Short Stories:: Aftermath Love - A short Story

This is the second short story, I wrote after Never Ever Ever . Hope you will like this story ..

AFTERMATH LOVE

A relatively young guy, Raghu Sharma, aged around 28 is standing outside a cafe, looking through the window. It looks like he is searching for some one. His eyes are desperate for that once known smile, once familiar eyebrows, once unrecognisable depth in those eyes. He restless eyes finally came to rest. He saw her .. This is it... this is her.. he knows her.. he could feel her presence.. but .. 

  

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Doctor Amarnadh has come near the hospital bed where Raghu, is kept. Raghu slowly gaining consciousness. Seeing this Amar came close to his bedside and 

Amar: (slowly): " Don't put pressure on those eyes. Open them slowly. How are you feeling?" 

Raghu: " Dizzy.. " (after looking at Amar) " Doctor.. ! Where am I? what happened?" 

Amar: " I will tell you!.. First answer my questions.. Your name?" 

Raghu: "I am not in a mood to play any quizzes.. Just tell me what happened?" 

Amar: " I have patients too .. This is just a routine test for all the patients who have undergone severe trauma and recovered from coma.. Sorry for the pun though.. Your name?" 

Raghu: "Wait.. comaa.. wha.. how?.. Ok ..  My name is Raghu, I am 25 years old .. orphan.. never knew and never want to know beings called parents.. looking for a job... studied Computer Science.. thanks to some social organisations and Zayed bhai, who let me work in his bar. Now tell me what heppened?"

Amar looking at his answers in surprise. Decides to probe further to confirm his doubt. 

Amar: "" Actually Raghu, you were in a car accident. You are 28 years old.. your details on your driving license, your ID card, say so... and that car belongs to you... and.."

Raghu cutting him in the middle.. 

Raghu: "my ID...  driving license... 28... car.. are you joking or am I dreaming?" 

Amar trying to understand Raghu's situation, " So you don't remember anything?" 

Raghu: " No .. I believe you should check twice.. if this is a joke this is too bad.. actual worse.. oh .. oh my head hurts .. stop this pain..stop it.." 

Amar signs a nurse and gets close to Raghu, trying to calm him down, " Don't worry, we will figure this out... try to be calm .. this could push you back to coma.. just try to be calm .. Ok.. " 

Saying this Amar injects anesthesia and this helps Raghu sleep. Raghu is not peaceful as he was before this conversation. He looks disturbed and anxious. Amar looking at Raghu orders for  MRI and CT scans to further probe his condition. 

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Amar has the reports written Raghu on his table. He is looking outside the window in deep thought. He is disturbed by his fav. song ringtone .."One love" from Blue band. 

He picks the call and ..

Amar: " Hello" 

Other side: " Hi, this is Ashwath. I heard Raghu got out of coma. Is it ok if I send someone to take his statement? It is already 2 months and we would like to close this file ASAP." 

Amar: " I understand .. but you see this case gets even more complicated." 

Ashwath: " What do you mean by that?" 

Amar: " It's not just the girl, Smriti, that lost her memory but the guy, Raghu too appears to have lost his .. you know it's rare and unknown that any two patients in a trauma have similar effect" 

Ashwath: " Oh.. it is sad. Does the boy's condition is also as worse as the girl?" 

Amar: " No.. thank God for that. Actually his case.." 

Before he could say much about a nurse knocks at his door .. Amar excuses from the call and knowing that a 65 year old woman needs his attention ASAP.. he politely disconnects Ashwath and moves from his chamber to attend the patient. 

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A younger looking Raghu, feeling tensed and anxious, slowly starts walking towards Smriti. 

Smriti is enjoying her cup of coffee reading newspaper. She is reading the business page. While reading her eyes move with each changing word with elegance, her lips open up brilliantly showing her near to perfect teeth when she smiles reading some joke. Her hair covers one side of her face in a very artistic manner. For any guy, who is looking for a beauty with brains, she seems to be the perfect choice. Her beauty is breath-taking and her brains... 

Raghu reached the table. He is nervous and sweating like a 10 speed runner on a treadmill. His heart doesn't want to calm down. Actually it is skipping beats, literally. On the other hand, it is also running miles .. Can it happen? Can you experience both?   But Raghu seems experience both. 

A 14 year old boy came with a glass of water and handed it to Raghu.  Raghu looked towards him questioning. Boy pointed towards the cafe owner and he gestured to Raghu, relax and drink the water. Raghu immediately drank the water or it was more like he pour the water some into his mouth and the other for his clothes which looked washed but may they needed this extra soaking. He finished the glass and with force landed it on the table, which disturbed Smriti, from her all important reading. 

She looked annoyed at him. Raghu finally is able to see her completely. Her beauty took his breath away. Now the heart is definitely skipping the beats.. Somebody need to say, "she is a human like any other.. She is not any alien or a Goddess",.. Smriti took the honours of shaking him and Raghu, shaken spilled out.. 

Raghu: " Wil.. wil..will you ma.. marry me???" 

Smriti is shaken now for this unexpected question.  

Smriti: " Are you mad? What are you saying? Who are you? Did you follow me here? Ah.. are you stalking me?" 

Raghu always thought only Latha mangeshkar, Chitra, Shreya Ghoshal had sweet voice but now Smriti definitely beats them all with a single, "Hey" .. Even though the voice is sweet but the words are terrifying. She is taking him wrong. If she continues to do so.. his hopes of any relationship will be buried. So he.. 

Raghu: " I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to scare you. I am not a stalker. I always watch you from outside .. could never think of coming and saying you anything. Actually, my name is Raghu Sharma, I am a software developer, working in a MNC (i don't think the name is important here).. I.. " 

Smriti: " Oh.. so you thought you can randomly walk in to a cafe and ask a complete stranger whom you stalk ... ok not stalk but keep watching through the cafe doors, to marry you.. Is this some joke? or did your parents just left you on your own to randomly propose to girls you see .. Girls are not that easy mister.. "

Raghu: " I'm sorry .. I'm really sorry .. I ..I .." 

With tears escaping his eyes.. Raghu walks from her sight and looks at the people staring at him. Embarrassed he looks painfully towards the owner and walks taking big steps quickly from the cafe. 

Owner looks at Smriti and continues to do his work. All others are back to minding their businesses. Smriti takes the paper and leaves some money for coffee on the table and walks away with her other belongings. 

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At the hospital, Raghu is with Ashwath and Amar..

Raghu: " So.. I am 28 years old, I have a software job and a car too which caused this.. '

Amar: " Retrograde Amnesia, a condition which causes you to loose some memories .. I can go on what and why it causes .. but it is important that you do believe this and accept your condition. Then only we can treat you and down the line, you could get back those memories.."

Ashwath: " So Raghu, you don't remember .. not even any flashes like they show in films?"

Amar: " It's not a joke Ashwath.. it's a serious condition.."

Raghu:" It is ok Amar.. it is a joke.. all your life you hope that you do great some day have a job, buy a house, marry and have a car.. and have everything that you missed.. and you wake up one day to know that you don't even remember those happy days.. You just need to remember those sad and horrible days.. It is indeed a joke.."

Ashwath: " I'm sorry.. I thought I could lighten the moment .. I'll leave now.."

Raghu: " Are you sure? there is no one with me? No friends, or is there any one who knew me with me?"

Amar: " There were a few including your boss who came to see you when you were in coma. We informed them about your condition..  waiting for them to reply. And it seems you haven't made many friends in your office or outside"

Ashwath: " We were enquiring your details and hoping with you waking up we will find out more .. but it looks like we need to keep looking further.. We will let you know.."

Amar and Ashwath leave Raghu in his room and they come into the corridor. Ashwath stops Amar and ..

Ashwath: " We should have told about her.."  

Amar: " I don't think he would have believed us at all .. It took us hell lot of proofs to make him believe that he lost three years... yeah I do understand that he wanted to know if there was anyone.. but it looked more like a genuine question to me rather he is feeling someone's presence. You should cut down on your movies.. "

Ashwath: " I think he deserves to know more than anyone.."

Amar: " I agree... but we don't know how he will take it.. Let him walk out of the bed himself and get familiar with his condition.. I will see the right time .... It's not like she is there for him or he can be there for her.. We need to come up with some good way to tell them about each other"

Ashwath : " hmm ...  they are indeed Made for each other!"

Both walk away saying their goodbyes ..

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Smriti walks up to her favourite table in the cafe and to her surprise she finds Raghu sitting there waiting for her. Looking at him she decides to leave from there. Raghu gets up and ..

Raghu (in a requesting tone): " Please .. please don't leave.. I 'm here to say sorry for that day.. I really don't know how to talk to ladies.. May be if I had a mother I would have understood how to or even friends to know how to approach.. Even I thought I should never see you or talk to you.."

Smriti who stopped now looks at him puzzled and angry..

Raghu: (understanding) " I didn't mean that way.. I am not angry on you .. What you did was right.. but I was embarrassed and I did embarrass you too.. I thought if I see you or come in front of you .. you will never even try to listen to me.. but I can't be away from you.. I have to look at you even if it is from outside.. I have to see that you are smiling and forgot about that embarrassing situation.. I want you to at least accept as your friend and talk to me and erase that bad memory .. I can't live with you thinking low about me or bad about me.. It is important to me that you feel at least good about me .. and not hate me .."

Smriti is taken back by his honesty. The importance that he gives to her feelings and her, made her feel special, the feeling that she always craved for, always wanted and could never find it. Any human being wants to feel special at least in some one eyes. We all want our parents to feel proud about us, talk about us, our loved ones to understand what we do and make us feel special about it.

Smriti able to understand how strong he feels about her and what she is to him ... walks to the table grabs a chair to sit. Raghu looks at her in surprise and a understanding smile slowly escapes his lips, making him satisfied and happy.

Smriti: " I like the filter coffee here .. did you ever try that? Shall I order that for you too?"

Raghu: " Yes .. please.. "

Smriti signs to the boy to bring two coffees.

Smriti: " You don't know anything about me.. I think you don't even know my name but you feel that strong about me.. it's amazing.. and my name is Smriti ... you are Raghu right. No one ever came to me like you did or talked like you did just now!.. I too never had any parents or anyone to look after me .. I hope that doesn't make you change your mind.... I work as a Marketing executive.... I can't say I will marry you but let's keep meeting and know more about each other!"

Raghu listens to every word from Smriti very carefully, and for the final words he couldn't believe his ears but he is happy that they can meet.

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At the hospital, three weeks ago ..

Amar: " How are you Smriti?"

Smriti: " I am fine ..physically.. but there is a irony here.. My name means memory but I can't make any and I did loose three years of my life. I don't why but this keeps bothering me to no end."

Amar:" I can understand.. Amnesia itself is a rare condition and in your case anterograde and retrograde both are visible which is highly unlikely. In some cases like yours, some people even forget their name but you still remember your name and at least some part of your life is not a mystery."

Smriti: " I do see the brighter side in all this doc.. that I am still alive to which I am really grateful"

Amar: " You don't need to be miserable .. memories are sometime painful and .."

Smriti:" And some are too dear to forget.. How can I see a brighter side doc.. if I can't know how long will I remember our conversation or who was I in those three years or what I had.. But you don't worry doc I am not that shallow to give up and die. I will fight through this too.."

Amar: " Ok.. are you comfortable with Maria? Or do you want me to arrange some other place for you?"

Smriti: " Is it ok if I go out.. I can't stay in that hostel for 24 hours. I do need to go out and if I could I would have asked you to arrange a place for me .. but no one can look after me everyday to explain me everything that happened the day before or a few hours back.. It is hell for them too.. Just let me go out for a walk or for coffee.. Please.."

Amar: " OK.. take someone with you.."

Smriti: " Everyday I feel like I am on life saving machines and I want to live I don't want to be a charity case. Please tell me how can be on my own?"

Amar: " I can't argue with your wish Smriti. We will develope  mechanism for you to remember the routes, the buses you should take, the places and by practice we will try to program your mind to search for the right places even if you forget."

Smriti: " Thank you doctor.. thank you!"

Amar is moved by Smriti's requests and her desperate pleas. He felt the need to be alive in her words. It's like a new born person who finds it hard to memorise or who has null idea of his/her whereabouts. Slowly we develope into this man/woman who have their tastes who understand the situations who can differentiate wrong from right. This he/she is a mature person who advises who analyzes. All this growth is formed by our memories ..After walking for the first time the memory of that walk help us to better it. Like that, these memories help us form what we are. If that very ability is taken away then we are nothing but a dead corpse.

Smriti is trying to be alive. Amar helps us to develope a mechanism, taking photos, writing notes, writing a diary and making this a habit was tough but slowly Smriti is improving in this.

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Before the accident -- cafe

Smriti is waiting for Raghu from past 4 hours. She is seriously angry with him and annoyed. Raghu comes with a red car (company not imp.) and stops in front of the cafe. He runs into the cafe with the keys and white orchids bouquet. Smriti feels happy to see him but pretends to be even angry with him. Raghu goes to the table ..

Raghu: "I'm sorry. I was late.. The guy delivered it very late. I immediately came running or I should say driving to you."

He tries to give the keys and flowers to her. But Smriti still pretends to be annoyed with him.

Raghu: " Many of my colleagues and even my boss keep looking at me like I am some charity case and when they saw a car it was more like pity happiness than real happiness. I thought you will be happy really happy but ..."

Smriti (cutting him): "I am happy .. I was just trying to tease you .."

She hugs him in front of many in the cafe and kiss on the cheek. Raghu feels happy and gets down on one knee. Raghu with his right hand holds the bouquet close to her eyes. Smriti sees red box in between the white flowers and he opens it. She is awestruck by the size of the rock on the diamond ring.  She looks moved by the gesture towards Raghu..

Raghu: " I already asked you in our first meeting will you marry me.. Nothing changed from then to now.. I was trying to find us a good home, all the essentials and a car for both us to travel. It took me 3 years .. And if you feel like you have known me well enough to spend the rest of your life with me .. Accept this proposal and I will never leave your hand for eternity"

Smriti: " Yes .. Yes .. I love you and I want to spend my rest of live with you"

Raghu and Smriti hug each other. All of them including the cafe owner congratulate them. Raghu and Smriti start the car happily and leave the area.

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At the hospital - present

Raghu: " So there are people who really suffer with this condition."

Amar: " Yes, and you are not the only one. And lately there is a girl, who had a similar actually even worse condition than you, still she is fighting and trying to live life. You see, if a person who can't make new memories is also trying to lead a life then why can't you.."

Raghu: " I wish I had that positivity in me. Anyways, I will find a way to live happily."

Amar: " Don't you want to know more about her. "

Raghu: " What is the need of that doctor? I would like to leave now. Thank you for all the assistance"

Raghu leaves and Amar wonders how should he tell Amar and Smriti about each other.

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 A relatively young guy, Raghu Sharma, aged around 28 is standing outside a cafe, looking through the window. It looks like he is searching for some one. His eyes are desperate for that once known smile, once familiar eyebrows, once unrecognisable depth in those eyes. He restless eyes finally came to rest. He saw her .. This is it... this is her.. he knows her.. he could feel her presence.. but .. how can he approach her.  How can he talk her?

Raghu slowly walks into the cafe and sits two tables away from Smriti. He can't take his eyes of her. Cafe owner looks at him and wonders what is going on..  Raghu slowly walks to the table where Smriti is sitting and..

Raghu: " Hi .. why I don't know but I feel like I know you .. This is very weird actually. I never felt all these years with anyone. "

Smriti looks at him surprised and bit wary,

Raghu: " I am not trying to hit on you .. I genuinely feel like I know you.. I can't explain this to you ..My condition ..."

Raghu trying hard to explain looks at the diamond ring on Smriti's hand.

Raghu: " Are you married? Do I know your husband? May be ..may be not .. I don't know may be I should leave.."

Smriti grabs Raghu's hand and stops him.

Smriti: " Don't leave.. Please.. I too feel like I know you.. I don't even remember who gave me this ring. But I like to wear it all the time. Doctors said they found it on my hand while they found me in a car accident. Why I don't know but I feel I can share with you anything ... I feel some kind of warmth near you .. I feel alive.. Please please don't go .. Talk to me we can be friends.."

Raghu looks at her and understanding her condition he puts his hand on her hand. He starts talking to her ...

The cafe owner smiles and looks at a board that reads... "LOVE FINDS IT'S WAY UNDER ANY SITUATION" ..

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P.S : I know this was long but I hope you will like it.

please do comment and let me know how you felt after reading.. Thank you in advance!