Verse Nine

Sanjay stood at the emergency, waiting for the doctor.
His mother was already being treated. He was perspirating hard.

He could never stay calm when things came to his mother. She was a patient of respiratory distress, and sometimes it aggravated. But today was an exaggeration.

Though the junior doctors said she'd be fine, he was still not relieved before talking to the senior who hadn't arrived yet.
His sister was with mom.

His manager arrived, stressed.
" Sir, you could have called me. Shanjida ma'am left a message. You didn't. "

Sanjay was mostly pissed off with him. He didn't answer.

" Sir, you talk to the doctor. Pass me the phone and wallet. I'll ensure the bill and stuff. " , Rahul said.

Sanjay did. He was in no mood for monetary affairs now.
Mom needed to be alright...

And then, there was Ranjavati...

Sanjay felt he was stuck in a furnace, even in that air conditioned hospital.

As soon as mom was fine, he would have to reach her. She was vulnerable.
She needed him.
However, he had no idea how long it would take in here. The whole of the night, maybe.

God, would always need to test him.
Like....always...

Verse Ten

When Ranjavati slowly revived from the semi unconsciousness, she could not gather where she was in the first place.

She waved her hands across the darkness, to discover she had been lying near the shelf, as if.. for a very very long time..

She slowly held the wall and got up.
She was used to all these, but a gap of three months had somehow lessened her adaptability.

She limped, and walked out of the room, to the verandah.

Something was not alright.
She checked the time.

12:25.

The security person to her apartment, and a few other people had gathered, and were almost shouting amongst themselves.

Also, the chawl, which was visible from where she stood, somehow looked buzzing. People were mostly howling.

Ranjavati called out.
" Guard Bhaiyaa.... What's....wrong? "

They looked up.
And screamed almost together,

" Where were you?
Where the hell were you doctor madam??
The whole chawl ran upto you, banged on your door, begged for you to open, then hopelessly ran with an almost dying child to the nearby hospital, that itself is more than five kilometers from here... in the middle of the night......
And you being a doctor, could not even do this much to save a baby?
You kept on sleeping!!!

What's the use of having a doctor amongst us?
Shame on you!!

You won't ever be able to forgive yourself.

Not when, you see the dead body of the girl and her parents howling beside. "

•

Sumaiyaa's little lifeless body lay in the middle of the chawl...

They had brought her back from the hospital. Because when they reached, she was already lifeless. They had either asked them to take the body away on bondage, or give in for autopsy.

They were not ready to see her chopped into pieces and then sealed together.

Ranjavati stood like a stone amongst thousands of eyes, that only oozed hatred for her at the moment.

Though, they did not utter a word.

She dropped herself beside the child.
The child who had drowned in the pond.
Could she save her?
In all possibilities, she could, had she not transferred herself....into another world...

Ranjavati sobbed.
Then howled.
Her wail cut through the silent chawl.
The dead silent chawl.

The mother sad stoned beside her. Did not move, did not cry.

Ranjavati suddenly felt filthy, soiled, dirty. She stopped making a sound.

She got up.
And began running. Running away from them.
Running away from the world.

They did not follow. Because, she had stopped existing for them.

Doctor Madam, had stopped being their resort. Their god.

Storming into the room, she howled. She threw away everything at hand.

And reached for her phone.
Dialing the only number she remembered.

No one answered, the twenty third call she made. The last call, she made.

Verse Eleven

7: 30 pm, the next day

Sanjay Mehta did not feel any of his body parts.

Was he alive?

Was he supposed to be?

Was that even possible?

He was underwater. In his bathtub.
He choked. He gasped. But did not get up.

Twenty three missed calls.

He shivered under water, and forced himself up. He was on the verge of collapsing.

Rudra broke in the door to his washroom.

Concerned faces stared from outside.
He assured them, and closed the door behind.

Sanjay lay still in the bathtub, fully dressed, his head leaning against the wall.

" Sanjay.... " , Rudra slowly placed his hand upon his.

He did not respond. Stared blank at the ceiling.

" It's over Sanjay......she's...she's gone....
Don't do this to yourself...

Her soul won't be at peace seeing you this way.... " , he spoke softly, his voice trembling.

Sanjay, as if was shaken out of a trance. His eyes, reddened and swollen, stared back into Rudra's.

" 23 missed calls... Rudra....

She was asking for me....

She needed me.....

But, I..... I did not even care to.... " , he choked.

Rudra pulled his head closer to his chest. He gave in like a child.

" They said, she died of drug overdose.
No...
No...
I killed her...
I killed her Rudra...

I could not even properly confess, that I loved her....
That I loved her...
That.... I..... Loved her......

She's gone. She's gone.
She'll never return, to listen to me, Rudra...

She's gone forever.

I killed her...

All she wanted was love.

No one, including me, could give her that much, Rudra..

I killed my Ranjavati...... "

Rudra could not bear his peril anymore. Tears trickled down his eyes as well.

" She could not bear the fact that...she being a doctor, the only good thing she achieved in life, could not save the life of a kid, who supposedly loved her unconditionally.

She....injected major doses of drugs, mostly on purpose, and never woke up again..... " , Rudra spoke slowly.

" No...no...she had spent 23 minutes on a useless me....before doing that...

And I....sat on the cold seats of the hospital, thinking about what I would do tomorrow, completely oblivious to the fact that.....my....phone rang in silence in my manager's pocket...

And that, I would never get....a tomorrow with her..... "

Sanjay came out of his grip.

Leaned back on the wall again.

And....screamed....

" Ranjavati........

RANJAVATI!!!!!!!!!

DO YOU HEAR ME?????

I'LL MARRY YOU.....

I'LL MARRY YOU....

I'LL SCREAM TO THE WORLD RIGHT AWAY, THAT I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU...

RETURN....
GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE...

JUST, ONE MORE CHANCE.... "

Rudra could not control streams of water flowing down his cheeks, as his dearest friend, dived into unconsciousness.

Life, was unjust.

Verse Twelve

Two months later

Sanjay Mehta, the ever amicable super righteous star of the industry, was a headache for his producers, directors, and his own public relations team these days.

He spent weeks communicating with no one, attended no event, went for no shoots on time, did not materialise any meeting, would not attend even premieres to his own movie.

Most importantly, media had captured him drunk on several occasions over the past two months. When mobbed, he had rudely asked them to mind their own business, abused and cursed the world in every way possible.

In short, this was the newest version of Sanjay Mehta industry had come across. The worst, anyone would ever want to interact.

While some speculated, the death of a mysterious girl who held a special hidden place in his life, was the sole reason behind his change in demeanour. While many claimed, he, the ever righteous superstar of Bollywood, had started doing drugs, while spending 32 years of his life, fighting against them.

•

Rudra pushed in the door of the pitch black room.
And pushed the light button.

" I don't like lights. Who's that? " , a slurred voice replied from behind the sofa.

Rudra walked upto the sound.

Sanjay sat on the ground, leaning against the sofa. A vial and a syringe lay on the ground beside him.

" What have you done to yourself Sanjay?
Tell me, will your self destruction, bring her back anyway?

Get up.

Just get up I said.

We're going somewhere. You need to heal. We cannot see you like this.
Aunty cries all day long. We too are dying with you, every moment.
Get up.

Get up Sanjay!!!!

Jesus!
She's gone.

But left behind everything she possessed, with him. "

Verse thirteen

Sanjay walked through a corridor, behind Rudra.
He did not know where he was heading to. Neither did he care.

Rudra turned his head. Throwing a glance at him.

" Could have taken you to a rehab. But have to care for your reputation as well. So, brought you to a therapist.
The biggest anti addiction therapist in Mumbai. I contacted her. She asked to bring you in here. Talk properly. Tell her everything. "

Sanjay did not reply. Nor a crease appeared on his expressionless face.

They reached a door. Rudra pushed it.

Sanjay followed him, as he walked in with a smile.

A woman sat in the middle of the room behind a huge table. She got up seeing them.

" Good evening, Mr Rudra Shergil and Mr Sanjay Mehta. Please have a seat. "

Extremely uninterested, Sanjay brought out his kerchief, and rubbed his nose.

Within a minute, he crashed on the ground, just at her feet.

Verse fourteen

Sanjay slowly opened his eyes.

The first face that greeted him, was the last he had seen while losing consciousness. He noticed her properly for the first time.

A face that could calm the most restless of souls. A set of eyes that bore straight through the heart. And a smile, that could bring an ocean of peace to the beholder.

He heared her speak, softly, yet distinctly....

" Mr Sanjay Mehta...

Whatever has happened to you, is unfortunate for sure, but does not really give you the right to destroy yourself.

Can I be given a chance, to help you out of this maze? Just, one chance, to be your friend, maybe?

By the way, I'm Ranjavati.
Dr. Ranjavati Mukherjee.

I will be waiting for your answer.
And even if it's a no, I hardly step out of someone's life, that easily. "

Streams flowed down his eyes....without his knowlege.

Poisons turns into elixir...only when you give in centuries of love..both self, and mutual.

The End,

Though, every end, is a new beginning.

Inspirations :

My senior who's a resident in Anaesthesiology

The song ' Bekhayali ' from Kabir Singh.

Some will say and have said, Kabir Singh too is.

How can I deny? 😊

Thank you.

Signing off,

PenFolk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvhs6bLbqZM