#RIANSH – BEING A WOMAN!!! – #PART – 6

Me: Doc, how is she? Is she fine? Can I meet her? When can she be discharged? Can she meet us?

Aryan: Doc why aren’t you responding? Please for god sake speak up

Cop: Mr. Rai Singhania, can you both please calm down so that he can speak something

Without any option left, I sighed, and releasing a breath I glared at doc to utter something

Doc: Mr. Rai Singhania, am…. Am confused about how do I reveal the truth but, I had to so, please listen to my perspective thoroughly before you react.

Now, his that sternness in his voice was freaking me, I had started getting negative vibes of her safety and I could feel my sweat dripping off me, wiping them off I glare doc to speak up

Doc: Mr. Rai Singhania your guess is right… she …she was raped. In fact, we found many bruises over her vaginal area and br*asts along with some bruises over her lips, face, and some bite marks over her inner thighs, nape, shoulders, and chest area. But after carefully examining her we realized she had 3 different salivae on her bite marks and she had some flesh in her nails may be she was scratching the person. And after examining her vaginal area, we concluded that she was gang-raped for hours and it had 3 semen’s in her. So, as per preliminary analysis, it can be concluded that she was gang-raped by three persons. And if am not wrong, she was fed drugs too maybe forcefully as her nose had traces of some cocaine and it doesn’t seem to be given to her when she was conscious so there are chances, she blacked out when they were overpowering her so, for their psychotic pleasure they gave her drugs. And the drugs were not only through her inhaling, in fact, but she was also fed it through her mouth and was even injected. The drug was given overdose that if at all we didn’t treat her within few hours, then she might have died. As per Mr. Angre, giving us some glimpse of how Mr. Rai Singhania found her, then I assume that she was given the drug to be killed and they threw her on the middle of the street as they wanted her to die to avoid any complications for them. And… though we have cleaned her and gave her the necessary aid, we do have a piece of bad news too…. actually, if am not wrong, she was thrown with force and being weak over drugs and losing her blood and strength fighting them, she was weak and this made her land directly on some sharp object which hurt her brain and this caused blood to clot leading her to skip to a comatose state.

That’s it!!!! I could feel my heart skipping its beat, blood supply stopped, my breathing was uneven, my fingers curved into a fist trying to gather myself which seemed impossible, my eyes started to blur, my head was spinning. Even before I could realize what happened to me or what’s happening, I fell to the ground with a thud. Everyone rushed to my side and with Aryan and Angre’s help, I regained myself and stood straight trying to face the reality which seemed impossible.

Doc: We have done our part but it’s purely on her when she wants to wake up. It may vary from hours, days, months to years. She lost the will to live after whatever happened with her, now, she needs care and support to give her the courage to wake up from her comatose and live normally. Even after she wakes up she needs to consult a psychiatrist to come out of her trauma which she’d be going through. We’ll shift her to the ICU in few minutes as her condition is still critical, rest is on her.

Cop: Doc, can you please give us her medical report to file the FIR!

Doc: Sure, just follow me.

They left towards doc’s cabin leaving me, Aryan, and Angre in the corridor. Aryan was weeping while Angre supported him. My senses lost their sense of reacting. I collapsed on the chair trying to figure out something but it seemed next to impossible as my eyes started getting blurred, the voices behind me started fading away, my brain stopped working, totally I was sliding into my thoughts unaware of where they’d take me. Breaking my zone, I saw something moving in front of me on the stretcher and saw Aryan and Angre rushing towards it. My eyes were a blur and am unable to have a clear image of what was happening. I rubbed my eyes but nothing seemed to work. I tried to stand but my legs were betraying me. I saw Aryan caressing the person on the stretcher. My brain wasn’t giving me any signals and my eyes were zoning off. I with difficulty stood and was about to take a step forwards when my legs turned numb making me lose balance and before I could manage everything, I fell off the floor and the last image which my eyes captured was Aryan and Angre rushing towards me and I blacked out!!!

I am not sure till when I was unconscious, when I opened my eyes, light struck my eyes and I closed them immediately and trying to adjust to the bright lights. When I once again opened my eyes, everything seemed to settle, and saw Angre sitting beside me and there’s some pinching sensation on my hand and I tilt my head to see what it was and I saw myself being injected and the saline was dripping into my body. At first, everything seemed to be confusing and then reality struck me…. Riddhima!!!! I got off the bed startled and saw panic in Angre’s eyes as he saw me getting up, before I could step down the bed, he held me stopping me

Angre: Bhai, where the hell are you going?

Me: Angre….. Riddhima

Me: I…. I need to …. Need to go to her

Angre: Bhai, look at yourself… you have been unconscious for 3 hours and the doc has strictly asked you to rest for tonight as your BP is low

Me (anger): Just shut up Angre!! Am not bothered of me …. At present Riddhima is my priority and I need to see her now…. No matter what!!!! (death glare)

My that one glare was enough for him to understand the intensity of my wish and without uttering anything, he moved aside giving me a way to move ahead. Getting myself rid of that saline, I ran out and was wondering where am supposed to go when I heard a voice behind me

: She has been shifted to ICU and Aryan is with her.

It was Angre, I turned around to see him, he rolled his eyes and led me towards her room

Angre: This way

As soon as I reached her room, my heart was pondering questioning me if I have the guts to see her in this condition. The answer was “I don’t know”!!! The only thing I knew was, I had to see her no matter what as she was my solace, my heartbeat, my lifeline, my everything. I entered the room with a heavy heart and a lump in my throat. I saw Aryan standing beside a bed, I couldn’t see her as his back was obstructing my view. As soon as he heard the door open, he turned to see me and his eyes had confusion and many questions finding me there but am not bothered of his those questions as now I need to see my Riddhima. He understood my determination and gave me a way to see her …. And….. I stepped back not being able to believe what I saw!!! Aryan and Angre helped me compose myself not thoroughly though….

The Riddhima I knew and the Riddhima in front of me are 2 different persons. I desperately want to hear her angelic voice, it’s been years since I did so, but her throat was connected with some pipes maybe for her intake; I want to stare for hours in her doe-shaped hazel brown eyes and get myself lost in them, but her eyes were closed and there were still traces of tears on her eyes which pierced my heart; I wanted to rub those button nose which held anger and used to scrunch it whenever someone commented on her height but now that nose of her was covered with oxygen mask not giving me a view of her that cute nose; I wanted to pull her cheeks and stare at her those plump lips which were now under the oxygen mask obstructing my view; I wanted to hug this petite figure in my arms and never let her go away from me again but look at her, she seems to be least bothered as she lay motionless not even glaring at me connected to many pipes and machines. She seems to have developed much attitude in these years or might have forgotten who Vansh Rai Singhania is. Varna, who has the audacity to not even stand when VR enters!!!! She needs punishment and I’d make sure to give her but…. but ….. for that… she had to wake up!!! I can’t see her attached to all these equipment’s, band-aids.

I sat beside her and with my shivering hands, I tried to touch her hand but as soon as my hand got in contact with hers, I felt a pinch of hesitation passing through my body. The pain was indescribable to see my love pinged to those painful pieces of equipment after going through such a painful experience of being raped by 3 bastards and then slipping into a coma because of their stupidity. I could feel my tears making their way when I felt 2 hands on my either shoulders and being aware of who they were, I didn’t even give them any glare

Aryan: Bhai our Riddhima isn’t a normal girl, she’s a fighter and will pass this too.

Angre: Yes bhai, as per whatever you all told me about her, I don’t think she’ll sit in this way motionless for a long time.

Aryan: We need to be strong enough to handle her bhai. She needs our support and we’d give her all that.

They were giving me strength when they themselves were falling weak. Aryan ka I understand as he shared 2 years with her and their bond was worth appreciating but Angre… Angre being emotional showed how cruel her criminals were on Riddhima. But now that I got my Riddhima back, my next step was to give her justice by punishing her accused.

Me: Angre, get all your sources on work. I need those bastards punished severely and before that, I’d love to bash them with my own hands. Just get to the root of this issue

Angre: Boss am already on it. I’ll give you everything related to her soon.

I just hummed and stayed by her side throughout her stay there. Being in ICU, not many were allowed to stay with her but being the owner of the hospital, I used my powers to stay by her side all the while. It started being my daily routine of waking in the hospital by 7 am and staying by her, talking with her, discussing with her our school days, to tell about my these 12 years and everything. It was only one side conversation as she never responded to any of my rants. Docs did their best trying to cure her but there wasn’t any response from her side which was testing my patience and anger. It’s been a week since that incident and till today Riddhima didn’t even open her eyes. In this week, Angre was continuously working on the data I wanted of Riddhima while Aryan was looking after the business. Dadi and Siya got to know about Riddhima and they made sure to pay a visit to her once a day and they’d sit speaking to her for which she never responded though. Dadi was broken to find her grandson’s love in this condition which none ever expected. She never expected her 1st meet with Riddhima to be this awful. None expected it though! I never left her side, Aryan used to visit her in the evening and speak to her while I used to get home to freshen up and once again reach back to be by her side once again. I used to stay at night with her with the expectation that if she wakes in the middle of the night, then she might need me. I used to go home only for freshening up and being aware of Riddhima and her importance in my life, my family always stood by me in this regard. We tried to get hold of her parent’s information to inform them about Riddhima but our efforts went in vain as we didn’t get any information in that regard. The cops too were working on identifying the culprits but even they couldn’t reach them. Everyone were waiting for Riddhima to open her eyes and speak something which would lead us to her culprits and get her justice. I made sure no media got any news of her condition as I didn’t want to create any nuisance without her consent and if at all media gets to know about gang rape and they circulate the news then that’d intimate her culprits and they might either flee or erase any proofs if there are any and I can’t risk that.

It’s been 2 weeks and still no progress in her state. That evening as usual Aryan reached to speak to her and I made my way towards home to freshen up. As soon as I reached home I found dadi and Siya chit-chatting and noticing my arrival dadi was asking about Riddhima’s well being

Dadi: Vansh beta how’s Riddhima?

Me: Dadi, no progress! (sigh)

Dadi: It’s okay beta! She’ll be fine soon

Me: She has to dadi! There’s much more in her life she has to do, she has to punish her culprits, she has to love me, she has to spend her life with me, she has to come into this house, bond with the family and make it hers, she has to do more and more so she has to get fine for that she has to wake up and am sure she’ll not disappoint me.

Dadi patted my back smiling and nodded her head in approval. I freshen up and after having my dinner, I reached the hospital to find Aryan cracking some jokes with Riddhima.

Me: Umm… so the bro and sis duo are busy cracking jokes without me! Not Fair!!!

Aryan: Everything is fair bhai! After all, am her best friend and she’d crack jokes and laugh with me only! Isn’t it Riddhima!!

No response from her!!!

Me: Don’t you think you are developing overconfidence Aryan! Because if you forgot let me remind you that she was the same Riddhima, who complained against you to me

Aryan: Bhai that was because there was a small misunderstanding and after that everything was cleared and we were close

Me: Whatever!!! Once she wakes up she’d chose me over you and you’d be watching us! Just wait and watch!!! (wink)

Aryan: Even I wish she wakes up and chooses you bhai…. So that she can be with me forever!! I can’t lose my sister once again (tears)

I hugged Aryan instantly calming him. I know how it feels not getting a reply from the one whom we love the most. Riddhima was doing that, she was breaking us with her silence but once she wakes up everything would be fine! She just needs to wake up. We were sitting with her when Angre barged into the room without intimation and was panting and his expressions seemed fishy

Me: What happened Angre?

Angre: Boss….. Riddhima

Aryan: Angre what happened why are you panting and what’s about Riddhima? (something strikes him) Did you get any information about those men?

Angre: No!!! But boss… as you wanted every details of her, I collected some information which shows that after shifting to Kashmir, she was pursuing her 11th for a year there and later on she moved with her parents to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and finally settled in Delhi. Her father was retired a few years back and from then they were in Delhi. We couldn’t reach her parents yet but we reached her previous workplace in Delhi and got to know she resigned there 2 months back as …. As…

Aryan: As what Angre!! Just speak up

Angre: As she was married

Me & Aryan: WHATT!!!!!!!!

Am shocked would be an understatement after learning that my Riddhima is married came as a knockout to me. I was dreaming of starting my life with her after revealing my feelings and then her marriage came as a shocker to me. My Riddhima is Married!!!! But who’s the person! Where is he now!!! Unaware of me, my tears were flowing and a hand rushed to wipe them and that was Aryan. I glared at him with moist eyes and he hugged me trying to help me soothe my uneasiness. After a while, I composed myself and spoke

Me: Angre… any … any information of her husband? One second… if she is married then there are chances that she moved to Mumbai with him right!!

Angre: Yes bhai, she indeed moved with him

Me: Then where is he? It’s been 2 weeks and till today didn’t he try to search for his missing wife?

Aryan: If he is searching, then he might have registered a missing complaint in any of the Police stations right!

Me: Exactly!! Angre, try finding her husband and check if there’s any missing complaint registered on her. And… (hesitation) and….

Angre: Bhai don’t worry I’ll get all information about her husband to you soon

I just nodded as I was about to ask him the same and he got it. And then breaking our thoughts I saw cops entering the room

Cop: Good evening Mr. Rai Singhania

Me: Good Evening, any information?

Cop: Shall we move out and speak?

I nod and leaving a nurse beside Riddhima, we all moved out. Once out, the cop started telling us something

Cop: Sir, we got to know that Ms. Riddhima is married

We trio rolled our eyes and sighing I replied back

Me: We learned it a few minutes back

Cop (sarcasm): Seems like your sources are much faster in their work than us

Rolling my eyes over his sarcasm, I decided to ask him the progress

Me: What about the culprits? Any information on them?

Cop: We are looking out for them as we didn’t get any strong evidence against anyone we are struck

Me: We know that they used drugs right so why can’t you interrogate some peddlers who deal with the supply of that type of drug. Maybe we could get some information. Angre what do you say?

Angre: Boss, in fact, we can even summon them to give the details of their customers and as we got Riddhima near Lonavala way, so maybe the person whoever got that drugs might stay nearby. We can create a buffer and search around to find any such suspicious person or if we get details of people who uses drugs, then we can radar the area and find that person

Me: Umm… there are many farmhouses around so, maybe there might be some party happened that night. We can now proceed in this angle right!!

Cop: You are right. We’d proceed in that way now.

After the cops left, Aryan and Angre too bid bye and left towards the house and I once again reached her room to find her in deep slumber for 2 weeks now. Sitting beside her, I held her right hand carefully trying to make sure not to hurt her