NAYANTARA & NEELANJAN CHAPTER 10

I wasn’t sure, for how long I was lying there in a state of unconsciousness. I looked to my right, I could just see a half open window. To my left, I saw a table full of medicines. Towards my leg I saw the corner of a bed, which somewhat seemed like a hospital bed. I could have woken up with a fierce force but something was holding me back. I realized I had been lying there for a long time. A neatly dressed female walked in. Seeing that I was still trying to figure out as to how I had landed on a bed, she made an advance.

“You seem to be alright now?” she asked.

“Sort of”, I replied hesitantly.

“Could you please tell me, how I landed here?” I asked once again very reluctantly.

“In a hospital no one lands like a flight, you are rather admitted sir”, she replied a bit humorously.

I was in no mood to lend an ear to such kind of sarcasm. Something within me was trying to get restless. I couldn’t figure out whether it was my mind or my heart. There was confusion, there was irritation and there was ample amount of frustration. I just wanted to barge out of the door and look for Paakhi’s room and ask her as to why she had to hide so many things from me. Was it deliberation or some compulsion?

The moment I just raised myself from the bed, the nurse once again came back and tried to strike a conversation.

“Excuse me sir, if you don’t mind you should be taking some more rest if you are really anticipating a quick recovery!” she said.

“Can you please tell me what had happened, I just can’t recollect”, I requested her.

The cop who had accompanied us to the hospital walked in.

“Yes, I can help you recollect Mr. Abhiroop. Your visiting card carries your name. And I hope, I have pronounced it bit accurately. I would always appreciate, if I be corrected”, the cop said.

“Yes certainly. That indeed is my name. Your pronunciation is extremely accurate. But tell me what had happened last night”, I hurriedly told him.

“You seem to have forgotten everything gentleman. To cut it short, a fight broke out between you and Sanjeev Surti, who proclaims to be the fiancée of your female friend. Though we tried to separate you and had succeeded to some extent. Somehow, Mr. Sanjeev’s anguish remained unquenched. And I don’t know what made him grow so angry; he just turned and slapped you hard. So lethal was the slap, you lost your balance and rolled down the staircase. The impact was audible enough to intrigue us to rush towards you. One of my constables turned your body which was lying flat on your own face. Your head had started bleeding. It therefore became necessary to admit you in this ward. And now I have come here to record your statement”, completed the cop.

“I am sorry but I am in a state of pain and shock right now. Will it be fine, if you can record it in the later half of the day? I have no problem in cooperating you”, I replied.

“That is fine with us Mr. Abhiroop. But Mr. Sanjeev has lodged an FIR complaint against you, which states that last evening you had invited his fiancée Miss Paakhi to Leopold Café under the pretext to cause her harm”, replied the cop.

He continued, “Secondly he has mentioned in the complaint that you have a secret agenda, which is yet to be known to him. Because Mr. Sanjeev doesn’t yet know how you met his fiancée Paakhi. And how the hell did you both end up meeting each other. To me, if you ask me really Mr. Abhiroop, this is a complete paradox of a real life situation. Is this a love triangle? Is this something like love? Or is it something above love? I am thoroughly confused. This confusion comprises an injured you, an injured girl, an agitated fiancée and perhaps many more dimensions; we might discover soon”

I told him that I am yet to connect the links. And I definitely needed some time to recover.

“I should take your leave then for the moment. Your female friend has been operated upon and is still in a state of unconsciousness.  We will see to it that Mr. Sanjeev doesn’t hurt you again. I have deputed one of my men outside your room to report to me about any trouble caused to you. In the meanwhile, you will be tended by this nurse whose name is Miss Gayatri Subramaniam. I hope she will be of good help to you”, assured the cop.

“Thank you Mr…” I murmured.

“Mention not. By the way I am Inspector Gopinath Wagle from the police station where your female friend had met with an accident. The traffic cop would also come down to meet you. His name is Constable Anil Malusare. He might have appeared a tough nut to you last night. Let me assure, he is a gem of a person. Very rare to be seen in today’s police force. But I would suggest, you take some rest now. Many questions need to be answered. We also have to cross question Mr. Sanjeev Surti. I must say, he has not yet calmed down. I saw him moving in the corridor like a wounded tiger”, the cop completed before leaving.

I closed my eyes and within minutes found myself in a dream. Nayantara was calling me again and I was just going away from her. I was being dragged long away and suddenly I saw someone advancing towards Nayantara. On realizing that Nayantara’s voice was not just audible, I woke up with a jolt. I opened my eyes and I found Sanjeev standing right in front of me staring straight into my eyes. I had started sweating already by then.

“Some nightmare you must be seeing Mr. Abhiroop. Let me tell you then, the worse is over and Paakhi is out of danger now. But I still have to get many replies to my questions. I have asked the nurse not to disturb us for the next one hour. As far as the constable deputed outside your room was concerned, I convinced him to take a long walk. Let’s talk now Mr. Abhiroop. We might never ever get this opportunity to understand the many dimensions of life that we have found ourselves entangled in today, isn’t it?” Sanjeev completed.

“Not before I get my replies”, I replied.

“Oh! So you too have questions. Come on shoot”, said Sanjeev.

I rose and in a balanced tone asked him, “Are you Paakhi’s boyfriend?”

“No, I am not her boyfriend you fool; I am her soon to be wedded husband, I am her fiancée”, Sanjeev replied agitatedly.

I again slipped into a state of confusion and stared at Sanjeev with anger in my eyes and frustration gripping my mind.

-vociferous