Chapter 8: "Who's We?"

I was on the first floor standing outside the operation room along with her parents and my mom. Her parents thanked mom for helping Prachi at the right time. Before they ask about her relationship with Prachi, she spilled out the beans about our love. By her frankness, she dipped me into the problems. As I was ignoring them, her father called me.

"What is your name, kid?" He asked.

He had a deep voice that could've killed me without even a scratch.

"R-Raghav," I stammered.

Mom patted on my shoulders and asked, "Why do you worry when I'm here, Ragh?"

"You put the fire and telling me not to worry," I murmured.

"Pardon," Mom said.

The doctor exited the operation room, and we rushed to him to ask about her physical condition.

"Well, she is ok." Doctor stated.

We got relief. I hugged mom with happiness.

"Thank you for hugging me, Ragh!" She pampered.

I ignored her. Also, the doctor stated that due to a fatal injury on the head made her unconscious, and she might lose her memory and her voice. These words shook me upside down.

"Voice?" I yelled.

Everyone looked at me and told me to keep silence.

I leaned towards him and mumbled, "Why will her voice get affected?"

"And Doctor, when will she totally compos- mentis?" Her father asked.

We expected an answer from him but, he vamoosed to the next patient. As we started walking into the theatre to see her, a nurse stopped us at the door and asked to step back.

"Why are you saying us to step back?" I asked.

"We're her family, dammit!" I added.

"We don't allow any family members as this is an operation theatre. Now, I would like you to stay outside," she requested.

While her parents and my mom were arguing with her, I slowly started walking towards Prachi without her notice. I regretted after looking at her.

"Is she Prachi?" I asked myself as I stared at her.

I recognized her when I saw the ring in her finger.

"Prachi!" I sobered.

When the nurse found me inside, she pushed me out of the room.

"I can't see you like this!" I yelled.

I was on the floor shredding tears. All were soothing me to not cry here. My phone ranged; I wiped my tears and lifted.

"Hello!" I said in a cry voice.

"Hello, Sir. Am I speaking to Mr. Raghav Merugu?" He asked.

"Yes, tell me." I sniffed.

"Congratulations!" He said.

"For what?" I asked.

"We have approved your story, and I would like to inform you that the story will get published within a week," He informed.

"I will call you back, Sir. Thank you!" I said.

"Who was on the call, Ragh?" Mom asked.

The door was open. Tears rolled out on my cheeks when I looked at her.

"Prachi! I want you to know this first," I said to my inner soul.

I hared out of the hospital and tried to get hit by every car I see on the road. A life without her would be useless but, they told me to get a fucking life.

"My life is in the hospital," I gasped.

I heard everyone chanting, "It is because of you!"

"It is because of you!"

I even heard Prachi's voice. She was crying. That killed me inside out.

"Ah!" I bawled.

Her smile was started fading away from my eyes.

"No! No! No! Stay with me," I said to myself.

I slapped me so hard and said, "Don't forget her smile!"

When I reached home, I saw my mom's family celebrating with champagne.

One of her family saw me and stopped the music. Suddenly, my mom's brother slapped him in front of everyone and increased the volume. My anger crossed its limit.

"Fuck off! Bitches!" I screamed.

I rushed to the bedroom and smashed the door.

"I don't like my mom's family at all," I said to myself.

It feels disgusting to roam in front of the people I hate from the bottom of my heart. The land of my love was feeling empty without her, and her face was shattering my brain from all the sides. I wanted someone to hear my words of love then I remembered Bhargav and made a call. As he lifted the call, I started crying like a child. Bhargav tried to soothe me and convinced me not to cry but, I couldn't stop myself thinking other than her.

"Why don't you talk to your mom?" He asked.

"I don't know why but, I always stop myself when I feel her presence," I clarified.

"Raghav, you have to try your best in talking to her," He said.

"What did you mean by that sentence?" I asked.

"I mean to say that at least talk to her today."

"Okay, Bye. I will call you back," I said and hanged up.

It was 11:30 p.m.

When I closed my eyes, I was on the edge of a cliff imagining the last days with her.

"My striped eyes can't move further, Prachi!"

"It just a matter of time before we get united under the ocean of clouds," She said and held my hand.

"No! Prachi, we have a life here."

"Who is 'we'?" She asked and jumped.

Suddenly, I felt like I was falling into the ocean. I woke up. It was a bad dream at half past 5. I took my phone and ringed Prachi's number but, I forgot that the mobile was with me all the time. When I unlocked her mobile, I saw 35 missed calls of Jayesh.

"Why is he calling her?" I asked myself.

I called him back from her mobile and saw his enthusiasm when he said the first word.

"Prachi! I didn't expect that you will call me one day," He excited.

"Yes!" I said in her voice.

"What happened to your voice, Prachi?" He asked.

He suspected me. I waited for a second and said, "Ok! Bye."

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" He babbled.

"I love you, Prachi. Please accept me!" He added.

I interrupted in my voice and said, "I'm her boyfriend."

He hung up the call.

That was really funny. I saw Bhargav in him and laughed out loud. Before I leave to the hospital, I made sure that nobody's in the house. A message popped up on my phone. It was from Mr. Kashyap. It said,

"Raghav, why aren't you coming to the college? I hope you're fine and I want to see you today in the class."

I pressed back and walked towards the hospital.

"Uncle, didn't you sleep?" I asked.

As he was in the waiting hall, I took a seat beside him. I saw him in deep thoughts. He didn't respond to me.

"Uncle, you can go home now. I will take care of her,' I added.

All of a sudden, he came into this world and said, "Uh... Thanks for your kindness, Ragh."

When he called me Ragh, I felt her voice. Later a few minutes, I started missing her again. He was beside me wiping my tears.

"Do you want to see her?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Where is my mom?" I asked.

"She left after you left," He said.

"Didn't she come to home?" He asked as he lowered his brows.

"No," I answered.

At that moment, I wanted to stay with Prachi holding her hand for the rest of my life. As I walked into the first floor, I saw her mom standing outside a special ward. Her eyes filled with tears as soon as she saw me.

She hugged me and said, "She is not yet conscious, Raghav."

By looking at her mom, I stopped my tears inside and told her not to worry. Her eyes were sleepy. I suggested her to take a nap as there was another bed beside Prachi but, she refused to sleep.

The hospital has arranged an individual room for her. She was breathing with a ventilator. I called her mom to ask for her condition.

She wiped her tears and said, "She can listen to our words but can't respond."

I chided her for making her mom cry. Her eyes were open. I took a seat beside her; held her hand and said the things happened in the morning.

"You know what? I called Jayesh in the morning. He said that he was so happy to see your name on his phone call. I controlled my laugh and mimicked your voice," I explained.

"And what else he did?" I thought, "He proposed to you!" I laughed.

"When I returned to my voice, he hung up the call," I added,

Prachi's mom laughed at me and left us alone in the room.

"Hey! Baby, do you hear me?" I called.

"Yesterday, Bhargav insisted me to talk to my mom."

"You probably know that I never talked to her. So, I will talk to her today."

"Let me know if you're happy with this decision," I added.

Her face was constant, and I got the answer in her silence.