It was a nightmare come true.

Rohit couldn't move or speak for a few seconds, unable to process any information, before he reached over to touch her shoulders.

'Sona!'
His voice croaked.
'Sona!'
He cleared his throat.
'Sona!'
He shook her a bit, as she didn't move or respond.
'SONA! SONAKSHI! Don't you dare play any pranks on me! Mein to mazaq kar raha tha tumhare saath..you know me..I love to tease you..Sona!'
He turned her towards him  and she fell into his arms, eyes closed, unmoving.
'Jaan, mein theek hun, dekho..koi chott nahin lagi..utho na..Sona! Aisa mazaq to mat karo..'
He lifted his hand to touch her cheek, but she didn't open her eyes.
He patted her cheeks.
'Sona! Hey! Tum mujhe dara kyun rahi ho aise..dekho..bas gaari thori si hi damage hui hai..we will just take a cab home. Chalo, get up! Sona! Sona!'
He continued patting her, shaking her, but she was like a rag doll in his arms, no sign of life in her.

What the hell am I thinking? Ofcourse she's alive..she has to be..I'm just getting paranoid..

'Sona! Yar aise mat karo..utho na..please...'
His voice broke, as he kissed her hair, her forehead. He put his finger on her pulse, and couldn't feel anything. Blood began to gush in his ears at what that meant, and he began to panic.

A gasp broke her lips, at the same instant that he felt a feeble pulse, before she was still again, and Rohit was stunned into action.
'Sona! Sona! God, no! No! This can't be happening! No!'
He quickly fumbled with his numb fingers in his pocket, to take out his cellphone.
'Kuch nahin hoga tumhe..you just hold on! Okay?'
He dialled Pulkit's number with trembling hands, his brain going into overdrive.

'Jiju? Kheryat?'
Pulkit's voice came across the line.

'Pulkit! Accident..'
Rohit gasped.

'What? Where? Aap theek hain? Di?'
Pulkit's voice rose.

'Ambulance! Ambulance bhejo! Sona..'
Rohit was having trouble getting the words out, his throat choking now.

'Oh, God! Location batayen..'

'I don't know..sea face ke baad turn liya tha ghar ke liye..'

'I'll find you..be right there..hold on!'
Pulkit crashed the phone down, running, as he began shouting orders.

Rohit looked down at Sonakshi, and stroked her hair.
'Sona..Sona..utho na! Dekho, mein hun yahan, tumhare paas..bas..abhi chalte hain..hold on..'
He held her hand, and brought it to his lips.
'Tumhe kuch nahin hoga..you promised me na..ke hum hamesha aise hi saath rahenge..you even wished upon it..to aise hi hoga..you just hold on..mein hun yahan..kahin nahin ja raha tumhe chorr ke..kuch nahin honay dunga tumhe..'
His voice broke, and tears began to fall from his eyes.
'Sona..please..aise mat karo mere saath..tumhe thand to nahin lag rahi hai na..I'm wrapped around you..you said you feel safe..and warm..'
He shook her again, but was met only with silence.

The sound of a siren penetrated his brain, in the stifling silence, and he lifted his head from the top of Sonakshi's head.
'Pulkit! The ambulance is here! Sona! Help is here! Tum dekhna..bas abhi jaldi se theek hojaogi tum..'

The lights and siren came closer, and doors began to open and shut.

'Jiju! Di!'
Pulkit's voice came, as he opened the door from the passenger side.

'Pulkit! Thank God, tum agaye! Dekho na! Sona meri baat hi nahin sun rahi..uth bhi nahin rahi hai..tum pukaaro na..'
Rohit's voice was flat, and Pulkit quickly took hold of Sonakshi's hand.

'Di! Di! Mein hun! Pulkit! Di! Can you hear me?'
Pulkit checked for her pulse, and except for a slight flutter, couldn't feel anything. Swallowing, he breathed rapidly, before shouting for the stretcher.
'Hurry! Oxygen!'

The ward boy and nurse took hold of Sonakshi, and pulled at her. Rohit protested.

'Sir, please! She needs medical attention..'
They detached Rohit's hands from around her shoulders, and whisked her away to the stretcher and inside the ambulance.

Rohit scrambled out of the car, and hurried after them, climbing inside the ambulance, just as Pulkit attached a mask and oxygen on Sonakshi's nose and mouth.

'Five litres! Quick!'
Pulkit barked out orders, checking for her pulse, putting a stethoscope to his ears to check Sonakshi.

'Dr. Pulkit! Let me do it! Aap se nahin ho payega..'
Rohit turned to the other voice, and saw another doctor there, whom he  hadn't noticed before.

Pulkit was now choking back his tears, as he moved back, and let the other doctor take over.
The other doctor immediately took an umbo bag and began pumping air into her lungs.

'Pulkit! Kya ho raha hai! Meri Sona..'
Rohit's voice had Pulkit jerk around, as if he had forgotten that he was there too.

'Jiju! Hua kya tha? Di..'

'We..we..'
Rohit kept glancing at Sonakshi, as the other doctor and nurse pumped more air, checking her pulse again and again.
'We were coming back from dinner..woh, I made a turn..to ek truck araha tha bina lights ke..Sona chillayi..phir gaari..it went out of control..we hit a tree..'
Rohit touched his forehead, as if just remembering that he had hit his head.

'Bandage here!'
Pulkit called out, and the staff handed him things for a dressing.

As Pulkit put a dressing over his forehead, did Rohit realise that he had been bleeding from where his head had hit the steering wheel.
'Woh..uss ke baad se..Sona behosh hai..I didn't realise..mein..kitna bura hun mein..mujhe pata hi nahin chala..Pulkit..'
Rohit began to cry, and so did Pulkit, as they hugged one another, understanding each other's pain.

'Jiju! Aap ki koi ghalti nahin hai..please..'

'Pulkit..Sona...meri Sona..hamari Sona..oh, God! Yeh kya hogaya? Aaj to uss ki birthday hai na..kitni khush thi woh..yeh aise..'

'Sshh..sshh..'
Pulkit stroked Rohit's back.
'Sambhaale khud ko, Jiju! Kuch nahin hoga Di ko! She's the strongest..the bravest Di! She can't..'
Pulkits voice also broke, as they both continued to hug each other.

The hospital arrived, and the stretcher was loaded off, and rushed inside, the doctor still pumping the umbo bag, as they rushed to the ICU.

Rohit and Pulkit ran behind the stretcher, Pulkit calling out to the staff to call Dr. Malhotra, their best neurophysician, who had treated Rohit, when he had been paralysed.

'Jiju! You wait here!'
Pulkit stopped him, as the stretcher went inside the ICU, taking Sonakshi away from his sight.

'No! No! Sona..I need to..'

'I know you do..but we have to examine her. Please, stay here..please..'
Pulkit pleaded with Rohit, and he finally nodded.

Pulkit rushed inside, leaving Rohit standing alone in the corridor.
Rohit put his fist to his mouth, in an attempt to keep from screaming out loud.
He paced and paced, and paced some more.
His phone rang. It was Veena.

'Rohit! Kitni der se phone baj raha hai! Tum log abhi tak aaye nahin..bachay to sogaye, par nanny pooch rahi hai rukay ke jaaye..Rohit..'
Veena stopped speaking, as she realised that Rohit was silent.
'Rohit! Kuch bolo..you there?'

'Mom...'

'Han..mein kuch pooch rahi hun itni der se..or tum ho ke..'

'Mom! Sona...'

'Han! Sona..usse hi phone de do..tum se to baat karna hi bekaar hai..seedha jawab hi nahin dete..meri bahu de gi..'
She stopped as she heard his cry.
'Rohit! Kya hua hai? Tum ro kyun..Sona ko phone do..Rohit..'

'Mom! Sona..woh..hamara..accident..'

'KYA! Accident! Kya bol raha hai! Kidhar ho tum log?'
Veena's voice had risen, getting hyper.

Naren, who had heard part of the conversation, took over the phone.
'Rohit! Papa! Bolo beta..kya hua..'

'Papa!'
Rohit cried.
'Accident! Hum hospital..'

'I'll be right there!'
Naren disconnected the phone, and Rohit stood there, his tears refusing to stop.

***************************

Rohit's palms were sweating, his pulse racing erratically, his heart refusing to take in the reality.

Naren and Anil had arrived to offer moral support to Rohit, but it was not helping, as they awaited news from inside the ICU.
Rohit had even refused to sit, his emotions jumping all over the place.
Ajit, Veena, Suman, Pari..they all had been calling every fifteen minutes or so, because the men had refused to bring them along.

The door to the ICU opened, and Dr. Malhotra came out with Pulkit, both looking extremely serious, talking in low tones with each other.
Rohit hurried over to them, and when Naren and Anil saw that, they also rushed over.

'Dr. Malhotra!'
Rohit's voice came out as a squeak, and he cleared his throat.
'Sona..'

'Rohit!'
Dr. Malhotra had a very blank expression on his face.

'Sona..'

'Her vitals have reappeared..pulse, heartbeat...'

'Great..'
Rohit began.

'But! She's still unconscious.'

'What? But how..'

'She's most likely had a concussion, caused by the impact of the car hitting a tree, or a jolt to her body..'

'And..'
Rohit searched the doctor's face, eagerly.

'Concussions are very unpredictable, Rohit!'
Dr. Malhotra shrugged his shoulders.
'We can't say at this point what will happen..'

'What will happen? What do you mean you don't know? You are the doctor here..how can you not know?'
Rohit's voice had risen, and Naren put a hand on his shoulder.

'Rohit! Calm down! Doctor sahab bata rahe hain na..'

'Kya bata rahe hain? Kuch bhi to nahin bata rahe hain, Papa! Meri Sona kaisi hai, kab hosh aayega..kuch bhi to nahin..'
Rohit's tears were flowing down his cheeks.
Naren stroked his shoulders up and down.

'Rohit! It's true we can't say anything right now. But we are going to do all we can. Run tests, scans..whatever is required. Be assured of that..'

'When? Kab karenge tests..abhi karen..find out..'

'We are, Jiju! Thori stable to hojayen..'

'Stable matlab? You just said her vitals are better..'

'They have appeared yes, but..'

'But what?'
Rohit was getting hyper.
'Hatain aap log! Mujhe Sona ko dekhna hai..'
He pushed at them, and made to move, but Pulkit stopped him.

'Jiju! Abhi aap andar nahin ja saktay..'

'Kya matlab hai? Na kuch theek se bata rahe ho, na andar jaane de rahe ho, na dekhne de rahe ho..kuch chupa to nahin rahe ho na mujhse?'
Rohit pointed his finger at Pulkit.

'Nahin, Jiju! Chupa nahin rahe..bas abhi saans lene mein mushkil..'

'WHAT?'
Rohit almost shouted.

'Actually, Rohit! This is what I had come outside to ask..'

'Kya?'
Rohit looked at the doctor accusingly.

'That if need be, would you allow her to be shifted to a ventilator?'

'A what!! She's that critical, or aap log yahan mujhse jhoot pe jhoot bolay ja rahe hain..'

'We aren't lying..yes..her breathing hasn't stabilised yet..we are trying..'

'Well, try harder, dammit! Mujhe apni Sona chahiye! Sahi salamat! Mere paas!'
Rohit was getting hysterical now, and Anil and Naren held on to him.
'You hear me?'
Rohit said, as Dr. Malhotra bent to say something to Pulkit.
'Yeh! Yeh aap dono kya baat kar rahe hain aapas mein..mujhse chupa rahe hain..what are you hiding..'

'Relax, Rohit!'
Anil tried.

'Yeh mujhse kuch chupa rahe hain or aap keh rahe hain relax!'

'I was just telling Pulkit to arrange a room for you..'

'Room for me? Why? Mujhe kuch nahin hua hai! Magar meri Sona wahan andar hai, and you are not even letting me see her..'
He tried pushing his way again, but was stopped by them all.

'Rohit! If you don't calm down right now, I'll have no choice left but to sedate you..'

'No ways! Mujhe sab jaan na hai..'

'To phir calm down! We are doing everything we can! You just have to let us do it!'
Dr. Malhotra turned to Pulkit.
'I have another patient to see..in se consent le lo for ventilation, and tell me when the scan is done.'
With that, the doctor moved away.

'Kidhar..kidhar ja rahe hain yeh? Aise meri Sona ko chorr ke? Or yeh kya baar baar ventilator ki baat kar rahe hain..come back here!'
Rohit was shouting, and several people had turned to look.

'Rohit! Calm down! Stop shouting! Hospital hai yeh! Or bhi patients hain..khayal to karo. Sona ko..'
Anil tried to scold him.

'Sona ko shor nahin pasand apne hospital mein! I know..jab bhi mein aata hun or zor se bolta hun, she points to these boards on the walls..'
Rohit pointed to the boards asking them to 'maintain silence'.

'Han! To Sona ki khatir hi relax hojao..please!'
Anil said, and Rohit nodded.

'Magar yeh ventilator ki baat kyun kar rahe hain baar baar..uss se to bahar koi nahin aata..'

'You happen to be wrong, Jiju! Aksar patients jo khud saans nahin le paate, unhe machine se saans dete hain  till they can breathe on their own. Or young patients mein recovery chances are more..'

'But, Pulkit! Agar woh khud se saans nahin le paayi..no no..NO!'

'Theek hai! Relax! Mein andar jaata hun, I have to make arrangements. Aap logon ke liye ek room arrange kar deta hun, where you can sit and wait. Theek hai?'
Pulkit left, after assuring them.

The three men could do nothing but wait.

***************************

Two long days..that's how long they waited..and waited.

Sonakshi's breathing had stabilised, her scans done.
Several doctors and staff had found out that their boss was in that state, and came to pay their visits.
Dr. Rahul also came, and despite of Rohit's glares, went inside the ICU, to check on her. He did, however, come back and gave them hope that she was a strong woman, and would fight this battle soon.

Rohit didn't move from the hospital, even though everyone was after him. Veena and Suman came, and so did everyone else, all trying to get Rohit to go home and rest, but he refused to budge.
Veena even cajoled him with the kids, that they were asking for him and Sonakshi constantly.

'Nahin! Kya mun dikhaunga mein apne bachon ko? Ke mein un ki Mama ko wapas nahin laaya saath? How will I answer their innocent questions..look into their questioning faces, and lie? No, Mom! Mein Sona ko liye baghair nahin ja sakta yahan se..'

Everyone cried, unable to believe how all this had happened. They all prayed, and waited.

It was on the second day, that Rohit was allowed to go in, and see Sonakshi.
Her scans had come clear, her breathing had stabilised. All the wait was for her to gain consciousness.

His pulse racing, he was shown to her bed.
He gasped on seeing her.
She had been changed into the hospital gown, several cannulas, and tubes attached to her hands and body. There was a cap on her head, and an oxygen mask over her face.
She looked so small and helpless lying there, that Rohit wanted to sob out loud.

He came to stand by her bedside, and lifted his hand to touch her. Her skin was cold to touch, and a frisson of fear ran through him. But the monitors above her head were beeping reassuringly, and so he shook the feeling away.

'Sir! Ten minutes, please!'
The nurse pulled a curtain around them, as she left them alone.

Grateful for the privacy, Rohit bent over to kiss her forehead, his tears falling over her face, without him realising it.
'Sona! Aise tum bilkul achi nahin lag rahi..'
His voice was choked, but he kept speaking.
'Jaldi se uth jao, please. Mein kab se wait kar raha hun tumhara! Or Arihaan or Mishaye..'
He picked up her hand, very carefully, so as not to disturb the IV lines.
'Woh dono to bas tumhara hi wait kar rahe hain..jaldi se utho taakay mein tumhe apne saath le jaun ghar..akele mujhse jaaya nahin jaayega..'
He stroked her hand, trying to warm it.
'Sona..suno na..jaldi uth jao..please. Mein bohot akela parr gaya hun..I need you..please..'
His tears now landed on her hand, and miraculously, he felt her hand flicker.

He looked down at her hand, but there was no movement.

Maybe I imagined it..because I want it so badly..

But then..there it was again. A tiny flicker of her finger. His heart beat escalated, as he saw her trying to move her fingers.

'Staff! Nurse!'
Rohit shouted, and one came running immediately.

'Yes, sir! What happened?'

'She moved her fingers, she moved them..'
Rohit said with excitement in his voice.

'I'll just call the doctor! Are you sure?'

'Ofcourse! Look!'
He pointed to where Sonakshi's hand moved now.

'Yes, sir!'
The nurse hurried to the telephone, while Rohit continued talking to her.

'Sona! That's it! Han! Aankhen kholo! Dekho, mein hun! Tumhara Rohit!'

Five minutes into his talking  and Pulkit and Dr. Malhotra came hurrying into the ICU.

'Pulkit, Dr. Malhotra! She moved..she..oh my God!'
Rohit exclaimed, as he saw her eyelids flicker.
'Yes, yes! Sona!'

'Excellent!'
Dr. Malhotra quickly checked her over, as Sonakshi opened her eyes.

Rohit stood in her line of vision, and watched, as her gaze focused.

'Thankyou, God!'
Pulkit was saying, his head moving back, so he could look heavenwards.

'Sona! Yes! Dekho! Mein hun yahan..'
Sonakshi blinked, as if she understood.

Pulkit came forward to move the oxygen mask from her face. They all looked down at her, but she was still looking at Rohit.

'Han, Sona! Mein Rohit!'

Sonakshi tried lifting a hand towards him, as her lips parted, as if she wanted to say something.

'Han, han! Bolo..Sona..'
Rohit smiled through his tears, as Sonakshi gave what seemed like a smile.

The doctor began conversing with the staff, while Rohit took hold of her hand.

'Ro..'
Her lips rounded to say the word, but no sound came out, and he nodded.

'Han, mein Rohit..Sona..bolo..'
He bent to kiss her hand, and it fell from his grip.
He quickly looked up, but she had closed her eyes.
'What? Aankhen kholo..Sona..'
He lifted her hand, and left it, but it fell back on the bed, lifeless.
'Doctor!'
Rohit shouted, and they all turned their attention back to Sonakshi.

'What happened?'
Dr. Malhotra quickly began checking her over.

'Abhi to aankhen kholi thi..mera naam lene wali thi..KYA HUA HAI!'
Rohit shouted, as the doctor began to check her pupils for reactions.
'Koi mujhe batayega..chorro mujhe..'
As a male staff tried to move him away.
'Sona! Utho! Abhi to uthi thi..yeh kya horaha hai...'

Dr. Malhotra raised himself from his bent position, with a sad look on his face.

'Kya hua, doctor! Aap kuch bol kyun nahin..'

'I'm afraid, Dr. Sonakshi has slipped into a coma...'

To be continued...