T H E   S I L E N T   W A T E R S
T H E    N I G H T M A R E   L I V E S   O N

D O W N   T H E   M E M O R Y   L A N E

t h e   e n d   b e g i n s

The table fell silent. She glanced at Priyanka who just shook her head, sending her an assuring look.

Shivaay didn't look from his plate for the rest of the meal.

"I will return to my room..." Shivaay spoke up all of a sudden. Priyanka hummed as he picked up the glass of water.

His gaze turned to Annika, and she could see his eyes softening slightly, "...I am sorry, I said that we will talk later....and...." He added lowering his voice considerably.

"It's alright, we don't have to do it all now." She assured with a smile. He nodded sighing in relief.

<>

Annika frowned her hands circling around the glass of water that she was holding in her hand. She was looking around and she smiled when she noticed the interiors of house, tinted in blue. Of course. She thought.

She couldn't sleep, she was walking around the corridor when she noticed the wide door slightly ajar, she walked over the door so it leading to the indoor pool, it was like a miniature hall with the pool in middle of it, there was no light in the room except for the moonlight filtering in from the other side. Her eyes turned to the figure sitting at the edge of the pool.

What was he doing there, up at the middle of the night? She stood at the doorway when he spoke up without turning back, "I know you are there...." He turned around, "Annika."

She smiled at that, "How did you know?" She asked, knowing full well.

"Bus pata chal gaya." He chuckled, turning back to the pool, his eyes getting hollowed as he stared at the dark waters. She looked around the room, the darkness around looked suffocating, what was he doing here all alone.

She trudged ahead, and sat down beside him. He turned to look at her his eyes looked grey in the dim light of the room, "It's dark here." He whispered, "you don't like darkness."

"But you are here, aren't you?" She asked. He shook his head, "it is a part of me, or the converse may also be true." He chuckled, it didn't sound well to her ears. Something was disturbing him.

His feet were dipped into waters, he stared ahead, his eyes straying on one of the windows, he noticed him fidgeting in his place, his one hand reaching to scratch at the scar, a habit that she had noticed and she placed a comforting hand over his, which was placed on the floor.

She didn't know if they were at that level or not. But she didn't have to worry as his fidgeting stopped, and a moment later she felt a faint grip on her fingers. He didn't move his eyes away from the spot.

Her feet touched the water and she hissed slightly at the cold sensation. He smiled, "it will get better with—" he stopped, his eyes dropping at his own words. It doesn't get better with time, it only worsens the ache, that is ever present.

"—with time." She finished his sentence softly. "You don't believe it." She said as she turned to face him. He didn't look up, but he shook his head in response. "I don't." He admitted.

"I don't believe it either." She said with a melancholic smile. She could feel his gaze on her, "I never did." Shaking her head briefly.

"Why?" He pried gently, she noticed as he interwove his fingers along with hers.

"Do I need to explain that?" He looked up, to see her carefully. And then shook his head. Of course not, she didn't. He knew the reason. They have been clear about this. Her life wasn't easy. Most definitely not, and he too did hold his contributions in that.

He turned back to stare at the water.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"Couldn't sleep." He answered as retracted his hands away from her hold.

"Nightmares?" She asked. He looked at her, wondering whether he should tell her or not, before shaking his head slowly. "No, no, not nightmares, would have been if it was..."

"... memories." He spoke after a while. She frowned, her suspicions were coming true.

"Memories?" She echoed softly, confusion hinting on her voice. He hummed. "Yeah."

"I don't remember much of what happened, that day, before that, after that, it's all blurred into a haze." He admitted slowly, she could hear the pent up frustration in his voice. His hands clenched by his sides.

She frowned at that, "what do you mean?" She asked. And then winced, but to her surprise he answered.

"The last memory I remember is telling you that I need to Goa, after Rudra's Sangeet." He elaborated. Her eyes widened.

"A week before you went to Goa." She muttered to herself. "What?" He breathed. A week? Then what happened in those days. Why he doesn't seem to have any memory of it.

"I remember, you telling me that I was behaving strangely, Om telling me I wasn't myself." He mumbled, she perked up guessing what he was talking about.

"What happened?" She asked. Shivaay was looking around the room, the bed was a mess. Pillows thrown around, covers removed.

"Where's my phone?" She heard him mumbling. She looked at his hands and her eyebrows arched in surprise, he was holding it in his hand the whole time. And he was searching for it around. Shaking her head fondly she patted his shoulder. He stopped and turned around, he looked at her in confusion, "My phone?" He asked slowly.

She held up his hand and his eyes widened slightly, "Must have missed it." He spoke as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. She frowned, he wasn't usually this absent minded unless he was troubled about something extremely.

He pocketed his phone and grabbed the blazer, "Where are you going?" She asked.

"I'm okay." He answered, her frown deepened at that. "That was not my question." She said. He turned to look at her before shaking his head. "Sorry?" He asked in confusion, his hands reaching to massage the corner of his forehead.

"I will be back by the evening." He spoke as he rushed out of the room. She stared at his disappearing figure in confusion. Something was wrong.

"Yeah..." He looked at her at that. Turning to face her, "What do you mean?" He asked her desperately.

"You were behaving off, you were tired most of the time and remained confused when you came home. And whenever we asked you shrugged it off saying that it's the work pressure, and that time you know it——" he nodded at the words.

That's the effect of medicines, the one in the prescription. He remembered suddenly and he frowned, that means he have consumed them, somehow and he didn't remember that. Or simply that he never consumed them willingly, they were forced into his system, without his knowledge.

"Do you remember me changing the cycle of my medications?" He asked slowly, Annika shook his head, "they were the same, Shivaay. Where are we going with this?" She asked.

"You remember that prescription?" She nodded, her eyebrows furrowing. "Where did Gauri find them?" He asked her urgently.

"Shivaay, calm down first. She said she found it in the storeroom by the shelf, Saumya was standing." Realisation taking over her, "you think Saumya?" She asked. He nodded, "could be, these all are the side effects of the medicines, Aradhya had mentioned." He babbled backing away.

"You mean to say, you consumed those—" her surprise turned into horror, those suppressants, they could have resulted him in being brain dead, had he was given them in wrong doses. They could have been lethal.

"I-I think so, that explains why I don't remember, we have been thinking that all this time ever since we got that prescription." He said, his eyes darting around the room in confusion.

<>

Shivaay stepped back in shock. His family would never do something like this——he shook his head. This has to be wrong, there is no way this is right. This HAS to be wrong.

He staggered back in his step. Annika's smile came in his mind and his breath choked up. His family is the reason for all of this. Bile rose up in his throat, she had suffered because of them.

He looked up to see the woman chuckling in front of him. Who was she? He couldn't see anything because of the lights behind.

He coughed out suddenly. His eyes snapping back into focus as he stared at Annika who looking at him worriedly.

"—vaay!" He nodded, finally registering where he was. "I am okay."

"Are you really?" She asked as he looked at him. He nodded, her hands gently tugged at the one that reached for his scar, the skin had reddened from the impact.

His breathing wasn't regular, what was that his family had done? How Annika was connected to all of it? What did he find out? Who was that woman?

He closed his eyes again, as the pain in his head worsened. Annika's eyes darted to the door, she needs to call someone.

"Sign these papers, return my son's rights." She hissed. He frowned. Son?

He turned to look the one standing beside her, and he felt the chill running through his spine. The cold fear crept through his blood till his bones, he heard the familiar gruff voice, and his eyes widened in shock.

Veer?

Whose son? Damnit! Remember. Remember. He tried to concentrate to see there faces, but his brain wasn't able to comprehend the faces. He couldn't register the features of the woman.

"Beg."

He looked tried to open his eyes but the blood was obstructing his vision. The familiar sting in his eyes brought him back to the consciousness. He looked at his hands, he couldn't move them, they were lying by his side lifeless. Blood was all around. He was numb all over.

He knew he didn't have any choice. It was the end. He didn't have a family waiting for him home anymore. He was all alone in midst of it.

"K-k-ki-kil-l m-me" Came his hoarse voice, and he closed his eyes waiting for the impact.

"Wish granted."

And the pain erupted in skull and he barely held back the scream, as he lurched forward suddenly. He was breathing heavily. He coughed vigorously, choking on plain air, his lungs were getting deprived of oxygen at this point. He couldn't keep the air in without choking.

Annika was holding him back. She looked horror stricken. This is what I am, Annika. I am not the Shivaay you knew. This is just the broken piece of what's left of the man you knew.

"Priyanka!"

"Aradhya!" She called as she rubbed his back, upon not getting any response. She tried to help him up, but he shook his head.

"C-ca-call A-a-ra—" he tried to heave out. "G-ge-t-tt her." He choked out. She looked around, she didn't have any other choice. And she nodded and rushed out, while he tried to regulate his breathing.

Fuck.

He placed his hands forward to brace himself from the fall, as another memory struck.

He looked around. Fire. That was all he could see. He could feel the heat from the ground, as he tried to get up. He needs to get out. They need to know the truth. She needs to.

What truth?

".... n-nno-o" he groaned as he grabbed his head and tugged at his hair forcefully.

He looked around.

Fire!

Fire!

The line between the reality and memories blurred as he experienced the fire again, in front of his eyes.

His eyes darted to the waters.

He remembered thrashing around. The water filling in his lungs. Him slowly submerging in the water——

He closed his eyes again.

His body going limp as he leaned forward.

The oxygen supply cut off and he felt the chlorine filled water entering his pharynx, he opened his eyes to look around.

Darkness.

He's home.

And in contrast to the storm raging inside of his mind, over the surface, the water turned silent.

Ahh, not sure how the progression is going.....would love feedback on this one, but it's okay, no pressure <33

Also, the thing is that he will get the memory in snippets by certain triggers cuzz reason? There is no way his brain would be able to handle the pressure abruptly. I can't make it that unrealistic even though it's fanfiction.