"Is it dream or.." final showdown

I would suggest you to read first, second, third  and forth part if you haven't already...

Though it was in my dreams, I clearly remember her face. But, does she know about my dreams. Practically it is impossible for someone to get into someone else’s dream and communicate with them!!

“ Excuse me, you are Sunil right?” the voice pulled me back out of my thoughts. Same face, same voice. How is this all possible! She was standing next to my table now... Before she gets ‘he-is-a-dumb’ impression, my mind suggested me to clear my throat and answer her question.

“Ah, yes… and you are…”

“I am Sneha… Oh my god, so good to see you! After so many years! Remember me, I was your junior in high school? I was Isha’s friend…”

She noticed the change of my expression for those last lines.

“oh, I  am sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you in anyway, bringing back her lost memories… Hope I haven’t offended you… You were kind of disappeared after that incident. You were very close to her right… Even I was. It was hard for us to digest... I still remember that day… “

The silence that followed for a while was the most terrifying moments of my life! It was so deadly that I wanted to run away without even looking back. I was horribly sweating and I had no clue if she knew about the dream or even about who committed the crime… But the way she was talking didn’t give out any clue that I could relate to my dream or that I can come to a conclusion. So, it made the whole situation even worse.

“Let us talk something else… How are you? What are you doing now…?... hey, you remember me right? Sorry, from that time I am one, doing all the talking… “

I was a bit relaxed then as I realized it was nothing to do with my dream. And it appeared as if she had no clue as to who did that crime. After all, it could have been my wildest dreams of all. This thought gave me some confidence and I started responding casually.

“Don’t be sorry. After all, we cannot change our destiny. And yeah, I remember your name though we hardly spoke in high school. You have changed a lot… I mean, I know that’s a stupid statement!”, I replied with some assured tone for the first time.

***

The conversation then went on for another half an hour, before we both stood up. It was time to leave. We both exchanged firm hand shake and promised would catch up again sometime. After all she was working in the same area… What a relief, I felt… May be it was just a dream.

***

And when I was about to leave, she came back as if she had forgotten something… “Ah, Sunil… I think you should meet Isha once.”

While my heart was about to settle down, this brought it back to its peak in no time. Faster than those high-end-cars, normal to 120 in 2.4 sec!! 

“E.. E.. IIsha..?” I couldn’t spell it firm & right.

“Now don’t tell me that you don’t know anything?” she almost whispered.

“What are you saying… how can I…”, I couldn’t control my emotions…

“She isn’t dead… She survived later after a prolonged medical procedures, but with total memory loss. She has been spending her ill-fated life in the hospital since then. Nobody knows how she got in that room that day or who did this to her and for what reason… Don’t you remember anything??” she replied with a pity face.

“Is… …. Is she.. . .. she alive?” I stood there numb, with tears in my eyes.

“You should go and meet her…” she tapped my shoulders and left without any further word.

courtesy google image

** ** **

*in the car parked near the restaurant”

“Any progress Sneha?”

“Well, no Dr. Sharma. I believe he is still getting those nightmares. I tried to look more like someone who met him after so many years. And he acted that way. When I took Isha’s name, I saw his change of expression. Sad to say but he is still living with it.”

“Hmmm… Sad. Even after treating him for years, even after trying almost everything I could, it keeps coming back and haunts my patient. Are you sure there is no improvements?” Dr. Sharma asked with a question-marked face.

“I am afraid that there aren’t… Just to confirm I told him that Isha is alive. And he was shocked. He don’t even remember meeting her last week.”

After a deep sigh, Dr.Sharma looked through his window at his patient who was still standing there - completely lost in his world... “I don’t remember how many times we made him realize what had happened that day and what happened after that. Except for that one thing, he lives a normal life. But this one thing, keeps coming every other time…Every time we think that he is doing better and is recovering fast. But we have been proved wrong every single time. I have seen many such cases so far. But this… remains a mystery…”

“Yes Dr. Sharma. Morally, it wasn’t his mistake for what happened with Isha. But that one incident has left a scar or rather a deep wound in his heart & mind - which even time couldn’t heal.”

“Perhaps it never will…”

**THE END**

P.S – This is a work of fiction and the story is nowhere related my life or anyone else. While I can say that this wasn’t copied from any book, blog or movie,  I do admit the idea was slightly influenced by the movie Shutter Island. However the story line & the plot were completely different. This is my first story. And I do know there is a lot to learn and improve. I sincerely thank and appreciate for your lovely feedback and comments.