Gowthami's eyes fluttered open, and the soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. As her vision adjusted, she realized she was lying in a bed, the sheets crisp and clean, smelling faintly of lavender. The unfamiliar surroundings slowly came into focus—a neat, modestly decorated room with a small desk in one corner, a bookshelf lined with medical texts, and a framed photo of Rajeev and another young man, both smiling widely.
"Where am I and how did I return?"
Her head throbbed with a dull ache, and she instinctively raised a hand to her temple, only to feel the slight tug of an IV drip hooked to her arm. The sterile smell of the medical equipment mingled with the comforting scents of the room, creating an odd contrast. She looked down to see the IV stand beside her bed, a clear fluid steadily dripping into the line that disappeared beneath the bandage on her hand.
She attempted to get up gradually, but as she did so, a piercing pain shot through her brain.
"It hurts, ho" . She fiercely clenched her skull.
For a moment, Gowthami lay still, trying to piece together the fragments of her memory. The last thing she remembered was the intense effort of recalling her past, Rajeev and Ram's concerned faces, and then darkness. Now, she found herself in what appeared to be Rajeev's room, a space that felt both foreign and oddly familiar at the same time.
She shifted slightly, feeling the coolness of the pillowcase against her cheek, and took a deep breath. The quiet was almost overwhelming, a stark contrast to the tension and noise that had filled their recent days. Her gaze wandered around the room, taking in the small details—the neatly folded blanket at the foot of the bed, the stack of papers on the desk, and a stethoscope casually draped over the back of a chair.
Gowthami's head continued to throb, but she pushed the discomfort aside, focusing instead on the images that flashed through her mind , She recalled that she had gone into the bush with Rajeev and Ram and had seen a lot of things there, including her town. She eventually returned on a ship during an emergency, although she subsequently lost more memory.
It all seemed like a fevered dream, yet the IV drip and the lingering ache in her muscles told her it was all too real.
She hunted for Rajeev and Ram but found them nowhere; she is alone herself in her room.
She slowly sat up, wincing as the movement sent a sharp pain through her temples. The IV stand wobbled slightly, and she steadied it with one hand.She had extreme weakness.She attempted to stand.
Gowthami pushed aside the covers and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, gingerly lowering herself to the floor. Her head still throbbed, but she felt a surge of determination to move around, to understand where she was. Just as she steadied herself, the door to the room creaked open.
She looked up and her breath caught in her throat. A stunning woman stood in the doorway, her presence almost ethereal. The woman had long, silky hair that cascaded down her back in waves, glinting in the soft light like strands of spun gold. Her skin was flawless, a warm, honeyed tone that seemed to glow from within. Her eyes were a striking shade of green, clear and bright, framed by long, dark lashes that accentuated their brilliance.
The woman's lips were a soft pink, curved into a gentle, welcoming smile that revealed perfect white teeth. She wore a simple yet elegant dress that hugged her slender figure, the fabric flowing gracefully around her as she moved. Her demeanor exuded a calm confidence, a grace that seemed almost otherworldly.
"Now that you're awake, how do you feel? Do you hurt?"the woman asked, her voice soft and melodic.
Gowthami stared in astonishment, momentarily speechless. It was the first time she had ever seen another woman in Rajeev's home, and the unexpected beauty standing before her took her completely by surprise. The serene, lovely figure before her seemed entirely out of place in the tense, rugged environment of the jungle they had just escaped. The contrast was almost too much to comprehend.
Still feeling disoriented, Gowthami looked at the woman with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. Her mind raced with questions, and she found herself blurting out, "What are you doing in my place of residence? Who are you? And where the heck is Rajeev?" Her voice trembled slightly, betraying the whirlwind of emotions swirling within her.
The woman smiled warmly, a twinkle of amusement dancing in her striking green eyes. "So, you're searching for my Rajeev?" she asked, her tone light and affectionate, as if the words should bring comfort rather than confusion.
Gowthami's heart skipped a beat at the words "my Rajeev." A surge of jealousy and anger welled up inside her, quick and fierce, as though someone had stoked a fire she didn't know was there. Her head throbbed even more as she tried to process the woman's implication, her mind racing. *Why is she referring to Rajeev as hers?* The thought echoed in her mind, each repetition adding fuel to the fire.
"Who are you, and why are you calling Rajeev yours?" Gowthami demanded, her voice steady but laced with a calm rage that simmered just beneath the surface.
The woman kept smiling, unfazed by the intensity in Gowthami's eyes. She stepped closer, her gaze fixed on Gowthami, and said softly, "You look really, really beautiful."
The compliment took Gowthami off guard, but it did little to soothe the turmoil inside her. The woman's calm demeanor only heightened her frustration. "What are you doing in my home, and where are Rajeev and Ram?" Gowthami's voice rose, turning sharp and urgent as she began to yell out Rajeev's and Ram's names, desperation edging into her tone.
The sudden shift in Gowthami's demeanor startled the woman. Her confident smile faltered, her eyes widening in surprise. "Hey, calm down. What's up with you?" she asked, her voice tinged with anxiety now. She took a step back, clearly confused by Gowthami's outburst, the initial ease between them shattered by the force of Gowthami's emotions.
The room seemed to shrink around them, the tension thickening with every passing second. Gowthami's chest heaved as she struggled to regain control, her eyes locked onto the woman who had so casually upended her world. The woman, sensing the depth of Gowthami's distress, hesitated, unsure of how to proceed, the lightness in her demeanor replaced with a tentative caution.