A Wink To Realise

Present, Rohit was standing near the ICU door and watching in despair. He could sense the person on the bed inside the ICU looked familiar [he was lost in his thoughts]………, out of the brink, the person inside the ICU turns his face towards Rohit and opened his eyes slowly. Rohit was dumbstruck; he had never ever felt this awful in his life.

Earlier, Rohit had just come home from a Saturday night party, and went directly to his bedroom and fell flat on his back but couldn’t sleep. He was fighting against his thoughts, Rohit knew his life could never be like the way he had imagined it to be a few years ago. He had lost all his friends right from childhood; none of his family were alive. He had no one to call as a friend or a family to associate himself with. Many of his well-wishers advised him to let go of his ego, you would not reach anywhere with that ego and you will end up alone but he was so arrogant he gave them a deaf ear. These days he had the company of only his shadow and few non-living entities in his room, knowing he is the sole reason for where he has ended up now. He couldn’t agree to make it right, his ego; obsessive self-respect couldn’t let him do so. Finally, he couldn’t win over his thoughts; he just lay down wide awake. It was a while before he could catch some sleep.

Rohit’s Land Line phone started ringing and stopped, it was a while before he woke up and checked the time which showed that it was 9 AM, Sunday, then he went back to sleep again without checking the missed calls.

The phone started ringing again, this time he woke up in time and received the call,

“Hello!” said Rohit in a very sleepy voice, Caller introduced herself as a Receptionist calling from Adhikari hospital. He was shaken out of his slumber by listening to the word “HOSPITAL”. “What is it..?” Rohit asked hesitatingly, “A patient has been admitted to our hospital, we found your visiting card in his pocket,” said Caller. Rohit was lost in his thoughts about who the person could be; He asked her the name of the person. “We do not know sir, but it would be helpful if you drop by and check yourself,” said the caller. Rohit had no choice but to say “OK” and hung up, he sat there at the edge of the bed staring blindly at the wall about who could be the person in the hospital.

He made up his mind to visit the Hospital. He poured some cold water on his face so that he would get rid of his hangover and the early morning call from the hospital which was like a jolt from the blue. Rohit left home wearing shorts and a t-shirt which showed his loose belly hanging out, the result of his drinking habit. The Hospital which the receptionist called from was only 1 kilometer away from his home, so he decided to walk. Meanwhile, he opened his cigarette pack and started smoking, now his thoughts had been focused on who that unlucky bastard in the hospital could be. He had no one who could remotely consider him or call him when they are in trouble. His Voyage of thoughts ended as he reached destination “Adhikari Hospital”.

He went up to the receptionist and asked for directions to the ICU which was on the fourth floor, he reached there using the elevator. He went and sat down outside the ICU. Doctors told him that it would be some time before he could see the patient. So he was sitting on a white bench with his face buried between his thighs. He was becoming impatient as the time passed by. It was past 12 PM, the doctor asked him that he can’t go inside the ICU and instead he could watch the patient from the outside as it is a highly sterile environment and patients are vulnerable to infections. Rohit wanted to ask what happened to him, as he was about to ask a nurse who came from behind and told the doctor to come with her as there was some emergency. The doctor gave a curt smile and left hurriedly.

Rohit now gathered his courage and went near ICU; he was shaking nervously for some unforeseen reason. Now, Rohit was standing outside the ICU and watching in despair. He could sense the person on the bed inside the ICU looked quite familiar. He desperately wanted to know who that was; he had no choice but to wait. He was still looking at that person whose face was turned in the opposite direction. He could see his back, they had advised the patient to sleep to his right facing towards sidewall, as they had bandaged his left arm and back. He saw something on the other person’s hand and was shocked.

He narrowed his eyes as if it would enhance his vision, and it certainly did to the extent which he could visualize clearly what he saw. He identified the ring which the person was wearing. He was taken aback by what he saw, only then the person inside the ICU turned his face towards Rohit and opened his eyes slowly.

Rohit’s face looked like it had been hit by a thunderbolt, he had never ever felt this pathetic in his life. The person inside ICU turned his face, he looked very depressed and they were staring at each other. After a few seconds as a result of enchantment, the depressed look was transferred to Rohit and the other person's face was bright with no sign of depression. Meanwhile, the person gave a sarcastic smile and winked at Rohit, his face was so clearly visible. Rohit was looking at himself inside ICU as if he was looking into some magical mirror, he looked so helpless. He started walking towards lift as his work was over for which he had come, pressed the lift button it did not seem to work, suddenly everything was falling apart so he started running towards stairs to get out of the hospital. He was perspiring very badly, he was feeling dizzy once he reached stairs he thought he was going to fall…………………..

Rohit woke up from terrible dream/Nightmare and was completely drenched in his sweat, he sat upright. It was then he realized how alone he was. Later, he thought about it and he wanted to bury his arrogance and ego. He realized things lately, but “It's better late than never