(Nandini)
I woke up after 3 hours and who I saw gave me lot of emotions at once, happiness, sadness, solace. I was relaxed to see her. I sat up. “Chachi, when did you came? And chachi you didn’t brought mumma and papa right? Never tell them about me, I hate them,” I said and she cupped my face. “Why you don’t want them to know? Why you told the doctor you are an orphan? What has happened? Tell chachi,” she asked concerned. “I m scared, I don’t want to tell you, they both went, you will also go,” I said and started crying. She immediately hugged me. “No I won’t go leaving you, you always say to me that chachi I love you and you share everything with me, you know chachi and chacha loves you and Rishabh like their own children, now you won’t tell anything?,” she said and I looked up to her with teary eyes. “Do you trust me chachi?,” I asked and she nodded in yes. “Chachi, you remember amms(her dadi) student Pandit Trilok Chaurasia?,” I asked and she nodded in positive. “He had raped me and how can I get classes by my rapist? Mumma papa trusted him and not me, they threw me out of the house, it’s said right that step parents can never become real parents, chachi Rishabh will come back and live with them, he won’t even know about me,” I said and hugged her again. She hugged me back running her fingers in my hair. “I won’t leave them, I will bring Rishabh to you,” said Chachi and turned to go.
“No chachi please don’t go leaving me, don’t go to them, they are very bad,” I cried vigorously and she turned to me and came back. “OK I won’t go, now stop crying, doctor told me you didn’t ate something, eat,” she said making me eat and I happily ate as someone is there for me now. After mumma, I mean my dead mumma, if I can talk to someone freely so that is chachi.
Just then Dr.Manik came, I feel an old connection with him whenever I see him. “We have to do a test of the patient,” he said looking at chachi and I wondered what test, I am OK man. “Yes OK,” said chachi and I got to know that she knows why is he doing a test of me and of what? “Chachi what test is it?,” I asked curiously. “Blood test,” she said not making eye contact as if she’s lying. “Chachi…,” I said as she started leaving and Dr.Manik came and forcefully laid me down. “I don’t want to have any tests, why the hell are you forcing me?,” I argued with him and he placed a finger on my lips gesturing me to stay quiet, his touch was so soothing, I looked at him blankly and he moved his finger away and mouthed a sorry. The door opened and another doctor came in. “Nandu, uhh sorry, Nandini you have to do what he says OK? We want to treat you, don’t hesitate, no one will harm you,” he told me calmly and I nodded. The way he called me by my nickname, the same way my one friend used to call me, his name was same like his, our connection broke when I changed my country and I miss him a lot.
The another doctor came and before I could ask anything, he showed me a hypnotism locket. I easily guessed he’s a hypnotherapist. He moved the locket in front of my eyes and asked me to look in it and concentrate on his voice. I didn’t knew when he took me into my past.
(Manik)
As the doctor moved the locket in front of her eyes, she closed them and doctor asked what do you see? “I am in my room, no one is at home, I heard the doorbell ring, I went to open it and I saw Pandit ji, he gave me music classes, I greeted him and took his blessings , I always felt scared around him alone, but I was ready to take classes from him for the sake of my parents, I told him I don’t want to take classes and he said let’s do something else, I love you and I am attracted to you, I refused his proposal and that very moment he pulled me in my room and pushed me on the bed. I asked him what happened but he started to unbutton his shirt and came on top of me and then…”, all of a sudden she breathed heavily and clutched the bed sheet tightly. “Cabir (hypnotherapist), bring her to present, she is getting scared of something, she can have a panic attack,” I said getting concerned but he told me to wait, he told Nandini to tell what she saw. “He raped me, he pulled my hair, and and…”, again she panicked. “Cabir…,” I said but again he told me to wait.
“He bit my neck harshly, I shivered badly and fainted, next day I told my step parents everything, they didn’t believe me,” she said and tears rolled down her cheeks, her eyes were still closed. Finally doctor Cabir brought her back to present and she sat up with a jolt, clutching the bedsheet tight. Sweat formed on her forehead, the hypnotherapist Dr.Cabir who is my best friend also told me to come out. We went out asking Nandini’s aunt to go in.
“She will be cured by antidepressants, she is depressed and lonely too, very bad happened with her,” he said, I got tears in my eyes. “OK I will bring those medicines and take care,” I said and he went. I looked inside the ward and her chachi was calming her, she was crying heavily. I see my friend in her when I look at her, I felt bad and went, such an innocent soul, may God heal her soon. I went blinking back my tears.