by MV Kasi
“We just gave her pain medications. They must be making her sleepy.”
“Mr. Bhupati was notified. He’s on his way.”
“He might want to take his wife to a bigger hospital. But we should tell him not to disturb her. She’s lost quite a lot of blood with the bullet wounds.”
The doctors and nurses spoke next to her. She hadn’t lost consciousness completely and could hear them.
Shot? Who shot me? And why?
And kidnapped?
Then it came to her.
Suraj. Her Captor. The forest cabin. The lake.
“I can’t risk you trying to stop me from killing your husband.”
The machines next to her began beeping while Nina began hyperventilating.
“Her blood pressure is going up!”
“Mrs. Bhupati, relax. Breathe in and breath out. Slow and easy. Just relax.”
Nina heard their instructions. She kept breathing through her mouth.
Being alive is better. Being alive is better. Being alive is better.
Nina repeated that in her head until the frequency of the beeping sounds in the machines began to reduce.
CHAPTER 48
Nina slowly began to gain consciousness. Her eyes opened to a familiar window with floor-to-ceiling curtains. The bed below her felt soft and plush. Too plush, because she had gotten used to the firm mattress or even the soft grass on her back.
A sob escaped from deep inside her.
She was back into her room.
With great difficulty, she sat up.
“Nina, sweetheart. You are awake.” She heard footsteps and then saw Suraj’s familiar face with worry spread across it.
“How long?” she choked out. “How long has it been since I was brought back?”
“Two weeks. You’ve been in and out of consciousness since then.”
She closed her eyes as her chest tightened painfully. A tear slid down her cheek. It was the first tear of grief since she had bid goodbye to Devi all those years ago.
“Nina. Sweetheart, are you okay?” Suraj’s worried voice asked.
Another sob broke out.
“Nina?”
She looked at her husband with tear-filled eyes. “I want to go back,” she whispered.
Suraj looked stunned. But recovering himself quickly, he sat next to her and wrapped his arms around her. “Oh, sweetheart.”
Her body shook as she cried. The pain of being away from the man she loved, felt worse than the bullet wounds. The thought of never holding him or being in his arms again, made her almost double over in agony.
“I miss him. I want to go back and tell him I love him.”
“Nina. You’ve been through a rough ordeal. I know you are overwhelmed with too many confusing emotions. Everything will be as before, sweetheart.” Suraj kissed her forehead and rocked her gently.
“No,” she said, burying her face in Suraj’s familiar, comforting embrace and sobbing her pain. “It’ll never be the same.”
Tears flowed uncontrollably as her body shook with heaving sobs. “Oh God, it’ll never be the same. I miss him. Oh God, I miss him. I love him so much.” She kept repeating it over and over.
Much later, Suraj tucked her back into the bed and lay behind her, holding her close. Even though her sobs subsided, the tears continued to flow.
Through a blur, Nina saw Radha approaching her and standing next to the bed. “Pain medications and some water.”
“Thank you, Radha,” Suraj said softly. He made Nina sit up and take a tablet before putting her back to bed once again.
Radha covered them both with a blanket. “Let me know if you need anything else to make you comfortable.”
Nina heard the compassion in Radha’s voice. “Thank you, Radha,” she whispered.
Radha nodded, and giving the couple on the bed one last look, walked out of the bedroom after shutting off the lights and closing the curtains.
GAURAV WATCHED THE couple from on the camera feed. It was from one of the cameras that he had installed to record the feed of the master bedroom window.
Nine months ago, he had been stalking the couple as well.
At that time, it was with cold detachment. But now, when he observed them, saw every kiss, and saw every touch between them, it made him feel like his heart was being ripped from his chest.
He watched as the woman he loved lay in his enemy’s arms on their marital bed.
He watched as the woman he loved wrapped her arms around his enemy, clinging to him while she dug her face into his chest as though he was her only anchor.
He watched as the woman he loved was hugged and kissed by his enemy who offered her solace while she spoke to him.
And then, he watched as the women he loved slept in the arms of his enemy.
Soon the lights were turned off, and the curtains were drawn.
For a long time, Gaurav stared at the screen.
He kept recalling the moments he and Nina spent together in the forest cabin. The way she had laughed. The way she had even made him laugh. The way she looked and held him when they had made love.
She had told him that she wanted to freeze their time together. She had told him and also showed him with her gestures that she cared for him and wanted a future together.
Were they all lies?
Of course, they must be. She had been his captive and whatever she did during her captivity was for her survival. Now that she was back in her world, she got over everything.
If anything, the time she spent with him in the forest would be recalled as a traumatic experience rather than a fond memory. Nina would only recall how he had cut off her hair and threatened her with rape and torture.
She wouldn’t recall the time they spent with each other while she narrated her story or when they cooked together or when they made love out in the open next to the lake.
Gaurav continued to stare at the screen blindly.
“Gaurav…” he heard Vikram say. “Don’t torture yourself.”
Gaurav turned to his friend. “I’m leaving tomorrow,” he said.
CHAPTER 49
A burst of flavors exploded inside her mouth with each bite of the food.
“If you are going to eat all the food, how am I going to tell whether or not it’s as good as you claim?” Gaurav’s voice sounded dry.
“Can you believe I made this dish?” Nina asked, taking in another spoonful of the bread pudding she had just made. The crunch from the almonds they had collected from a tree in the forest, made it even better. It had taken a lot of hard work to break the shell and take out the seed from inside.
He was smiling at her in amusement. “Leave some, or you’ll end up with a stomach ache,” he warned.
She grinned. “But it would be so worth it,” she said, taking another spoonful.
Suddenly, his smile slipped a little on his face. And his face took on a familiar look she had been seeing lately.
It wasn’t the heated look he sometimes got when he looked at her, like he wanted to tear her clothes off and make hot, passionate love to her on the spot.
Neither was it amusement when she made a conscious effort to make him laugh, so she could see him making use of those natural laugh lines he had around his eyes.
This look was tender.
He held her face and kissed her gently on her lips, making her insides melt. His lips lingered, and she felt his tongue softly licking away the sweetness from the sugary syrup that spread around her lips. She wanted to open her mouth and make him deepen the kiss. But she wanted to savor the moment the way it was meant to be.
“Yes, very sweet,” he said softly when he pulled away.
She smiled at him. “I made dessert. So today is your turn to cook. And you better start cooking, I’m starving!” she said.
She wasn’t hungry, since she ate a lot of dessert. But she loved to watch him cook.
“Nina?”
Nina slowly opened her eyes, saw the curtains in her room and closed her ey
es.
She didn’t know how many days had passed since she returned to the Bhupati residence. But each time she woke up from her sleep and realized she wasn’t in Gaurav’s arms, she wanted to slip back into sleep once again because she believed her current reality was only a nightmare.
During her sleep and also when she was awake, every moment she spent with Gaurav continued to play inside her mind. She recalled the time they spent together near the lake, the time they spent together while taking walks, the time they spent together cooking inside the kitchen in the cabin.
The memories made her pain worse.
Suraj tried to spend as much of his time with her. But she was inconsolable
“Nina, sweetheart, I’m worried about you,” he said. “You can’t continue like this. You haven’t even eaten well since you came home last week. I’m having a doctor come and check you today.”
“I’m fine, Suraj,” she answered numbly.
“No. You are not.”
“I will be, Suraj,” she replied before closing her eyes and recalling the time Gaurav woke her up early once to show her a rare and beautiful dance of dozens of vivid-colored butterflies right outside their cabin window.
She recalled the times Gaurav picked her and put her on top of his shoulders, so she could pluck the best fruits from the trees in the forest.
She recalled the time he carried her on his back for more than an hour because she had hurt her feet on a thorn during one of their walks.
But no matter, how many memories she recalled, it always ended with her recalling the look of betrayal on Gaurav’s face when she had tried to escape from the cabin on the last day.
CHAPTER 50
“NINA?”
Nina slowly opened her eyes when she heard Suraj’s voice. She stared at him blankly. He was dressed casually and was seated next to her on the bed. Standing behind him was Radha.
Nina didn’t know what day it was.
“Nina, I thought giving you time to recover might help. But obviously it hasn’t. You are wasting away, sweetheart.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“I’m not blaming you, Nina. I’m just saying talk to me.”
Nina knew she had to talk to Suraj. She was being selfish, wallowing in self-pity rather than warn Suraj. But her brain seemed to be stuck in the freeze mode.
She knew that once she warned Suraj about Gaurav, the danger would then shift to Gaurav. Nina did not want any of the men she loved to be in any danger.
“Tell me about him, sweetheart.”
She was silent for a while. Then making up her mind, she answered. “He asked me to call him as Gaurav. I don’t know if that was his real name or not though.”
Suraj and Radha were watching Nina curiously.
“I’m sorry for not revealing this earlier. I was scared for his life. I still am.”
“So, it was just him who took you?” Radha asked.
“No, there were two other men who were helping him.”
“Did they… touch you?” Suraj asked with an agonized look.
“No. Not in the way you mean. Only he touched me… because I wanted him to.”
“I see.”
There was silence.
Taking a deep shuddering breath, she looked at her husband. “Suraj… did you pass an order to have an innocent woman murdered as a warning to her brother to back off from an investigation?”
Suraj looked shocked. “No.”
Nina believed him instantly. She stared at him, and then burst out crying.
Nina knew she was a mess, and she needed help. But Suraj’s answer broke a dam inside her.
She hated herself for even having a smallest of doubt of whether Suraj was capable of something like that. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, throwing her arms around her husband and hugging him close.
He patted her back gently. “It’s okay. Nina, tell me what happened.”
She wiped her tears away and sat up straight. “I was kidnapped as retaliation against you, Suraj. Because he thinks you got his sister killed. As a way to ask him to back off.”
“Back off from what?”
“An investigation. He is a reporter. Or at least I strongly think he is one.”
A slight frown marred Suraj’s face. “What was he investigating?”
“I don’t know either. Another man told me what had happened and I couldn’t get the details completely at that time. All I got was that because of you, my captor’s sister was murdered, making it seem like she killed herself due to medical college pressure.”
Suraj frowned.
“We have dozens of reporters reaching out to us on a daily basis for some enquiry or the other,” said Radha. “But I can’t seem to recall anything big that would cause a scandal.”
Nina tried to think of what the possible damning information might be. “What demands did you receive after I was kidnapped?” she asked.
“None,” Suraj answered. “That’s what drove me crazy with fear and worry.”
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, knowing Suraj must have gone through hell not knowing what had happened to her. If things had been reversed, she would feel the same about his safety as well.
“It’s not your fault, Nina.”
They were silent again as each tried to understand the motivation.
“The police found you passed out somewhere near a highway before taking you to a hospital. How did you end up there?” Suraj asked.
“I was trying to escape. But I don’t recall even making it anywhere close to a highway.”
“So, he shot you when you tried to escape from him?” Suraj asked in a careful manner.
“No. I was shot by another man when I was trying to escape. Gaurav must have wanted to save my life, so he probably dropped me where I would be discovered.”
“I see.”
Suraj held her hand as though he wanted to reduce the blow of the next question. “If you fell in love with that man, then why were you trying to escape him?” he asked softly.
Nina’s head throbbed as pressure built once again. She didn’t want to slip back into darkness where she didn’t have to decide whom to pick for saving their lives from one another.
She took several deep breaths.
“Because he still wanted to hurt you and eventually kill you,” she replied after a long silence.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Suraj gently squeezed her hand to comfort her. “We’ll sort out this mess soon. You just stay safe until then.”
“I don’t know, Suraj. I’m scared that either he or you might get hurt in the process.”
Suraj was quiet.
“Suraj… until I find him, I want you to stay alert. I know there’s always security around you, but please, be careful. Meantime, I’ll try my best to find him. And when I do, I’ll have him talk to you in my presence. I know we’ll have this sorted.” She took a deep breath. “I know he’s a wanted man. But I-I don’t want him to get killed when he’s found.”
“We’ll try our best not to let that happen.”
Nina nodded.
“Media and the police want a statement from you, Nina. I’ve been putting them off for a while saying you weren’t conscious.”
“I need some more time, Radha. I’ll speak to them in a few days.”
Radha nodded. “Okay, I’ll hold them off.” And then, Radha looked at Suraj. “We have a meeting with Bhansals this afternoon at two.”
“Move it to tomorrow.”
“It is okay, Suraj. I’m fine,” said Nina.
When Suraj still stood with a hesitant look on his face, Nina slowly stepped down from the bed. “Please, I insist. I-I just want to stay in the room alone.”
Suraj began shaking his head. “Nina—”
“No. It’s not to wallow in some more self-pity, I promise,” she said with a wobbly smile. “I need a proper shower. A bath maybe. And I need to catch up on my duties.”
“You don’t have to, Nina. Radha has been taking care of some of th
e committee work. The rest, you already hired people to take care of operations.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to,” she said. “Just give me one more day. And I’ll pull myself together, I promise.”
Suraj watched her closely.
Although Suraj and she did not have a conventional marriage, they still had a strong bond of friendship. Nina knew Suraj could read her to know most of her thoughts like she knew about him.
“Please, Suraj. Go. You’ll be late otherwise.”
He nodded and then kissing her on her forehead, he left with Radha.
Nina walked into the large bathroom.
Since she had returned to the Bhupati residence, she had been showering regularly with cold water. She had wanted the cold water to numb her pain. Although, most of her physical pain hadbecome numb, her other pain remained.
Setting of the water temperature to warm, she stood under the multiple jets to wash away the doubts and cobwebs in her brain.
Even though the shower didn’t succeed in doing that completely, she felt much better.
She went out of the bathroom and called her housekeeper to send in her lunch early. And while she waited for it, she pulled out her laptop and settled back on the bed and opened the browser.
She typed ‘Suicide of a student due to stress.’
She was taken aback by the number of results that came back.
Then she added the keywords ‘India’ and ‘medical college’. Still a significant number of results came back.
Then she narrowed the search by sorting them by date. She knew it happened close to a year ago.
She filtered the cases that had happened in the last one year. And then, she scrolled through them and bookmarked the ones within the neighboring states.
Nina noted down the names of the victims.
Picking up the phone, she dialed a number.
“Radha,” she said when the phone was answered. “I need your help in finding a PI.”
Radha went completely silent for a few seconds.
“For what?” Radha asked.
“I need help in putting together the list of medical students who had committed suicide recently in the past one year. I need information of all the victims and their family members.”
