Another Half Of Me - Chapter 36

Dr. Sunil rushed inside Roshni’s room and saw the doctors and nurses trying relentlessly to pacify her. But, somehow they failed. Shoving them one after another, she tried to get up from the bed. He looked at her with amazement knowing too well that she was in a trance.

There were bruises on her right hand. Hurriedly, he asked one of the nurses to prepare the tranquiliser. Even though this was the first time she had reacted in almost 9 months but the doctor knew if he did not calm her now then she will hurt herself.

Dr. Sunil injected the tranquiliser and looked on as her body slowly became motionless under its influence. He caressed her forehead and thought to himself, I don’t know who did this to you but whosoever it is, that person has no right to live.

*****************

Siddha stared at the bleak darkness around him. Somehow his mind kept on thinking about what Karan had said: every police report had his and Sandhya’s name.

Sandhya had paid the price. But what about him? What about his punishment? Why is he alive when Roshni is dead?

Slowly he got up from the bed and switched on the bedside lamp. Opening the drawer, he picked up the syringe and filled it with the remaining liquid from the small bottle lying beside it. Tapping his veins, he injected and slipped into an abyss that was strong enough to drown him completely.

***************

Roshni was sitting on the wheelchair near the balcony staring at the sky when Dr. Sunil walked in her room the next morning. Sitting down beside her, he looked the same way as her eyes. 

There was a red kite flying high playing with the winds. Suddenly a black kite came in its way. The red one tried to dodge the black one but failed. Dr. Sunil looked with disappointment as the thread broke and the red one swayed towards the ground. He flicked his gaze on Roshni and froze.

A lone tear slipped the confines of her left eye and traced its way down her dry cheek, falling on the ground.  

*************

Siddha woke up suddenly feeling her tears on his cheek. Touching himself, he found them to be his. She was nowhere. She was gone and she will never come back no matter what.

He got up from the bed and staggered towards the bedroom door. Opening it without making any noise, he glanced outside and saw Rudy sleeping on the couch. His gaze suddenly fell on the car keys lying on the table. Slowly he crossed over and picked it up. Then opening the main door, he slipped out silently.

The car was parked exactly at the same place where the blast had happened. Smiling sadly, Siddha opened the boot and picked up a huge can filled with petrol. He opened the can and drenched the entire car with its contents. Throwing the can away, he opened the car door and sat down on the driver’s seat.

It’s time for me to go. I know you will not come to get me but I’ll still try to reach you.

Tears rolled down his eyes as he pressed the lever on the lighter. Flames engulfed him from all sides just as they had engulfed Roshni.

Rudy eyes opened suddenly as heard metal crashing on gravel. He sprung to his feet and ran outside once he noticed the open main door.

“Bhaiji!” he shouted and rushed towards the burning car.

Although his hands burned when he touched the door handle but still he did. He had to get Siddha out. Dragging him out, he picked him up and ran inside the house towards the bathroom. Hugging Siddha, he opened the shower to full. The pressure of the water douched the fire completely and both of them collapsed on the floor.

***************

Rudy had just come out of the burn unit after getting his wounds dressed. His right hand was bandaged to the elbow and his chest was covered with small bandages here and there. He looked up and saw Siddha’s family rushing to him. For once, he did not want to face them. He did not want to talk to anybody. Turning away he moved towards the balcony outside and sat down on the bench.

How can somebody do this to himself? What is it that drives a man to kill himself that too burning himself alive?

The images of Siddha up in flames while he dragged him out from the car kept playing again and again in his mind. Shaking his head, he tried to block them. Suddenly he felt someone’s hand on his shoulder. Amit was standing beside him with tears in his eyes. He could see everyone else standing behind him. Slowly Rudy stood up and faced them.

“How?” Amit asked sounding as bleak as he felt.

“I had always kept a full petrol can in the boot for emergency. Bhaiji always knew that. He poured all of it on the car and……” not able to speak any more, Rudy broke down sliding down on the floor as sobs racked his body.

Sid hugged him and said, “Thank God, you were there.”

Both of them got up as they saw Prashant walking past them towards the railings of the balcony clutching his heart and trying hard not to cry.

“You guys can see him now if you want,” he said to them. As Sid, Amit, Karan and Rudy started to leave with the others, he stopped them. When everyone else was gone, he looked at them one by one.

“Siddha is doing drugs.”

Copyright © Paromita Majumder. All Rights Reserved