticing.

After a few seconds Dr Mitul turned away from Shaan. His face remained unreadable as he turned to Khanak, and showed her the last and final picture. As he turned the picture around in his hand he looked deep into Khanak's eyes. He was so engrossed in studying his patient look at the picture that he did not notice Shaan open the door of the room. Neither did Khanak, for she was staring at the picture with an intensity that she had not shown ever since she had regained consciousness.

" Yay-----yay--- meray pati--- kay kaatil hain " she said, her voice so bitter, it gave Shaan goosebumps.

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Gosh this was hard!😆 Hope you guys like it!😊