Chapter 2

Some months later:

It's around 11 pm at night. Purvi dials Rajat's number; he is busy with a case and doesn't take the call. She leaves a voicemail asking him to call back as soon as he is free. Purvi sighs, she knows him very well, for him it's always duty first. She takes deep breaths to calm herself, her eyes dart towards a frame at her bedside table. It's a collage of her pictures with Rajat, some from their school, some random and in the center is their recent engagement pic. Her favorite among all is the one taken at a railway station – her mind wanders back to the day when Rajat left the boarding school after finishing his 12th grade.

Flashback:

After being together since 12 years, they were going to separate. Rajat and Purvi had finished their 12 grades and both had secured admissions to colleges of their choice, but in different cities. She got admission in Delhi to study MBBS and him in Mumbai to study criminology. Both had worked very hard and had their paths well thought out – she wanted to be a forensic expert and him a CID officer.

Purvi accompanied him to the railway station, both walking slowly as if to delay the inevitable. They hardly spoke or saw towards each other, each feeling they will break down. Rajat got inside the train with a very heavy heart, settled at the window seat and avoided meeting her gaze. As the train started to leave, Rajat rushed to the door to wave to her one last time with tears in his eyes. She was nowhere to be seen.

She reached the small pond and cried her heart out with loud sobs. She didn't know for how long she cried when she heard someone calling her name. She stopped, turned and saw him standing there with tears. Without wasting a moment they both were in a tight embrace, crying continuously. They slowly separated from the hug, Purvi still sobbing and looking down. Rajat lifted her chin, wiped her tears and just bent this forehead to touch hers. Soon they both just held hands and sat near the pond.

They watched the sun go down at a distance and were quiet for a long time, finally Rajat spoke.

Rajat: Purvi, why were you crying? You know I hate to see you cry.

Purvi: I don't know Rajat, I felt my heart broke when you left. I cannot bear the thought of being away from you - she said and tears formed in her eyes

Rajat: I felt the same Purvi. All this years you have been my best friend. You know my moods, my feelings very well. I would have been dead a long time back if it wasn't for you

Purvi shudders remembering that horrific incident. She tightens her grip on his hands.

Rajat: I want to ask you something today. Promise me that you will think about it.

Purvi nods and waits for him to speak.

Rajat: Purvi, I have realized that I cannot live without you. You have become like a habit for me. I don't know what this is, I think it is love. I want to be in touch with you, we may not be able to meet each other very often but if we continue this friendship and you do not feel the same love from your side, promise me that you will let me know. I only wish your happiness forever. Please think on what I have said and promise me we still will be friends for life.

Purvi: Rajat, I was angry at god for a long time as I had no one in the whole world to call my own. You came into my life and you are now my father, mother, brother, sister in short my whole world and I thank god every minute for that. I do not need to think, I know it and my answer is a million times YES. I cannot live without you.

Rajat: Is it a yes Purvi?

Purvi nods with tears in her eyes. Rajat immediately hugs her tight and then kisses her hands. She feels a tingle in her spine and looks at him, her breath uneasy. He grins and they talk away for some more time. Later they walk back to the station and Purvi bids him goodbye with a smile. Rajat waves back and blows a flying kiss, she blushes.

Flashback end

She comes back from her happy memories, wipes her tears. She hears her phone ringing, it's from the hospital. She feels her anger and tension making a comeback. She rushes to the hospital and after an hour is walking back to her quarters. She takes a turn from the road and suddenly feels pulled inside a car. It's so sudden that she cannot scream. The car starts and she struggles to remove the hands from her mouth. She digs her nails deep in her attacker's hands and stamps him hard on his foot with her shoes. The man screams in pain and abuses her. She recognizes this voice….

She angrily asks him to stop the car and let her out. She raises her hand, but he holds it and slaps her in return. Her lip is bleeding and she is trembling. He grabs her and kisses forcibly. She is now being speedily driven away in a car. Purvi screams at the top of her voice, trying to open the car door, when one of the men gags her with a cloth muffling her cries.

A pair of hands holds her tight, she struggles hard, but he punches her face and stomach repeatedly and Purvi feels dizzy with pain. Her struggles lose strength and she closes her eyes in shame, tears flowing, crying for help continuously. No one can hear her screams and they beat her mercilessly. Finally her mind and body cannot take it anymore and everything blacks out in front of her.

Her phone is ringing continuously inside her bag dropped on the road. It's Rajat calling her for the umpteenth time, but she doesn't pick it. He feels something is wrong, his mind flashing her face over and over again. He is restlessly pacing up and down and Abhijit notes this. He goes up to him and keeps hand on his shoulder. Rajat jumps and sees Abhijit. Rajat's face is pale and his eyes convey great fear.

Abhijit: Kya hua Rajat? Tum itne pareshan ho?

Rajat: ahh..woh..kuch nahi sir, Purvi ko kabse try kar raha hoon. Who phone nahi utha rahi hai..

Abhijit: Toh itne pareshan kyun ho..woh hospital me hogi..

Rajat: who..sir..kuch der pehle uska message tha..use mujhse kuch baat karni thi..woh itni raat ko aise hi phone nahi karti aur kaafi tension me lag rahi thi..aur pata nahi dil bahut ghabra raha hai…

Abhijit: Arre toh hospital phone karlo….

Rajat: Maine kiya tha sir..purvi raat 12 baje nikal gayi thi. Magar phone nahi utha rahi…

Just then he gets call from Rupa, Purvi's room mate. Rajat had called her earlier to check on Purvi.

Rajat: haan Rupa..Purvi room me hi hai na..woh theekh hai?

Abhijit sees Rajat's face turn paler.

Abhijit: Kya hua Rajat?

Rajat: sir…who…Rupa Purvi ki roommate hai.. purvi ka bag mila hai jiske andar uska phone hai…but purvi kahin nahi hai.

Saying this he rushes out. Abhijit runs after him shouting his name. Rajat swiftly gets in the car, Abhijit gets in too. He keeps a hand on his shoulder.

Abhijit: ghabrao mat..woh teekh hogi..chalo

Meanwhile, Purvi is unconscious, unaware of what is planned for her by the 4 men in the car. He is happy to have his revenge. How dare she slap him in the first place? All he had wanted was just one night with her. Now she will never forget him for the rest of her life. Life! he thinks, is anyways too short.

She is lying on the floor of the car, her clothes barely there. Her body is blue at places, the blood on various wounds still flowing. He takes a huge sip from the bottle in his hands and proceeds to choke her to death. At that moment, Purvi opens her eyes and struggles to remove the strong pair of hands strangulating her. She can barely make out his face now through her swollen eyes; it's increasingly difficult for her to breathe now. Purvi sees the world blackening in front of her again and in a flash sees Rajat's smiling face. She tries to raise her hand to touch it, at that moment he disappears and her hands fall down. The man behind instructs the driver to increase the speed of the car and he throws the lifeless body of Purvi out of the car onto the rocky path. The car brakes ahead, he gets down and walks upto Purvi. He smiles, for his plan was great. She has hit a huge sharp rock and is lying in a rapidly increasing messy pool of blood. He dumps her tattered clothes and walks away whistling to join his mates.

Rajat's heart is cold with fear and he cannot concentrate on driving nearly causing an accident. Abhijit takes over driving from him and they reach the hospital premises. The police have arrived already and investigation has started. Rajat snatches her bag and checks inside to see her ID and phone intact. He sees that Purvi has received last call from hospital. Meanwhile, a tea vendor outside the hospital remembers a faint scream of a girl from a speeding white car, but cannot recall the car number. He informs that the car had a red cross in the back and its tail light was not working.

Purvi is lying at the edge of the highway, her life ebbing away; she feels she is soaring above in the sky. She wants to see someone but cannot remember his face. She sees a bright light ahead, whose radiance is blinding. She knows they have come for her now, she feels no pain, her body is light, she is free….

Some people lift Purvi from the road and carry her to the nearest hospital. The constable informs the area inspector about a girl by the highway and the hospital they are taking her to. The description of the girl matches with that of Purvi and soon Abhijit receives this information. Rajat is hysterical; Abhijit tries hard to calm him down. In between he calls Daya and Tarika to be at the hospital to manage the situation till they reach. Tarika and Daya reach the hospital soon and quickly make enquiries.

Rajat enters and looks at their faces and stands rooted to the spot. He starts thinking the worst and goes slowly to Tarika…

Rajat: Tarika…who ladki Purvi hai kya?...tumne dekha kya? Who theekh hai na? who zinda hai na..bataoo..bataaoo..Rajat is continuously yelling.

Daya grabs him and makes him sit on the bench. Tarika breaks down and is hugged by Abhijit. Daya holds Rajat tightly..

Daya: Rajat, dekho …yeh Purvi hi hai…uska operation chal raha hai…tum himmat rakho..bas apne pyaar pe vishwaas rakho..kuch nahi hoga..

Rajat is quiet, but tears flow down his eyes.. he walks to the operation theatre. Meanwhile Abhijit asks Tarika whats wrong with Purvi.

Tarika: Abhijit, uski haalat bahut kharab hai. Mujhe nahi lagta who bach payegi….mujhe bahut darr lag raha hai..Rajat ke liye.

Abhijit: Kuch nahi hoga Tarika..tumne use dekha kya?

Tarika: Nahi abhijit, hum pahunche tab tak uska operation shuru ho gaya..mujhe doctor ne sirf itna bataya …bahut blood loss hua hai…she has very slim chance to survive…she breaks down again..

Abhijit comforts her and soon Tarika calms herself and goes near Rajat. Rajat has his head down. She touches him, he looks up. She places a bracelet and a ring on his hand. It's Purvi's engagement ring and the silver bracelet that he had gifted her from his first salary. It's covered in her blood now.

Tarika: yeh Purvi ke hi hai na…doctors ne hame diya..

He holds them to his heart. Tarika hugs and consoles him.

Daya goes out to talk to the inspector who got Purvi to hospital.

Inspector: Hello Daya Sir.

Daya: officer, aapko Purvi, mera matlab Dr Purvi kahan mili?

Inspector: sir hame wireless pe information mila tha iss kidnapping ke bare me..toh hum log patrol kar rahe the highway pe aur hume road ke kinare yeh ladki mili. Bahut khoon beh chukka tha aur bahut halka pulse tha..yahan laaya toh doctor ne kaha ki 5 min bhi der hoti toh shayad mar hi jaati…

Daya: Thank god..aap sahi waqt pe aaye…aur kuch pata chala..kisine dekha ki use kisne wahan choda ya koi aur information…

Inspector: Nahi sir, kuch aur nahi pata chala..hume ek safed gaadi ki information mili thi, toh aage highway pe naka bandi kar di hai..

Daya glances at Rajat who looks defeated and devastated already. He sends a silent prayer upwards to god. He calls Abhijit and together they complete the formalities of police case and wait for doctor's confirmation.

After a very long time, the light over the operation room switches off and the doctor steps out wearily. Tarika nudges Rajat, who snaps out of his trance and approaches the doctor fearing the worst. Abhijit is already holding Rajat by his shoulders as means of support. Rajat does not ask anything to the doctor for fear of hearing something terrible.

Daya: yes doctor, Purvi theekh hai?

Doctor (sighs wearily): It was very tough. I can only say she is alive at this moment. She has brain injury and use bachane ke liye hame use coma* me daalna pada!

*medically induced coma is used in cases where patient has severe brain injury – like Michael Schumacher, the famous F1 racer has now.. Just FYI to the readers

Rajat swallows hard. He just hears the word ALIVE..that is enough for him now. He immediately springs forward.

Rajat: main..main dekhna chahta hoon..please…

Doctor: dekhiye. I cannot allow anybody. It was very tough. I cannot take any chance. She will be in ICCU. You can watch her from outside. 12 hours ke baad we shall take a call. Officers I want you all to meet me in my cabin in 10 mins. I have my first rough report ready. Police case ke liye chhaiye.

Rajat: Tarika, who zinda hai na?…who mujhe chodke jaa nahi sakti…usne mujhe promise kiya tha…who theekh ho jayegi na..bolo..tum doctor ho na..

Tarika: haan Rajat, who theekh ho jayegi she says, but in her heart she is crying!

After 10 mins everyone has assembled in the cabin of doctor. The police team is also present. The doctor addresses the police first

Doctor: Officer, my primary report is of sexual assault, hame sirf 2 samples mile hai and the severity of internal injuries indicate multiple assaults.

Each word is like a heavy blow to Rajat whose breathing is becoming heavy. Daya holds him trying to calm him down. The doctor continues reading from his report.

Doctor: Dr Purvi ka gala ghota gaya hai jiske wajah se brain me oxygen supply reduce ho gayi and she has a brain injury from hitting a hard object. I suspect she has hit something with great force, uske impact se she has multiple fractures and about 30% blood loss from her body.

Rajat breaks down now, he cannot hear anymore. Abhijit comes to hold him but Rajat slumps unconscious…..What happens next ?

I wish no one goes through this and my prayers for great strength to people who are unfortunately undergoing this. I wish to convey a strong message of hope through this story. Wait for my next chapters…