In Serial Novel - Chapter 9 of Forever By Chhaya, Mumbai, India
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RECAP A nasty accident leaves Kunal in a coma while Anushka and Zunaid are badly injured. Kunal has to undergo a brain surgery. Zunaid is the best doctor available (he works in the same hospital) but he can’t operate on him because of a broken arm. He calls Anushka’s grandfather and tells him about the accident. He tries his best to be there for Anushka and Kunal. Her best friend Kelly takes care of her little daughter.
“Zunaid!” she whispered. Her voice sounded parched and broken. “Where is Kunal? And oh my god! You are so badly injured.” She tried to sit up in the bed, but failed. The weakness was even more than the pain. “He will be all right, don’t worry.” Zunaid once again ignored the question that she asked about his own condition. “Anushka. You have to have faith. He will be just fine.” He felt a mountain of guilt falling on his heart as he found himself lying to her so effortlessly. “Is he more injured that me and you?” she just wouldn’t let go. “Yes Anushka. He had to undergo surgery. But I am sure he will be just fine. Don’t you worry about him”. There was a soft knock on the door. Zunaid turned around to see Kelly standing at the door. “Hey Kelly, come in please. Anushka has just woken up. I will go and check on Kunal.” He got up from the chair “Kelly has been with Shivani.” He told Anushka. He walked toward the corridor, only to see his girlfriend Tina following Kelly in the room. “Zen, I think you too must take some rest. In case you have not noticed, you are badly injured yourself. Don’t act like a child.” Tina was really furious, and rightly so. “Anushka, you must tell him. He won’t listen to me.” Anushka smiled faintly and looked towards him. “Do what the lady says.” “Ok Ok! I will.” He left, limping. Tina said thanks to Anushka and followed him out. “Hey sweetie! How did all this happen?” Kelly took the chair Zunaid was sitting on. “I feel so horrible, seeing you guys like this. I saw it all on the TV.” “I can’t even recall everything. How is Shivani? Why didn’t you bring her?” “She is sleeping now. I wasn’t sure if you have woken up, so didn’t bring her.” Kelly held her hands. “Everything will be ok.” “Zunaid was not telling me something about Kunal. I always know it when he is lying. Tell me, how bad his condition is? I will die worrying otherwise.” Anushka pleaded. Reluctantly, Kelly explained whatever she knew about it. After spending sometime with her, Kelly left for her home, promising to bring Shivani the next day. It was almost midnight now. All alone in the small hospital room, Anushka was feeling claustrophobic. Was she going to lose everything? Life had never been too fair on her, and now…. ‘He has undergone brain surgery. He is in a coma now and no one knows when he is going to wake up.’ She just could not get over these words. Will Kunal come out it? She didn’t want to think about any other possibility. She recalled having a conversation with him few months ago. It was about a movie in which the leading lady had stayed in a coma for years. “I would hate to live like that. If I ever go in that condition, I would prefer to die.” Anushka had said. “If I ever go in that condition, and you are not in my life – don’t bother even checking my pulse or hooking me to any tube. Just let me go. But if you are there, waiting for me – damn it; keep me full of those wires and tubes for eternity. I would rather be a vegetable than miss a chance of being with you even for one more moment”. Kunal had said in mock filmy style. “Shut up Kunal. Don’t talk nonsense. And this is all so like teenagers. Since when did you become so cheesy?” She had hushed him. Now it all came back to her. No, she couldn’t stop feeling guilty. Wasn’t it her fault? Wasn’t it her behind the wheels that night? She could and should have been more careful while driving. Oh! Why did it hurt so much? And slowly, all those tears – held back for so long in front of others – came out. She sobbed like a child. The fear stabbed her like a dagger. The tears stopped only when fatigue induced a troubled sleep. When she woke up, it was morning. She was in a bigger room now. The first thing that she saw was her daughter, sitting in Kelly’s lap. “Mumma, you are hurt.” Shivani touched Anushka’s heavily bandaged arm with her tiny fingers. “I am fine baby.” She smiled. “Look, daddy is still sleeping.” Shivani pointed towards the other side of Anushka’s bed. She turned to look – only to find Kunal on another bed, just few feet away from her. His head covered with strange looking bandages. Zunaid was half asleep in a chair near Kunal’s bed. “He has to be kept on the ventilator.” The doctor checking his vitals told Shivani. “We shifted him in this room on Dr. Zunaid’s insistence” “I will drop Shivani home now. I have to report back to work today.” Kelly looked guilty. “I understand yaar. You have done enough. And Vini here is a very brave girl. Aren’t you honey?” “Yes, I am.” Anushka and Kelly couldn’t help smiling. Zunaid was also up now. He spoke to the visiting doctor for few minutes. As Kelly and Shivani left, he went and sat beside Anushka. “I will ask Tina to stay with Shivani tonight. You don’t have to worry”. His face was a bit less swollen now, but his eyes were bloodshot and he looked very pale. “You two have done enough Zunaid. You must take care of yourself. Vini will be just fine.” She held his hand, looking at his other arm – broken - in a cast. “Thank you, for bringing Kunal in this room. We are so lucky to have you.” her eyes said how much she meant it. Zunaid held her bruised hand in his own. “Anushka” She heard the voice and recognized it ever before her heart finished a beat. To be continued..... |
A very good chapter Chhaya. And I can feel how much it means for Anushka to have Kunal in the same room.
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Don't get worried! Please see my remark below!
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oh thank u!!
a word of praise from u means so much to me.
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Fluent style of your writing attracts everyone and compels to get involved within no time.Waiting for the next!
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thank u dear
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Hi Chhaya,
Great going. Pleased to see that you are doing well and am sure you will achive your desired goal. Best regards.
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thank u so much for the blessings ..
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Dear you made me emotional. I liked kunal's point of view on coma vis-avis-movie. I can feel the emotions of a person in love. Great going. Pl. inform me whenever u post next chapter. Now i don't want to miss love cum emotion bonding saga like this. Three Cheers for you, the master storyteller.
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i have always wondered what i will want my family members to do if i m in the smae condition. its the words from my heart that i gave to Kunal...
life is worth living if u have the person u love most...
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Deep one to enjoy! Nothing to be worried! Now one mind will study the other only,in the empty room!
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kahaani mein nayaa pan hai!...it's very interesting one!
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u r always so kind to me arunaji
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Very heart touching story. But the suspense is killing. Want to know the next part. U had potrayed human emotions very efficently.
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one suspense will be cleared in the very next chapter
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Yesterday, while listening on MeowFM (The only "just for women Radio Channel"), I heard Ginnie (the show hostess) ask, "Is romance dead? Nobody reads romantic novels, no Mills & Boon etc?" In today's 'practical' world of harsh realities, your writing has a lot of relevance and importance. People need romance in their lives, they need to read stories like what you write. This is what develops a complete and well-rounded personality. Keep up the good work. Believe me you are doing a positive service for Society.
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hahah, first time i m actually relishing the tag of "romantic"
thank u
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anuskha facing many things in same time, very touching,, i like to read all chapter..
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all the chapters are cataloged dead.. u can read whenever u want
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Nice unfolding, would wait for the next page. Describing more on Anushka’s mind, after
she wakes up would have added more essence to this page, in your next page you can do this. may be write a whole paragraph, what is going in her mind……..sure will, inscribe more insight on this, secondly why you brought this accident in between, will also make the readers understand what is to follow, or you would allow that to remain a mystery – okay so will wait and would like to read more……….How does one know that your next page has been published ?
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very good....
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It's really moving....great description of the feelings of the couple and their friends would have gone through in such a difficult situation...i am loving this story dear..but i can sense the light of hope in the darkness at the end...great going...
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Logistics to save two lives ... or may I say three - including Zunaid! well crafted. Let them be close!!
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I hope the voice is of Kunal!
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lovely...i liked the easy flow of the narration...witing for the next series
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Another good chapter! How I wish everything turns out to be well! I hope the voice is of Anushka's grandfather/mother. She needs support from her family.
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Ahhh...Kunal's voice I think...hope..you have described the situation quite well....and you are successful as usual in keeping the reader's interest alive...
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OMG...is it her grandpa? Or Kunal..? I wish its Kunal though. But you know it..u've kept us up for the surprise.
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Dear Chhaya!
Reading this episode..reminded me of the time I had nearly lost my kids and hubby to the dreaded Malaria, when it had just surfaced in Mumbai sometime around 1996.My husband was in the old bldg of Bombay Hospital, my daughter on the 8th floor of New wing and son on the 7th floor of new building.God had spared me to look after all of them.He had nearly snatched all of them from me.I still shiver to think of that time.Recently , we lost my sister's husband at the same Hospital. It is a torture for the family waiting in anticipation after the patient goes into coma.My mother-in-law was in coma for 15 days before she expired 7 years ago.One day before she expired,the doctor told us that her heart, kidneys and other organs were very strong-only her brain would never function. She had a brain hemorrhage.She may live for years together, but she will not come out of coma-that's what we were told.She was 72 yrs then and she had been very active till the last moment, before she collapsed in our native home.
I know your story is fiction, but still I hope,Kunal comes out of his coma.Your story narration has made the characters seem so real to life, that, I cannot but feel for them.
Great job Cindy!
VIDYA,MOTHER,MUMBAI
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