KAASHVI
I opened the apartment door, excited to show Mahira everything I had gotten for her. I imagined her face lighting up with a smile especially after seeing the new sarees I got her. She would be so delighted.
I am so excited for her new life here. I know how badly she wanted to start afresh after everything that had happened in high school and I'm so glad god gave me the chance to provide her with such an opportunity.
I set the shopping bags on the table in the living room and sat down, removing the heel I had been wearing all day long.
'Mahi.'
'Mahi.'
No response. Strange. Where could she have gone? She couldn't have gone out, she's not so familiar with America yet. The steam coming from her room was a lot which was unusual, is she cooking herself or something.
I stood up and went to her bathroom, knocking twice before getting in because I received no response. The steam made it hard to see anything but I could smell a weird meaty smell. I finally found the offswitch and the heat was now suffocating. Who bathes with steaming water though, even if you have iron skin this is abnormal.
I stepped back trying to find the exit when I tripped over something, no, not something. Someone.
'Mahi. you've been here all along and i was busy calling you. Why didn't you respond?'
Mahi didn't move nor respond. As the fog cleared, I realized she was unconscious.
'Mahi. Mahi. Mahira. Omg why would you use such hot water then close the shower, are you crazy.'
I put her arm over my shoulder and then placed my hand on her waist, lifting her up and then I took out of the bathroom. I put her on the bed and tapped her hoping it would wake her up but there was no response at all.
Can hot water actually kill?
No no no no no. think positive, I checked her pulse which wasn't really being helpful because it was in active, I put my hand below her nose and her breathing was dangerously low, almost non existent.
Panic settled in as I took out my phone to call an ambulance but then decided to drive her to the hospital myself as it will be quicker. When I got to the hospital I asked a nurse to help me take her in and they brought out the stretcher and placed her on it, rushing her into the hospital.
The nurse asked me what happened to her and I told her that I found her in a steaming shower with closed doors and windows. Another nurse came to me with an application form to sign and I did so as quickly as possible.
Mahira's pulse was weaker by the time I brought her here and I just hoped it wasn't anything severe.
After two hours of waiting outside the room the doctor came out, a small hopeful smile plastered on his lips.
'How is she doctor?'
'She's stable now but the prolonged period in a hot shower had a couple of fatal impacts on her. She suffered from a cardiac arrest, dehydration and asphyxiation. Right now my team and I are trying to provide enough oxygen to get her breathing again but the steam she inhaled is making it hard to do that.'
'Will she be okay?
'We are uncertain of that, only when she starts breathing properly can we determine her recovery.'
I nodded my head and forced a smile on my face for the sake of courtesy. The doctor nodded his head firmly and left me standing there alone again. Tired and hungry I sat down on the nearest bench and tried to figure out whys he could have done that to herself because that shower definitely didn't switch itself on.
A familiar face caught my attention and my brows furrowed as I recognized who he was. Why is he here? What the hell is he doing here, in America? He caught me staring and waved his hand at me. I smiled and acknowledged his greeting hoping that he wouldn't come to me because I didn't want to deal with him but no he decided to come to me.
'Hi thane, fancy seeing you here.' I said as I already had a painfully forced smile on my face.
'Hey Kaashvi. Long time no see. Why are you here?'
'Well, what do people come to the hospital for Thane?'
'Various things kaashvi. You'll never know till you ask.'
'Sure. I'm here for mahi.' now get out of here you asshole, I don't need you worsening her condition or stressing her out once she wakes up all the more reason why I don't need you here.
'What happened to Mahira? I just saw her a while ago, unless I was hallucinating. I was drunk though I am not sure. But if she really was there, I remember my girlfriend Ariana said she just wanted to check on me or something.'
She saw him? She even went to his apartment to go see him? Ooh i see, him and his stupid girlfriend are the reason why she tried to cook herself.
'What did you do to her?'
Thane shrugged his shoulders carelessly like he didn't have a care in the world for her life. Not that i expected him to care, he proved to me years ago that he didn't have a human heart, just a selfish, greedy pig heart with no sense of humanity.Thane responded casually
'Same old story. Ariana told me that she came to confess her love again. I told your friend multiple times that I am not interested in her but she just doesn't get it does she? She keeps forcing thing's. I suggest you help her move on because I can't love her. I actually pity her. Find someone else for her, I'm getting married soon.'
The way he was so calm about this was infuriating. Didn't he have a brain, couldn't he at least try to piece together why Mahira was in the hospital coincidentally after coming to his house. Couldn't he guess that he was the reason for her condition? Was he that oblivious and ignorant when it came to mahi? How could Mahi have fallen in love with such an arrogant egotistic snob. I don't want to lose Mahira just because of him. He didn't deserve it. Not only did he not deserve Mahi's love but most importantly, he wasnt worth committing suicide for.
'You think this is all a joke isn't it Thane. You don't take her seriously, do you? Because clearly you're so ignorant and not only that you are arrogant too. Mahi is in the hospital in the first place because of you. You don't even have the decency to be humane let alone act like it or at least pretend to be humane. All you do is act like a pig. In fact comparing you to a pig is an insult to the animal, I don't even know what you are.'
Is there a point talking to him? No. He didn't have enough IQ to understand the words coming out from my mouth and all he did was add fuel to the fire. The fire right now being the feeling burning inside my chest.
'You know what? I regret the day I allowed her to fall deeper for you and pursue you. You are right. I should've told her to get someone else because you are just a piece of bullshit. Mark my words the day she finds joy, you will regret ever losing her. Here's the thing about diamonds, they may look like rocks on the surface but they are far more valuable than the rocks you have in your hands.'