"Meet him once At least", Rhea's aunt's voice came from the kitchen while Rhea was sipping her coffee quickly as she was already late.Rhea picked up the file, already she had received calls from the hospital and knew she was needed there.Rhea knew that there was no time for her to get into an argument with her aunt,so she just uttered-"When will you stop hunting for eligible groom for me? I am getting late,Bye"
On her way to the hospital,she was casually going through the file of the patient admitted recently.All the symptoms indicated to Persistent Depressive Disorder.Rhea's phone beeped and it was a message from her aunt who had sent a picture of the eligible groom.Rhea didn't open the message and she wasn't even interested.
Walking through the hospital corridor,the interns brought in the reports to her and she quickly glanced at them and verbally heard about the progress of the patients.She then opened the door and assisted by Rick and Neeti,checked the new patient.A tall handsome man of mid twenties lay on the bed, dozing off due to the sedative given to him.Rhea asked for his family members and Neeti took her to the waiting area where a woman of late fifties was sitting silently.Rhea knew she had to Know more about him.
The lady by the time was a little comfortable sitting inside the chamber of Dr.Rhea.The dark circles around her eyes and her pale face made it obvious that she has been suffering too.Rhea offered her water and asked-"So is he your...?" The lady didn't wait for her to finish,she said-"Ravi is my son.You see he was such a beautiful bright boy but see destiny played a cruel game." Rhea asked- " Can you please tell me what exactly brings him here?" The lady started sobbing-"At first we thought Ravi would move on.My son introduced me to her colleague Aisha two years back.They were in love and wanted to get married.Our family members readily agreed but one fine morning we got a call from one of Ravi's office friends telling that on the way to Kalimpong Conference,Ravi's car had met with an accident due to landslide.We hurried to the hospital.By God's grace my son and two of his friends got saved,while three of them died and one was Aisha."
Hearing the story Rhea looked blank.Her mind got transported back to a fine evening 5 years back when she was in her final year.It was the last time for all of them and Uzi one of her classmates had thrown a farewell party for all of them.Rhea didn't want to join the party as she had a terrible fight with Ashish but the latter kept on pestering her to come.Rhea was so furious that she said-" Can you please just give me some some space and let me breathe.Why do you do this always Ashish? " Ashish answered in the same jovial tone-"Rhea look I am sorry for disturbing you but you know how much I love you.See this is the last Evening we have together.Let's enjoy" But nothing could pacify Rhea and she hung up the phone.
To distract herself she started packing her stuffs as they had to leave the hostel but she felt terribly bad.She knew she would miss everything about the place and the words of Ashish suddenly rang in her ears that "It was the last evening together".So she opened the cupboard and took out the red dress Ashish had gifted her and made up her mind to surprise him by going to the party.Afterall she knew how dearly he loved her and she felt stupid to be angry with him for not taking her out for the promised lunch date.Just as she was about to leave her phone rang and it was Ashish.But what she heard shook her world.She hurried to the hospital and she saw all her classmates in tears.Somehow she couldn't reconcile to the fact that Ashish was no more.Uzi came and said-"He kept the ring in my cupboard which he was going to give you today in front of us and I told him not to hurry but he said he would surprise you by bringing you to my party and look he himself has left."
Since then Rhea's life wasn't the same anymore.She kept blaming herself for the mishap that happened to Ashish.She thought she was the reason.Had she agreed to go,he wouldn't have come and his bike wouldn't have collided with the Truck in the highway.Rhea's aunt has been trying to fix her up with someone in order to make her forget about Ashish but her attempts were in vain.
"Doctor,my son will be alright,isn't it?" Rhea's thoughts were tresspassed and she said-"Of course Ravi will be fine."The lady held her hand and said-"Please doctor bring my Ravi back,he doesn't want to live.He keeps blaming himself for the mishap for forcing Aisha to go for the conference.But you understand that whatever is destined is bound to happen.Right?" Rhea nodded in assertion.She could see the pain in the lady's eyes and thought of her aunt who too played the role of her parents single handedly after their death and she felt terribly shaken.
Before leaving she opened the ring kept by Ashish in the drawer and took out her phone.She messaged her aunt-"I am ready to meet him Aunt.Fix a date soon."
She smiled to Ravi's mother and said-"Don't worry some pains take time to heal and I promise you will get back your Ravi soon."
She opened the door and walked in near the bed where Ravi was now sitting silently.....