Both Vijay and Gayatri were sitting opposite to the doctor with cloudy faces. Vijay told everything about Anitha's previous life to the doctor. "We have another Vijay in our office doctor, actually yesterday my secretary was informing only about that Vijay to my wife.."
"It seemed she mistook the information that the accident has happened to you and that obsessed her to the most, may be she lost her consciousness because of that" doctor, a well experienced man in his fifties removed his specks and continued, " our mind is very complicated one, we don't know exactly how it will react at times. The news affected at the level of her subconscious mind in the form of fear about losing you, that should be the reason for her current state. The sudden shock she encountered now, which she already gone through once in her life, shut down her brain completely. Medicines can treat the disease, but in this type of situation they can't help much. The brain has to regain it's function on it's own, until then we have to wait and watch and take care of her basic needs. At present her vitals are normal. We are giving only supportive measures. Hope her brain will start it's work soon" doctor let out a sigh.
Both Gayatri and Vijay exchanged a glance, Vijay was much worried, Gayatri placed her hand over his and consoled him by pressing it.
"Don't worry young man, most of the patients recover within a week of complete rest, she will definitely come back to you.." doctor reassured him.
"Thank you doctor", Vijay said and got up to leave.
"By the way how is 'that Vijay' now? What happened to him?" Doctor asked in curious.
"Nothing much doctor, only contusions and abrasions, he is fine now" Vijay replied and along with Gayatri, he left the doctor's cabin.
******
Anitha was lying on the bed, it appeared that she was in deep sleep, a tube was inserted inside her nose for feeding, an oxygen mask fitted on her mouth, an IV line continously dripping saline on her left hand, a monitor was ticking beside her bed watching her vitals.
Vijay was sitting in the chair nearby and looking at her face with grief. He was almost exhausted. It's third day since she lost her consciousness. He hadn't slept a minute for the past two days. His drenching heart, sinking thoughts along with the jet lag didn't allow his eyelids close for a second.
It's past 9 in night, with the typical hospital phenol along with drugs smell in air, the room was calm and quiet except that monitor sound. A duty nurse just now came, checked her pulse , BP and left.
He let out a sigh, took her hand into his and softly caressed it,
"Voi, please wake up..I can't withstand see you like this anymore.. you don't know how much I feel for you.. I want to live my life happily ever after with you, you don't know how much i am longing to make my own family, you and me with our kids.. it's none other than you and you only, I want to share and care this life, you are my life.. without you, I am nothing...please wake up and come back to me.." he bent forward and placed his forehead on her hand in the bed, and doesn't know when he fall asleep.
******
Next day morning when Gayatri came, she found, Vijay was sleeping in sitting position keeping his head on the bed, his hand enclosing Anitha's hand. Her heart flinched at the moment, she came near to him and woke him up, compelled him to go home and take rest, come back after refreshing.
After he left, Gayatri was sitting in the chair, looking at Anitha. Time was ticking slowly by then. She received series of calls which were all enquiring about Anitha's health, first from Rajesh, next from Aparna, and from her mother and few. Vijay's name was repeated many times in all of her conversations. Even though it was spoken in a whispering tone, Anitha's subconscious mind was picking it up clearly...it started deciphering the word syllable by syllable.....
"V....I...J...A....Y"
Slowly her neurons started firing one by one as though they got boosted up with an energy source. Instantly her grey matter started it's processing function, Anitha was regaining her consciousness slowly. Some body was saying, "please wake up, come back to me, I am waiting..." inside her mind. Her eyeballs moved inside the closed eyelids... Her fingers showed flickering movements...
With much difficulty Anitha opened her eyes, she saw Gayatri was sitting beside her bed and talking through the phone, she couldn't understand anything first, she looked all around blinking, then she realized the surroundings of the hospital room, her mind regained the consciousness fully, she able to remember the things one by one, when she remembered that phone call and the news, suddenly her blood pressure raised, pulse racing high, sweating all over the body, she became breathless..now Gayatri noticed anitha moving her limbs agitatingly...
At the same time the door was opened, Anitha turned her head and saw Vijay entering into the room, "Vijay......" Anitha screamed out his name, hopped up from the bed, ran towards him dragging the saline stand, monitor everything along with her, literally fell on his chest, and started crying hugging him tight.
With this sudden unexpected force, Vijay has to grip the nearby table for support and to steady himself from falling backwards.
Anitha was crying continuously in the same position without moving a bit, with violent sobs in between, it seemed she was crying for everything happened in her whole life until now, both Vijay and Gayatri stunned and speechless, watching her wrecklessly.
Everything in room was standstill except Anitha's sobs for a while.
Vijay, the first to regain his self from choking with joy, tears, and embarrassment, he slowly raised his arms to hug her gently and caressed her back. "Easy ma, I am here 'alive'.. no need to cry... here after you should not.. I won't allow you to spill a single drop, enough of your cry... I want to see only happiness in your face from now on, I assure you, I sincerely work for it and keep my promise and finally... thanks for accepting me..."
Gayatri was watching this aweful moment with sheer happiness, tears rolling down her cheeks, she was profusely thanking God...
********* The End ********
I complete my story here. Next episode only epilogue and vote of thanks.
The riddle answer - Once Vijay was telling about his relationship with Anitha to Parvati aunty- "her father's wife's brother's daughter's brother" - I know you all understood already, anyway it's my duty to explain - her father's wife means Anitha's mother, mother's brother means Anitha's maternal uncle. If that uncle was having both son and daughter and that daughter's brother means only his son. So Vijay meant to say, he was only her maternal uncle's son. ( For your kind information both are not related, it's only a lie he was telling playfully )
