The Darkest Night

Chapter 4

A girl with no clothes on her body was lying there. I looked at her face, soulless eyes, wide open staring back at me…. I could only whisper… Brindha…yes....she was raped by those bastards. I screamed, cried for her to wake up but of no use. I tried tapping on her cheeks, I thought she was dead for sometime, I hugged her and sobbed that's when I realised her heart was still beating. I covered her body with the torn clothes strewn around, I carried her in my arms and started running towards the hospital. 

 doctors said she has been raped repeatedly and blunt force trauma to the head , it looked like she was beaten with something like a rod. I begged the doctors to save her, one of the doctors sighed heavily and put his hand on my shoulder and looked up... Indirectly telling me that it's all upto god.

I sat outside... Whimpering... guilty that I was the reason for this, she was waiting for me... It was all because of me... I'll never forgive myself. 

I gathered some courage and informed her parents, they rushed to the hospital immediately by then my friend Charan reached to accompany me. Her parents were grief stricken to see their daughter lying there like a torn paper. Doctors came out and said that they've done all the test, she had been raped close to 7 times, has been beaten, internally there is no damage but her head has been injured very badly, and that the test reports will come in tomorrow and the treatment will be decided based on those. 

Next morning doctor called her parents to his cabin, Charan and i followed. He said "I have Brinda's test results, there's considerable trauma to the brain. She will gain conscious soon, very aware of what's happening around her... But she cant do anything for herself...she'll probably be in a vegetative state. Further treatments will depend on how her health progresses". 

We requested to see Brinda once, the doctor agreed. I walked into the ward with her parents, Brinda's eyes slowly fluttered and opened. I stood there quietly, trying to control my overwhelming emotions. everyone of her relatives called her name, she looked at them there but she spoke nothing, 'Brindhaaa!!' cried her mother, but Brindha looked at us as if she didn't know who we are. "Talk to me Brinda!!", cried out her sister. It was as if nothing got into Brindha's ears. Doctor came in, he told us to calm down and softly tried to make conversation with Brindha and as expected...she did not respond. he looked up at us and slowly shook his head and told us to hope for the best.

Meanwhile I told her parents to file a case on those guys but keeping their family respect in mind they said "our daughter is nothing but a vegetable, then what is the point in filling a complaint on them!". 

A year passed, her parents hardly visited her anymore.... but I couldn't leave her. Everyday after office hours I go see her, spend some time with her and then go home. I am still hoping one day she will feel better and i will live a happy life with her. said Karthik with his eyes glistening with tears. Shreya wiped her tears away and asked "can you take me to her? I wish to see Brindha". Karthik slowly nodded his head in agreement. 

Shreya and Karthik walked out of the cafe, she sat behind him on his bike and as he rode towards the hospital was nothing but silence between the two. As they walked into the hospital Shreya's heart was pounded out of chest. They entered the ward, Shreya noticed a girl, messy hair... grey eyes that would've looked mesmerizing, sadly now only looked hollow and lifeless. Shreya thought to herself that she looked beautiful even though she was messy. 

Karthik sat beside Brindha caressing her hair he asked "were you waiting for me? Why is your hair so messy. Here, let me fix it for you" he said and started combing off the knots. He then kissed on Brindha's forehead and started telling her about how his day went. Shreya sat on the empty bed next to them, quietly watching them with teary eyes.