Revathi is there lying on the
hospital bed, breathing ever so slowly under the oxygen mask. Fareed looks at
her from the door outside, breathing ever so fast, trying to contemplate how
his life had changed in the last few hours. “The next 24 hours are very
critical”, the doctors said. Fareed had heard this line before in films but the
“very critical” sent him to a panic mode. He could not get his mind off the
fact that just 3 hours back, he had seen her smiling bright. Fareed remembered
the time when he had shifted the ring from his left index finger to right so
that it doesn’t hurt Revathi when she holds her hand. And here she is, lying
there helpless, in grieving pain and all he can think of doing is switch places
this time, he would’ve if he could. But the pain was destined, for both of
them.
Revathi and Fareed’s relation
dates back to the time when they were young and foolish. Young enough to
believe in love at first sight and foolish enough to think that it lasts
forever. But they held on, unlike majority of couples who cut off after having
sex on the first date. Held on to see what the future had in store for them, to
give this a chance till the moment it stopped mattering that one loved Arijit
Singh and the other Prateek Kuhad. The chances soon turned into opportunities,
opportunities to fall in love deeper and deeper. There were gaps, of course, like
there are in every relationship but these were filled like the spaces between
the fingers. So they gripped tight and forged a battle of love, commitment,
fear and everything in between.
Revathi, a lover of physiology, a
medical student knew that she would finish her MBBS in two years, become a
doctor and marry a man of her father’s choice. But she held onto that one
thread of hope; that Fareed would mend his ways and realize that the time is
running out, not for her or him but for them. “It helps me keep my tormenting
past behind”, he said with a drop of tear ready to make its way out from his
eyes while intoxicating himself with drugs. Fareed had an emotionally
exhausting childhood, with his parents not just separating but also finding new
partners. He refused to believe that he can be loved by anyone until Revathi
came like a breath of fresh air. But it turned toxic every time drugs mixed in
his blood. “You have to live in the present Fareed. I’m here with you always to
remind you that the bad days are gone forever.” He listened but didn’t have
enough strength to understand. Understand the faith in Revathi’s words. And so
it started fading, much faster than his will power.
Before he knew it, she had gone.
The last thread of hope had detached for Revathi. Her mind was there with Fareed
but her soul had touched a void. She stopped feeling anything, the space where
you are intoxicated to the point of numbness.
27th March, 2018, Fareed
tried to recount everything that happened that night for the 10th
time, hoping that this venting out process will help him forget. Fareed like a
good boyfriend had planned a romantic dinner for them. He booked the tables,
wrote a letter, bought flowers, wore her favorite black shirt and had even
asked the restaurant to only play Prateek Kuhad songs while they had dinner. It
was set. An evening to give love another chance, to give Revathi and Fareed
another chance. He texted her, “Ill pick you up at 8 sharp. Be ready! :*” Fareed
was jumping with joy and left his house at 7.30, hoping to reach 15 minutes
earlier and wait for Revathi to come and make him skip a beat for the nth time.
He sat in his two-wheeler impatiently, looking at his watch, fidgeting while
waiting on the opposite side of the road. Finally Fareed saw a glimpse, a glimpse
of a dream, Revathi in sparking white, pretty earrings made her way down the
stairs smiling at Fareed. Revathi’s defiant hope had also got corrupted as soon
as she saw Fareed in the black shirt. She smiling honestly, was about to cross
the road, when a car came zooming from across the street hitting Revathi and
making her fall 30 feet away. Fareed had lost his senses, he stood there
staring into nothingness as the car driver came out, saw Revathi’s body lying
unconscious panicked for a bit with tipsy feet and zoomed off 30 seconds later.
Revathi’s parents came rushing down, soon the ambulance came and Fareed
followed it madly like it was the last train home.
Revathi is there lying on the
hospital bed, breathing ever so slowly under the oxygen mask. Fareed takes a
deep breath, closes his eyes, folds his hands and prays, “Whoever, wherever you
are. Save her. Save her, I will be a sober man, like she wants, please don’t
let her die. Please.” And at that very moment, the ventilator makes the sound,
the sound which indicates defeat. Fareed’s dream had just died, right in front
of his eyes while he had no control over it. His hands moved from prayer to
remorse, from folded hands to covering his face in one damn moment. The tears
this time did not need intoxication; it flowed like a flood refusing to calm
down. “You have to live in the present Fareed. I’m here with you always to
remind you that the bad days are gone forever.” Revathi’s words reverberated as
Fareed cried like there’s no tomorrow. There isn’t, before he is woken up with
a kiss on his cheek and a loving “good morning babe”. The hangover has begun.
