A Love Story Or Not

#55

Shehnaaz nudged Sidharth and asked him to get some water from the car. He took long strides towards it to get the bottle and sprinkled a few drops on Misha.

Misha tried to squint her eyes and focus on her surroundings. The first word from her mouth was, "Sidharth!", and she again became unconscious.

Shehnaaz and Sidharth didn't know what was wrong with her. Who did this to her?

Shehnaaz asked him to carry Misha in the car, while she opened the back seat door for him to lay her there.

"Sidharth isse hospital leke chalte hain. Dekh kitni chot aayi hai ise!", Shehnaaz seemed really concerned and worried about her. Sidharth nodded and opened the door of the passenger seat for Shehnaaz to sit.

They both took her towards the nearby A. H. Hospital. It was a known hospital and Sidharth knew that Misha always gets her check up done from this hospital. So, he thought that they might know her.

He picked up Misha in his arms again and Shehnaaz followed behind. They went straight towards the reception and upon seeing Misha, the receptionist indicated them to meet Dr. Nishant Arora. The receptionist already knew her and she knew her doctor as well.

They got her admitted in one of the wards and went to meet the Dr. Arora. He was a young doctor, probably in his mid 30's.

"Hi doctor, Sidharth, Sidharth Shukla!", he said, bringing his hand out for the doctor.

The doctor shook hands with him and then Shehnaaz, after she introduced herself.

"Doctor, aap Misha ko jaante hi honge! Actually, we found her all bruised on the road and that too at this hour!", Sidharth said.

"Misha Road pe unconscious thi? How's that possible?", the doctor said clearly astonished.

He continued, "I am her psychiatrist. Actually her family made me meet her a month ago. She seemed really depressed and suicidal. She had already tried to take her own life thrice, before her family brought her to me. So, she has been in my observation ever since!", the doctor said.

They both were shocked. Misha was way too energetic and bubbly to be depressed.

" Doctor, we both are her friends and we have known her since our school time. So, will you please tell us the reason of her depression...", Shehnaaz asked this time.

The doctor hesitates but then started speaking, "Misha was in an abusive relationship. The guy she was with, a month ago, used to beat her and control her life. She was subjected to sexual assaults by him and so she gradually started closing up. The day she was brought to me,was the day she had attempted suicide for the 3rd time. She was lying in the swimming pool, lifeless. She had stopped breathing and we had to do a lot to make her breath again. Abhi kuch hi din pehle, she said that she needs a break from hospital and since she looked better, I discharged her asking her to come to my sessions regularly. To fir ye sab kaise ho gya?".

Sidharth was in a daze. Although, Misha has done a lot of things to spoil his life, but he can never forget that she was the first person, except his family who seemed too concerned about him.

What she did was wrong but at one pint of the time they were best friends and then they dated as well.

Misha had kept her promise of staying away from him and Shehnaaz, so the least he could do was take care of her during this time.

He asked the doctor about her family and the doctor told them that the family has left for London after leaving her in his care.

Sidharth knew that from her childhood, Misha has always stayed with the caretaker appointed to her by her family, while  her family was settled in London. When she grew up, they wanted her to pursue her college from London itself, but she refused and stayed in India.