Naina was crying even in her sleep. A doctor observing her noticed the signs and knew she would soon wake up. He quickly left to inform Manik.
Slowly, Naina's eyes fluttered open. She registered the white walls of the hospital ward. Her gaze fixed on the telephone next to her bed. With the help of the nurse, Naina reached for the phone and dialed a number she hadn't called in almost four years.
A girl's voice answered, "Hello."
"I need help," Naina said.
"What help do you want, Naina?" the voice replied.
"I need fifteen lakh to pay someone and clear the hospital bill, and I need you to send someone to help me get out of here."
Naina, unsure of her location, asked the nurse for the hospital address and relayed it over the phone. The voice on the other end simply said, "Okay," and the call disconnected. Naina thanked the nurse, who smiled and helped her sit up.
Just then, the door opened, and Manik walked in, followed by Avinash, Arjun, Simran, and Maya. The doctor checked Naina's vitals while Manik continued to watch her, his expression a mask of guilt. Naina was seated, completely emotionless.
Maya rushed to the bedside, followed by Arjun. "Naina Di, are you alright?"
Naina just gave a small nod and a faint smile, then gently touched Maya's cheek. Maya immediately covered her sister's hand with her own.
"How are you?" Naina asked softly.
"I'm fine, Di," Maya replied happily.
Naina looked from Maya to Arjun, and then a confusing detail caught her eye: a mangalsutra around Maya's neck and sindoor in her hair.
"Who is he?" Naina asked, indicating Arjun.
Maya smiled. "Arjun? He is my husband." Naina looked confused. Maya quickly explained, "Arjun is a doctor. After the incident, when I woke up in the hospital, I had forgotten everything, and I acted like a child for two years. Arjun treated me for a year, and I got better, though I still have no memory of the past."
"My relationship with Arjun started as a friendship, and then I began to like him," Maya continued, tears welling up in her eyes. "At first, I hesitated to marry him because I felt I wasn't pure after the rape. But Arjun's love and kindness convinced me." Arjun gently comforted his wife.
Hearing her sister's ordeal, Naina felt a pang of sadness and wiped away a tear. Seeing the genuine comfort Arjun offered Maya, Naina smiled, thinking, Maya always dreamt of having a family and living a happy life. She got her dream.
"You always wanted a family, Maya," Naina told her. "I'm happy for you."
Manik watched Naina's every action. Seeing her smile gave him a brief, painful flicker of happiness, quickly followed by the ache of her ignoring his presence. Avinash and Simran stood by, listening quietly.
A new voice broke the moment. A well-dressed person entered the ward. "Hello, Naina Ma'am. I've come at the request of T Ma'am."
"Hello," Naina replied. "Have you cleared the hospital bill?"
"Yes, Ma'am," the person confirmed. "And I have brought the cheque book. T Ma'am has already signed the cheque for the 15 lakh."
"Okay," Naina said simply.
Naina then looked directly into Manik's eyes for the first time.
"Manik Sir," she said, her voice completely flat, "thank you for taking care of me. Please take this 15 lakh cheque for the amount you paid for me."
Manik was stunned. "What?" he asked, his voice weak with guilt. "Please don't pay for anything."
Naina ignored his plea and instructed the person, "Please give the cheque to Manik Sir."
The person confirmed, "I have already paid the hospital bill."
"Okay," Naina accepted.
Maya, confused, asked, "Di, who is this person? And why are you paying Manik Bhai 15 lakh?"
"Manik Sir took care of me for all these years," Naina replied. "I need to pay him back."
Manik's heart broke into a thousand pieces at her words. Her emotional detachment was worse than any anger she could have shown. He looked at her, his eyes full of pain, but Naina's gaze remained empty.
"Naina Ma'am," the unknown person said, "the doctor says you will be discharged tomorrow, and I will come to pick you up."
"Okay," Naina said. She turned to Maya. "I want to rest now."
Maya, Avinash, Arjun, and Simran understood and quietly said their goodbyes, leaving the ward.
Manik stood before her. Naina simply looked at him with that same emotionless gaze, turned her head to the side, and closed her eyes, ready to sleep, without another word or glance toward him.
Manik stood there for a few minutes, tears of guilt streaming down his face.
He walked out of the ward, his mind racing. Why wasn't Naina angry? Why did she not say anything? Who was the unknown person, and who was "T Ma'am" who was paying for everything?
Manik pulled out his phone, made a call, and gave an urgent instruction to the person on the other end, his thoughts consumed entirely by Naina.