*Satvi Pov*
I opened my eyes slowly, frowning a little with the severe headache. I adjusted them to the light and saw that no one is here in the white room.
I slowly turned to press a button which must be here somewhere to call the nurse. I hope it will be there like showed in so many movies.
“You are awake?” nurse asked after a few minutes entering the room.
“What happened to me?” I asked her, pressing my forehead.
“Don’t think about anything. I will go and call in the doctor.” She replied before leaving the room.
I am not in the mood to think as well, and she doesn’t need to tell me that specially. I leaned back hoping someone would explain without me getting stressed.
“Glad that you are awake.” Doctor said entering the room.
“Doctor! If possible don’t say the word about my waking up again and tell me what happened to me.” I pleaded with him.
“Ok! But just tell me what the last thing you actually remember and, which doesn’t need you to think hard.” He said and then I saw my family along with karthik entering the room.
“I remember driving towards a hotel for Karthik’s birthday party.” I said after a few minutes.
“And?” he asked, and I nodded thinking but not thinking hard.
“Then I got someone’s call. Before I could lift it, I think I felt my car hitting some other car. And...” I trailed.
“And?” He asked again.
“And I felt my head getting hit to the steering wheel.” I replied frowning.
“That’s all?” he asked, noting down.
“Yeah! I was really excited about the party as we just got graduated, and we thought it would be a celebration for all of us.” I replied nodding at him.
“But…” I heard Karthik saying, and I turned to see three of them frowning.
Doctor too watched them and got up from the bed before asking, “You don’t remember anything other than that right?”
“No!” I replied, shaking my head.
“Ok! Take some rest Ms.Satvi. I will do check up on you soon.” He said leaving the room.
“So, will someone tell me for how many days I have been ‘sleeping’?” I asked them raising my eyebrow.
“You should take a rest.” Dad said before, those three left the room.
I am going to be mad soon. I thought lying back on the bed. Should I think hardly again? No way! I can’t bear the pain again.
“Ok! I am here with your answers.” Doctor said after a few hours while I just lay on the bed counting the tiles on the floor on both of my sides.
“Ok!” I mumbled, sitting up.
“You were in a coma.” He said directly.
“Ok? For how many days was I in a coma?” I asked him and then my family behind him.
“Nearly more than a year.” He replied, and I stared at him in shock.
I never felt this much shock, like never. I even stopped breathing, hearing those words. I placed my hand on my heart before taking deep breaths to stop the swift beating of it.
“Ok! So the accident, I said was bigger than I felt then.” I said looking at him.
“Yes! It was a pretty big accident, and maybe you got unconscious before feeling the impact.” He said, and I nodded closing my eyes.
“When can I leave?” I asked him fidgeting my hands.
After hearing this, I wish to run away from here as soon as I can. I stayed here like a statue for one year? I can’t stay here for another second.
“I will see and will tell you soon.” He replied and left the room.
“So, I was really in a coma for one whole year?” I asked them.
“Yeah!” Dad mumbled.
“What did I miss?” I asked them, hoping that I didn’t much.
“Nothing much! Don’t think about the past at all. Otherwise…” Karthik trailed off.
“Otherwise?” I asked, hoping he continues.
“You crashed yesterday morning when you tried to think about the accident.” Leela replied.
“Oh! So I should stay away from thinking?” I asked her.
“Yup! We both will go and talk to the doctor.” Leela said walking out with Karthik.
“They became friends?” I asked Dad in shock.
“Yeah!” he replied before sitting beside me.
“They couldn’t bear each other for all those years at all.” I said and then felt happy that my little sister is fine with my best friend.
“Dad! I forgot to ask. How did you afford for my treatment here?” I asked him as the hospital is really big and the costs must have also been.
I know that we have not such strong financial stability as Dad has some very small business as a livelihood. I just hope I didn’t increase his burden so much and that too in this way.
“We will talk about them later.” He replied, placing his hand on my head.
“I understand them removing my hair for the operation, but why didn’t it grow even after all these months?” I asked the nurse in the evening when she helped me for the bath.
“Oh, that! You got numerous operations dear and not a single one and even had one recently. So to help it, we kept on removing the hair.” She replied walking outside the washroom.
I glanced at the mirror and saw a big mark on my forehead and then the bandage back of my head. I frowned seeing my bald head.
I love my hair so much, but now, I don’t have it except very little ones. I wish it will grow soon! I thought, feeling those little hairs pricking my palm.
I had a very long bath feeling so untidy myself and then walked outside after the nurse helped me to be dressed.
After a few minutes, Doctor entered, and I couldn’t help but feel like something is missing with all this. I mean he is not saying more than one point every time he is visiting.
“You can get discharged right now, but you have to make sure that you don’t think hard or stress your brain.” He said writing down on my medical reports.
“Ok!” I mumbled accepting it as I really don’t want to have another operation or another coma.
Leela helped me to pack my stuff, and we all walked outside to see Karthik waiting beside his car. I smiled at him and sat in the passenger seat, and he smiled back a little before sitting behind the wheel.
After sometime we reached our home, and I saw that the outer color is changed a little. I saw that Leela cooked dinner for us, and I felt so proud seeing that. Nonetheless, it must be such a burden to her.
“I am sorry that you got the burden with all these works.” I said looking at her.
“It’s nothing!” she mumbled, walking inside my room.
“You took care of her all these years, Satvi. So don’t apologize for this at all. She is a big girl now.” Dad said, and I nodded smiling at him.
“So, this is your final year right? How is college?” I asked her.
“We will talk about it tomorrow. Go and get some rest.” Karthik said, and I nodded sighing.
I need to ask them so much and behave like one year didn’t get missed from my life. I will know everything which I missed, and then I may not feel bad about this anymore.
Nevertheless, one year is too much! I reckoned drifting off into sleep.
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