The Dead Flower

chapter 26

"Vaishnavi... You have to listen to what Eric said because I doubt the person behind Haritha's case was responsible for this also...if it's true then you are also in danger...he will harm you because you are Harish's wife...so please stay here with us..." Rishi said looking at Vaishu " at least until we catch him" he added.

Vaishu agreed to stay with Harish until they catch the criminal. Eric and Rishi waited for Harish to wake up.

It has been a week since Harish was admitted to the hospital. When family members were allowed to see him Lekshmi, Eric and Rishi entered the ICU to see him. Vaishu refused to see him in the fear of how he will react to her.

Eric informed Harish's office that he was caught into an accident and have mild injuries so he will not come to the office for two weeks. What Eric said gave some suspicions to Pridhvi but he was not sure became Harish didn't show any symptoms.

The only way in front of Pridhvi was to continue the medicine, he insisted Vasuki to do that.

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3 days later

Harish returned to the normal state with the continuous observation and treatment of Dr. Vinayak. Seeing his stable condition doctor decided to shift him to the ward.

When Harish returned to normal condition his memories also came with him. Vaishu's tears started to burn him from the instant he woke up.

'Why I did this to her?' He mumbled silently when her cries started to make him an insomniac.

Harish was shifted to the room after a clinical examination by Vinayak.

"He is perfectly alright, we just need to give him a counseling session," Dr. Vinayak said looking at Eric and Lekshmi who stood near Harish's bed in the room.

" Doctor, how long did he need to stay here?" Eric asked looking at Vinayak.

" I will tell you, come to my cabin," Dr. Vinayak said to Eric not wanting to discuss everything in front of Harish and Lekshmi.

Eric asked Vinayak about Harish's condition and the discharge procedures when he reached his cabin.

"As I told you earlier, he's perfectly alright but we need to make sure he's mentally fit. Now he is completely recovered but the memories he had are still with him including the memories in which he hurt his wife."

Eric leaned forward to listen to what he was saying curiously. "But doctor he didn't do it intentionally"

"Yes, that's why the memories are making him depressed...to avoid the consequence he needs to understand what really happened to him...but, don't worry Eric I will give him back to you as your old friend"

Even though the doctor's words eased his mind, Vaishnavi remained as a question mark to him. 'What will happen to her once Harish gets recovered? Vaishnavi agreed to stay with us until we catch the criminal, but what will happen after that?' many questions arose in his mind.

When he walked back to Harish's room from Dr. Vinayak's cabin he saw Vaishu sitting outside the room. She looked tired and sleep deprived.

"Vaishu..." Vaishu looked at him with surprise because it was the first time he called her Vaishu. She stood up with a confused looked.

"Why are you sitting here? Come with me." Eric called her inside.

"No sir, I will wait here..."

"Vaishu, please don't call me sir...call me Eric" Vaishu stood there silently listening to him.

Seeing her not moving from her place Eric grabbed her hand sighing heavily. Before she could protest he went inside the room with her. When she realized what he was doing and tried to free herself from his hold she was already inside the room. She felt suffocated to stand in the same room with Harish.

"Harish, I talked to the doctor he said we can get discharged after a small counseling section." Eric moved to Harish's side leaving Vaishu's hand.

Harish's gaze fell on Vaishu who was standing near the door like a lost puppy. Even though he was answering Eric his mind was on Vaishu.

'How I am going to seek forgiveness for what I did to you, Vaishu?' His heart pained.

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Water splashed on Sruthi's face making her wake up from her sleep.
She got startled looking at the dark surrounding. When her blurry vision got cleared she looked around the darkroom.

A man was standing in front of her with a bucket in his hand.

'Where am I? Did I got kidnapped?' Previous events started to play in her mind making her shiver.

When she was going back to home after talking to Vasuki some people followed her in an Omni van, they stopped her and sprayed something on her face. She couldn't remember anything else but one thing was clear to her she got kidnapped.

"Who are you, what do you want?" She shouted at the man standing in front of her.

"Shhh...don't shout...if you don't want to remove that piece of cloth from you" the man said looking at her in a dirty way.

Then only she realized her body was half naked with only a white piece of cloth covering her upper body.

"Noo...nooo...please leave me...pleas..."
She stopped hearing the door opening sound. Getting scared she moved near the wall hugging herself tightly.

The door opened giving the darkroom painful brightness revealing Vasuki...