Written in the stars

Sequel - Part 4

Mukti (to Pari) : "Sorry, he  mistook you for someone else."

Mukti (to Manik) : "She is doctor's sister Pari."

Manik was confused. Mukti was introducing her as someone else, but he felt it was his Nandu.

That was the reason Mukti was shocked when she saw Pari first.Pari looked exactly like Nandini. But Pari didn't recognize Mukti or Manik or anyone else who came to visit Manik. But Manik had improved after Pari started visiting him.

At first, Mukti was confused too. At that time, it was Manik's well being that Mukti was concerned. So she didn't try to figure out more about Pari. She didn't want Pari to stop visiting because of her interference.

After Pari left,

Manik : "Why did you tell like that? How can I make a mistake? She is Nandu."

Mukti : "Doctor introduced her as his sister. If she is Nandini she should have recognized us, but she didn't."

Even Manik got a slight doubt. If it was his Jaan then, she would have come running into his arms as soon as she saw him. But he strongly felt that it was her.

Mukti : "But you started showing improvement after she started visiting. So I don't know what to say."

Next day,

Manik : "Why don't you talk to her and get more details about her?"

Mukti : "How can I do that? She might take me wrong.

Manik : "Considering that she didn't recognize me and I gained conscious only yesterday, it may seem odd if I start enquiring suddenly about her. You have been interacting with her from past few days, it will be better if you talk to her."

Manik was trying to persuade Mukti and Mukti wasn't agreeing. So when Mukti gave Manik his medicines he wasn't ready to take it. Mukti tried to convince him to have his medicines, but he didn't budge. When Pari opened the door, they stopped their argument suddenly.

Pari : "Did I come in at the wrong time?"

Mukti : "No, please come in. We had an argument and now Manik isn't ready to take his medicines. I have been trying from quite some time and he isn't listening to me."

Pari : "Manik, I don't know what you both were arguing about. But I think health is definitely more important than any argument. If you don't have your medicines,how are you going to recover soon. You can continue with your argument later too."

Mukti (murmering to herself) : "Recovering soon means going away from here, looks like he doesn't want to go from here."

Manik had his medicines, he couldn't persuade Mukti in front of Pari anyways. After Pari left, Manik continued to persuade Mukti and she finally agreed.

Next time Pari visited Manik's room,

Mukti : "Is Pari your nick name or original name?"

Pari : "That is my only name."

Mukti : "Who else is there at home?"

Pari : "It's only me and Bhai(brother)."

Mukti : "What are you doing, studying or working?"

Pari : "I stay at home. Bhai doesn't let me go anywhere on my own. He lets me come only here because it is close to our house."

Mukti : "Why doesn't he let you go anywhere?"

Pari : "Bhai told me that I met with an accident and lost my memory. So he wants me to be careful and doesn't want me to take any kind of stress. He takes me with him if I have to go anywhere."

Mukti : "Oh.. sorry about that. How did you meet with an accident?"

Pari : "I don't remember."

Mukti : "How long is it since you met with an accident?"

Pari : "It is more than a year."

Pari's thoughts : "Why is she interviewing me as though she is going to write my biography?"

Pari felt that since Manik was better now, probably there was no need for her to visit him anymore.

Pari : "Since your brother is much better now, I think I don't have to come here from tomorrow."

Manik didn't want Pari to stop visiting. He pretended to cough. So Mukti went to Manik and gave him water to drink.Manik whispered something in Mukti's ears. Mukti came back to Pari.

Mukti : "If it is not too much to ask, can you please continue to visit us as long as we are here. We are going to be here only for a few more days."

Pari agreed.

Manik was still weak and was given drips. On Manik's insistence, Mukti agreed to talk to the Abhi. Otherwise, Manik was ready to take off the drips and go to Abhi's cabin to talk to him.

Mukti went to Abhi's cabin. She was still hesitating.

Mukti : "I ..I wanted to know ...more about Pari."

Nandu had told about Mukti's interrogation to Abhi.

Abhi : "Why do you want to know about her?"

Mukti : "She looks exactly like my sister-in-law, so wanted to check if it is her or not. My sister-in-law is my brother's life. You saw how he began to respond when she was around him."

She explained  Abhi when, where and how they lost Nandini.

Abhi : "Pari isn't my sister actually. I saw her drowning in the river and saved her. I treated her immediately. She was injured and didn't gain consciousness. I couldn't think of what to do at that time, so I got her with me."

Abhi : "When she gained consciousness after a few days, she didn't seem to remember anything. She didn't even remember who she was and where she was from.She had hurt her head, probably that caused the memory loss."

Abhi : "Later, i felt there may be someone looking for her. So I gave her description at the local police station, but no one came looking for her. Since she didn't remember anything, I felt it wasn't a good idea to leave her alone. So I told her that she is my sister, she met with an accident and lost her memory."

The location of the waterfall and where Abhi stayed were quite far. People who were hired by Manik to look for Nandini were looking in area around the waterfall. That is the reason they weren't able to find her.

Mukti told Manik about it. Now, they were sure it is Nandini.

When Manik was better and ready to be discharged from the hospital,

Manik : "Can we take her home with us?"

Abhi : "I wouldn't suggest that. I don't know how she would react to sudden change in environment, if she will be able to handle it. Moreover, she doesn't know that she isn't my sister. She doesn't even know the details of what happened, how she lost her memory."

Abhi : "It is better if one of you meet her a few times in a neutral environment and make her feel comfortable around you first. Then introduce things gradually to her and see if she can remember. Meanwhile, I will see the right time and reveal the truth to her."