Short Story - Goa13km

"This is a mind boggling story of a girl who finds it hard to believe her sight. All that keeps her moving is the thought that, something is highly wrong. But what is that 'something'. she finds it at Goa13km."                 

   - Ketki.

It was dark. Unexpectedly, brightness struck out of nowhere and I felt a vacuum beneath me. I fell down through a dark tunnel. I saw a glimpse of a milestone with dust and red sand, autumn leaves and a flower, wired! I could not read what was written on the milestone. It soon turned dark again. I was getting pulled down swiftly. I felt chocked. I felt water gushing in my nose. I feared of crashing on the ground but my fall landed me on something soft that was actually my bed. I was panicky. Though I was asleep, my brain was functioning well. It told me to get up and stop the panic as it was just a dream, falling dream!
I could hear my cell phone ringing. I made an attempt to stretch my hand to reach out to the phone; I felt immense pain running through my nerves. My hea
d felt heavy and my eyes refused to open to see the light. I force opened my eyes to see the ceiling of my room. The window to my right was left open and it was freezing me to death. I tried pulling myself up from the bed to reach the phone that was still ringing. Every little joint made a crackling sound with pain. I thought the reason for this awful body ache was the long drive back from Goa. The silence after the cell phone stopped ringing was suddenly broken by the loud telephone ring. Before I could reach out to the phone it turned to the answering machine and I heard a girl’s voice on the other end. She was crying. She said nothing, but I could hear many others around her.
Hurry... shift him to the ICU... where is Kaira? Call the doctor... Priya... where is Kaira?... *beep-beep-beep*
I could not understand what was going on. In no time a feeling of something is majorly wrong around occupied me. I got up and checked my telephone. The caller id displayed the number. I redialled the same number but I couldn’t get through. I found my cell phone lying on the same table. The mobile screen displayed a pattern lock. I tried once I tried twice but I could not unlock it. It was strange how I forgot my own locking code. I tried but failed the third time was well. To make thing tuff now the locking mode had shifted from pattern to a numeric lock. I pressed random numbers out of frustration. Once, twice, thrice and again. My brain could burst any moment out of anxiety and impatience but then the screen displayed ‘welcome’. I don’t know how but I finally unlocked the phone. I quickly opened my calling screen and dialled the number from the caller id. The number then transformed to ‘Priya’ with a picture of a young girl with a guy. My sight wasn’t clear to recognise them. I rubbed my eyes and a beam of realisation struck my mind.
“Shit!!!! Aryan.”
Priya was his younger sister. My mind was flooded with wild thoughts. I was concerned about the well-being of Aryan. I scrolled my call log. Found his name. I called him. But his phone was switched off. I kept scrolling the list to call someone who would know where Aryan was. I called Priya again and again i failed to get through her number. I checked the four unread messages on whatsapp. They were from a group ‘Crazy4’.
Priya: Any news of Kaira?
Sameer: No. How is Aryan?
Priya: we are taking him to Holycross Hospital.
Rohan: I’m coming to the hospital directly. Inform his parents.
“Oh shit!!! Aryan...”
The phone dropped from my hand. I checked the watch, it was 3am. Holycross Hospital was at an hour’s distance by road from my place. It was in the interiors of Bangalore. I thought of nothing but Aryan and rushed to the main entrance. I looked around to find mom dad; but I soon learned I was alone at home. I pulled my jacket and rushed downstairs. I reached the parking area. I saw my car but, “damn!!!! Where are the keys?” I fetched the pocket of the jacket and luckily found them in. I opened the door and water gushed out of the car. It was strange, but I did not give it a thought.
I drove the car like crazy. I covered the hour long distance within 20 mins. I left the car midway at the hospital compound and rushed at the help desk. The operator was busy on the call. I yelled to pull her attention, “In which room is Aryan Sharma admitted? I need to see him now?” but sadly my voice was ignored. I looked elsewhere for help. Just then I saw Rohan at the other end of the corridor. I rushed towards him. He waited outside the last room in the corridor. I saw him talking to Priya. Before I could reach him one of the doors to my left opened and I heard the nurse call out for the doctor, “doctor... emergency!”
I stopped there and peeped in from the dark glass door. I saw Aryan lying on the bed. He was connected to two huge machines. Priya and Rohan rushed in the room. I was stoned and broke down watching him. The doctor rushed in the door and closed the door behind him. I called for help. But I was left unattended. I lied there clueless of what was happening and what wrong had happened. I felt heavy headed. I had no strength to stand on. I sat on the floor with my head between my knees. The feeling of helplessness was menacing me. I hugged myself tight. I rolled my fingers from the warm jacket I wore. It belonged to Aryan. It had been his favourite since the day I gifted it to him on our first Valentine date. I so missed his lively presence around me. Life was hard to imagine without him in the frame. “I can’t live without you. Please don’t leave me alone. Aryan, I love you.” I was mumbling to myself. I needed him. He had to get well soon. I sobbed till I dozed off with a heavy head.
 I soon felt a soft touch over my hand that rested on the edge of the bench in the corridor. “Kaira, I did, I do and always will, love you!” I heard a whisper in my ears. I felt his warm breath near my neck. I opened my eyes to find his smiling face. Aryan stood right behind the bench. I got up with surprise and failed to find him around.
Was it a delusion? Was it a dream? I got up and walked to the closed door of Aryan’s room. I looked through the glass; Aryan was alone in the room. I glanced around; there were no traces of anyone around. I saw Aryan move his hand. He was gaining conscious. I slipped inside the room and sat near his bed. I touched his hand; he opened his eyes the moment he felt my touch.
“Hey, how are you feeling now, baby?” I enquired to him.
“Kaira! You are fine? Didn’t you get hurt? Oh my god! Kaira, I’m so glad to see you. I was so scared. I thought I lost you, forever. I would have died without you Kaira. I love you. I’m so sorry. It was my entire fault. I will never let you go out of my sight. I love you!” he was overwhelmed to see me. His breath was panting. He had held my hand tight.
“I’m fine Aryan. You need rest now.” I tried to calm him down. Though I was still clueless what actually had happened. I thought I would ask him but he was gasping and was anxious. I first had to compose him.
“But you don’t leave me. Please, stay by my side.” He held my hand firm.
I smiled and said, “I’m always there with you. Close your eyes, and take rest. I’m here.”
He smiled in relief and closed his eyes. He soon went off to sleep. I was unaware of all that was happening around. I felt as if I was losing the control of my own life. It was bothering me. I had to find out. I tried to recall the day we were returning from Goa. I and Aryan were coming back in my car. Aryan was driving and I was enjoying the drive. We were speeding up to meet our friends who were waiting for us on the express way 20kms away from the interiors of Goa. We both were few shots down and were in high spirits. Aryan was getting too naughty while driving. I scolded him for the same. He leaned forward to patch a quick kiss of my cheek and...
“...and when our car knocked to the truck my heart came up my throat. I turned the car to my right and banged the tree and the car trembled down the flop into a lake near the highway. I turned to you and found you unconscious. The car was stuck underwater on few rocks. The lake felt quite deep. I tried taking off your seat belt and pull you out of the car. But I failed. I tried opening the door of the car. It was jam. I was losing conscious. In no time the car slipped down from the rocks and gushed to the bottoms of the lake. I felt helpless and had held your hand tight and tried pulling you out. The grip soon felt lose and I could see you going away from me in the depths of the water. Then all was dark and I opened my eyes again with you in front of my sight.” Aryan’s words pulled me back in dusk. Everything that happened was running in front of my eyes. I was lost in my thoughts when Aryan asked, “but who brought you here?”
Yes, exactly! Who brought me here? How was I here if he saw me drowning in the lake?
Before I could think of anything I heard Priya and Rohan walk in the room with Aryan’s parents. I got up and stepped aside and made place for his mother to sit by his side.
“Kaira, don’t go. Be here.” He called out to me as I took few steps back as the others surrounded his bed.
Aryan’s mother looked at me, looked back at Aryan and broke down. No one in the room other than Aryan noticed my existence. I soon learned the worst truth of my life, of my death.
I was dead. I no more belonged to the world. I had lost all control over my life. I looked at myself; Aryan’s jacket that I wore in the car was on me, the car keys in the pocket of the jacket, the water gushing out of the car, and the phone that I had forgotten at home before going to Goa.
I could hear Aryan yelling to have me back in front of his sight as I walked away. I felt chocked. I came in the corridor. I yelled in front of hundreds of people around me, but no one noticed. They couldn’t see me, because I was no more a human. I was dead. I heard Rohan talking on phone with the inspector. They were struggling to find me. Or I should say to find my carcass. I sank in the hollows of my heart. I broke down. I tore in tears. But no one could hear me. Aryan still believed I was alive. Everyone had a hope I was alive. I begged to God, why I wasn’t?
Why?
I could still hear Aryan yell and scream and cry in pain. He was calling my name. But there was nothing I could do. His voice was tearing me apart. I was weeping clueless when I felt someone’s warm hand on my head. I turned to see Aryan’s face at a four finger distance away from mine, smiling at me. I skipped a beat, my eyes popped out in revelation.
He smiled and said, “Kaira, I did, I do and always will, love you!” Again, I felt his warm breath near my neck as he moved close on the bed to cuddle me.
I said nothing. I was too amazed to understand where exactly was I? I was puzzled between dream and life. I soon learned for my relief that we were on our trip at Goa, getting ready in our hotel room to welcome the beautiful day and soon leave to head back home. I called up mom before we checked out the hotel.
“Hello Mom, good morning.”
“Good morning beta, so have you both left?” mom enquired.
“Yes mom, we will be soon checking out the hotel.”
“Is dad coming along?”
“No, he said he has a patient to attend this eve.”
“Ok. Come soon babies, your engagement rings have arrived before you.” Mom said in excitement.
“Oh, wonderful! See you soon mom.”

***

Kaira’s mother was very excited about her daughter coming back after her short medical treatment at Goa at her father’s psychology center. She was happy that Kaira sounded well. Kaira often sees certain people, places, things or events that disturb her to an extent that she had once tried killing herself. She was mentally disturbed after her twin sister had gone missing and never returned. Her mother was concerned about her and the new life that she was about to begin with her childhood love Aryan. She ofcourse missed the presence of her elder daughter Amaira but there was nothing she could do. The police had failed to find her after she went missing from her road trip with her friends and the accident near Goa. Two of her friends were found with a crashed car near the highway but Amaira was missing. They found no traces of her remains near the accident spot.
It was 3am. Kiara’s mom was fast asleep when her phone rang. She picked up the phone in her semi conscious state and in a few seconds her face dripped of horror.
“mom, I found didi. I found her.” Kaira said weeping over the phone.
“What are you talking?”
“mom, I and Aryan were on our way back home when we meet a small accident...”
“Are you both all right? Are you hurt?” she enquired in worry.
“Mom, we both are fine. Our car crashed on a tree and tumbled down the slope adjacent to the highway in a lake. We were drowning. I felt unconscious. But when i regained my conscious I was still underwater, at its bases. I pushed my leg hard to get up and swim on top. Few stones moved by my kick and I saw didi’s necklace that you gifted both of us on our 21st birthday. I opened the pendent and I saw our pictures in it. And I...” Kaira was weeping too hard to talk. Aryan took the phone from her hand and said,
“I found Kaira trapped in stones. I pulled her on top and she told me everything that she saw under water. I thought she must have hallucinated again but she brought up the necklace. We called the cops. Please arrange for making the final duties. We will be home soon.”
“Where are you both now? I will inform Kaira’s father reach you asap.”
“We are at the outskirts’ of Goa. Wait a moment mom, I can see a milestone here. Let me check...aaa”
“hmm”
“Goa, 13kms”

***

After that day, Kaira never had any more hallucinations. She was healthy, mentally and physically. Her own father, being a psychiatrist had failed to cure. Because it was no disease, it was Amaira’s strong will.


 © Ketki Borgaonkar




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