The Ultimate Shock!
I observed him carefully as he walked to the door. I knew that time was running out but suppressed the urge to check my watch. I took a deep breath and start counting in reverse under my breath. "Ten, nine, eight, seven…"
In anticipation, I tightened my grip on the handle. It felt cold against my warm palm. "Six, five, four…"
The door opened. My heart was thumping wildly now. "Three, two, one!"
Everything that happened next was almost in slow motion, frame by frame. I knew that I would never be able to forget it. Every detail will remain firmly etched in my brain for life.
The City Hospital had sent her post-mortemed body home at the scheduled time. He opened the door, saw the dead body and moved aside to make room for them to enter, but still did not react and simply stood there. I let go of the handle and stood up from my chair. It almost killed me to see his expressionless calm face. My heart had stopped thumping by then for my greatest fear for the moment didn't turn true. I wanted him to react and react violently but nothing of that sort happened. He just let his sister's body come in, looked back and smiled at me, as if nothing had happened. My heart broke into several pieces seeing his pathetic condition.
My mother-in-law rushed to the hall with red eyes crying her heart out while my father-in-law tried to hold back his tears and console her. But my husband needed no consolation at all. He didn't show any interest to see what all the sorrow was about, neither was he interested in having a last look at his beloved sister's face. Rather, he looked a little too busy playing Candy Crush on his mobile sitting on the sofa. Wondering what I should do next, I went over and sat beside him.
"Rudra, your sister is…," I tried to speak.
"My sister is getting more and more mischievous day by day and it's all because of your excess love. I need to get her married as soon as possible," he replied, in a mock-anger tone.
"But, Rudra…," I tried again.
"No buts, Roshni. All these years you have kept telling me that she is too young to get married, and she should first concentrate on her studies and career. But, I would no more bear with this. When she had chosen her life partner, her career is also set now and we all have approved it, then why delay it more?" he asked and looked at me with his innocent eyes. Those eyes were enough to bring me close to tears.
"Roshni beta, let me try once," dad said, coming to my rescue. I nodded and moved aside to let him sit beside Rudra.
"Rudra beta, do you remember how you and Ragini used fight over who would taste your mom's kheer first?" he asked.
"Yah, she used to win always, for she's the youngest and mom's favorite one," he replied again in a mock-anger.
"And how your quarrels during Rakhi were easily solved with the sweet touch of Cadbury Celebrations?"
"We both loved those moments dad," he replied smiling.
"Not only do you two loved those moments but also loved each other a lot. Isn't it?"
"Yes, dad. A lot."
"Then on this fateful day, why don't you cry your heart out, my son? Why are you trying to hide your feelings and smile like this?" he burst out.
"What's there to cry about dad? Every girl has to go to her in-laws' one day and Rajat's house isn't far from here. She can always come here whenever she wishes," he replied casually.
Dad stood up from the sofa looking helplessly at me while Rudra looked up at me confusedly. Their looks were more than enough for me to bear and I ran to my room, somehow suppressing the urge to cry my heart out then and there.
I couldn't stand it anymore. His complete indifference towards his sister's death was just killing me. Rudra couldn't handle the shock of seeing his sister commit suicide by jumping off the terrace and hence his brain had created a place for him where is beloved mischievous sister was still alive and where the dreadful incident has never taken place. What he was suffering from is known as 'acute stress reaction' and avoidance of any stimulation that reminds them of the event is one of its symptoms and that's what exactly happened to him. And what troubled me more was, being a Psychiatrist myself I am unable to bring him back to reality.
"It's time for the funeral, Roshni," dad spoke from behind.
"But Rudra…," I burst out crying. He came and sat beside me.
"He would be fine, Roshni. Give him some time. Have patience. Stay firm. If you being a doctor lose hope and cry like this what would become of us dear?" he tried to console me.
I looked up at dad. The pain of his daughter's sudden death was clear in his eyes. Still he tried hard to hide it and console me at a time when I should have done the same to him.
"Dad…" I murmured and hugged him tight and cried again. Ragini was my favorite too and couldn't bear the fact that she is really no more. Dad hugged me back and I could fell his body shake against mines' as he finally gave way to his sorrows. A few drops of tears touched my neck. We stayed in that position for a long time until our heart regained its strength.
Back at the hall, Rudra was still playing on his mobile, still unaware of all the commotions behind and of his mothers' futile efforts to make him cry.
"Sima, let's go. Otherwise it will be too late for the funeral," dad said.
"But, but… my boy… my boy…" was all she could say.
"Ah! Roshni will look after him, Sima. Let's go," Dad replied and looked at me. I blinked and nodded. They went away with the body.
Soon, my parents arrived and this time I opened the door.
"Oh, Wow! What a pleasant surprise!" Rudra exclaimed and jumped off the sofa quickly to touch their feet.
Ma looked first at him and then at me in surprise. I pressed my eyes. Papa understood and took Rudra aside while I explained everything to ma. She gave her usual I-told-you-so-this-boy-is-a-complete-psycho-look and I rolled my eyes. But she controlled herself later as she understood we needed support.
Two days later, Ragini's last rites were being performed. Rudra still was without any reaction and had his earphones tucked deep into his ears, completely unaware of the ceremony. Mom even tried to attract his attention towards the garland around his sister's photo, still nothing happened. He looked up, responded with a smile and went on to choose the next song to hear.
Six weeks had passed since, still no trace of normalcy in his behavior was observed. It generally lasts for a maximum of four weeks but his case was really different. No sort of counseling has worked out. I had even discussed the matter with my Psychiatrist colleagues but everyone took the view that we needed to give him some more time to recover by his own.
"Six weeks passed and still Ragini couldn't even manage to get one day off her work to visit her family just once?" Rudra said, one morning at the breakfast table.
"May be she is too busy with her work," I replied quickly, while applying jam on the breads, trying to do away with the conversation. Mom still was not able to get over it and cried every single time her name is mentioned.
"Too busy to call her brother even once?" Rudra scoffed. He was in a mood to drag the topic on.
"Forget it na, Rudra. She will surely pay a visit when she gets time," I tried to stop him getting further.
"Your love had spoiled my sister," he replied and taking out his phone said, "Let me call her and give her a good thrashing," and dialed her number.
From the corner of my eyes I could see Mom was almost in tears and Dad throwing baffled glances.
"What! Switched off! Now why on earth is it switched off?" Rudra shouted.
Mom could bear no more and pulling her pallu close to her mouth to avoid outburst ran to her room.
"See, she made my mom cry too," Rudra commented as I ran behind her.
I saw her lying with her face down on her bed and crying. I went in slowly and touched her shoulder softly. She looked up at me and then taking my hand into hers resumed her crying. When she was done, she sat up straight and said, "Save my Rudra, Roshni. I know you can. I couldn't save my daughter; neither could he save his sister. But I know you can save my son, Roshni. Please save my son," and again burst crying.
"I really have to do something now," I thought as I entered my room. Mom's pleadings to save her son were still ringing in my ears. I sat on my bed and closed my eyes to calm me down. Then, I devised a plan.
Next morning, after Rudra had left for his office as usual, I called my colleague and friend Sohini and two of his friends—Shyam and Kushal—to help me execute my plan.
Once they arrived I explained them all about Rudra's present condition and told them my 'risky' plan to bring him back to reality. They were shocked and a bit afraid at first, but later agreed. They then went off to make all the arrangements for the plan while I waited patiently for the dark night to arrive for its execution.
As planned, Sohini, Shyam and Kushal arrived at 11pm, right after dinner and waited quietly at the basement. As per his usual habit, Rudra went off to sleep at nearly midnight. I tip-toed out of the room and went into the basement. There we discussed our plan in detail once more and together made all the preparations. By the time we were done, it was almost two at night. Shyam and Kushal went to the ground; Sohini went to Ragini's room and I to mines' as pre-planned.
Near about three, Sohini came out of the room wearing Ragini's attire and then deliberately dropped a glass near our room, just as it happened on that fateful day. Rudra woke up with a start at the noise just as I had expected and looked at me. I pretended to rise from a deep slumber astonished at the noise.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Let's go and check," I replied.
We then rushed towards our door and opened it to find the broken pieces of glass and saw Sohini dressed as Ragini proceeding towards the main gate with a knife in her hand, like Ragini had done before.
"Who is it?" Rudra whispered to me.
"Ragini," I replied, praying he believes me.
He did and said, "Where is she heading to and what is she doing with a knife?"
"Shhh… Let's just follow her. Come," I replied.
Sohini opened the gate and headed towards the terrace and we followed her.
"Why terrace in the middle of the night?" Rudra whispered unable to control himself. I put my finger on my mouth signaling him to be quite now.
We went behind her up to the terrace. On the day when this incident really occurred, Ragini had already jumped off just as we have crossed the threshold of the terrace giving us no time to run and save her. But I asked Sohini to make it a slow process today so that he gets a bit more time to recall the incident.
As Sohini moved slowly towards the edge Rudra gave a loud cry, "Ragini, DON'T!"
But she didn't stop- instead she waved the knife at us and kept on moving pointing the knife at us.
Rudra, who was completely shocked by this time, clasped his head tightly with his hands and started shouting, "Ragini! Ragini! Oh-no! Ragini!" and then turning towards me said, "I have seen this happen before! I HAVE seen this!"
Sohini utilized this moment in replacing herself with the wax doll dressed completely in the same manner and made a jingling sound with her bangles. It was the signal for Shyam and Kushal to pull down the doll. The sound also attracted Rudra who again turned his attention towards the doll. At this point the wax doll fell down and Rudra saw his Ragini—his beloved sister— to commit suicide in front of his own eyes.
I stood there motionless. My heart had started thumping wildly again and I was desperately praying for the ultimate success of the plan, praying for Rudra to react, to shout, to cry, praying that he don't go into another shock, praying everything gets all right again.
Then, like the first shower of the monsoon after a long tiring summer, like the first cry of a baby just after his birth, like the first light of the dawn after a dark night, it came, it finally came. A loud cry escaped Rudra's mouth and he fell down on his knees crying and shouting, "Ragini, Ragini, my sister…" He cried like hell, like never before and unlike the dreadful day when this incident had really took place, just after Rajat had rejected Ragini's love and proposal for their marriage.
I slowly went near and sat beside him. He tucked his head in my lap and cried hard, unaware that his parents and friends had surrounded him. He cried his heart out, continuously till the dawn broke and the birds begun chirruping all around, making the world more lively.