Ward no. 2106 - SERIES 10

Disclaimer - The story is a work of fiction. The names of characters and places are imaginary. So are the incidents described.

The story till now: Kanika's father arrives and tries to talk to Kanika amicably. Kanika is, however, rude to him. A new patient arrives - he is the person who also met with an accident the day Kanika did. This twenty-something patient has lost his memory and a child.

He was wearing a white kurta and pyjama - something the hospital had provided him. He sat on his bed, his legs spread out, his hands on his lap and his eyes into a blank spot somewhere. He was sipping on a glass of water for the last ten minutes.

He could move around and was normal physically, except for a few glitches. But, something had drained him off - his memory. He did not remember absolutely anything. He got up. Went to the window, the same window where Parvati aaji sat couple of days back looking at her photo album.

He was looking outside. He had been told that he had lost a child in the accident the two had met with, together. He closed his eyes - and tried to remember what the child looked like. He thought he would remember, the child's face, the child's name. He couldn't.

He had been told by Inspector Sumer Khan who had come to interrogate him that nobody had yet claimed the child's body. And the day someone did, he would get to know about himself as well.

He waited for that day. The day he would see his people, whoever they were. The day he would have some memories, any memories to live with. But, all he saw was pitch-black darkness. A tear rolled out of his closed eyes down his cheek on the granite platform of the window.

Parvati Aaji saw all this and she remembered that day. That day, her mind was filled with a gushing crowd of memories - and she had tears. And today this man in front of her had no memories at all - and he had tears too.

He came out of his blank trance when he heard Kanika talking to James.

"Why the hell did you call dad here?"

"Kanika, don't use those words here. It's a public place! And I called your dad here, because he is your dad. He deserves to know and he deserved to be with us. And what did you do, you shooed him off?!", James tried to explain.

"Hello! I don't need him. And I decide whether I need him or not. If you can't take care of me and if you want to transfer the burden to someone else, you don't need an excuse. Just get lost and don't come here again!! You'll get rid of me that way!", Kanika shouted - loud enough to be heard by everyone in the ward.

James was extremely embarassed by what she said. He put a brave front though, "Kanika, I am the only person here, mind you."

"Oh, so do you mean to tell me how lonely and boring I am? No thanks, I don't need you. Get lost, James. Just get lost at once!"

"Kanika....", James' eyes shined with the tears they carried.

"I don't want to see you here James. I did not expect this from you. I thought you respected my opinion. and my decisions. You didn't. James, just leave..."

James left the ward. Parvati Aaji looked at Kanika. Kanika couldn't look at her in the eye though.

That night, Dr. Umesh came for his daily rounds. Parvati Aaji asked him, "How many days left for you to be shifted to another ward?"

"Two. I have to resume duty in the other ward from Monday.", Dr. Umesh said.

"Hey, cheer up! You can anyways come and meet me right. I am going to be here for a couple of months, Shri said.", Parvati Aaji explained.

Dr. Umesh nodded. There was something on his mind - that he couldn't tell her. She had noticed that too. But she knew, one day, he would. She had that faith in the unnamed friendship the two shared.

She told Dr. Umesh in a hushed voice, "That guy there, is very sad. He keeps looking out of the window."

Dr. Umesh nodded, "Yes, he is undergoing an acute depression. That's why things are complicated for him. He is being supervised by a psychiatrist. He will be fine."
And Dr. Umesh left.

The man got up from his bed, came towards Parvati Aaji. In a broken sentence, he said, "Namaste... daadi maa!"

Parvati aaji joined her hands, like she always did and said "Namaste".

"Is Doctor Umesh your relative?", he asked.

Parvati Aaji nodded, "No, not at all. I just knew him since the day I came to this ward. He is a nice fellow."

"Oh, that's really surprising. The two of you spoke like you knew each other well."

"Yes, we do. So what if he isn't my relative?!", Parvati Aaji said proudly.

"I see....", the guy took a rather long pause and I said, "You know I don't remember anything right?"

"Yes, my child, I do. You'll be fine.."

"I saw you looking at me this evening when I was at the window. By any chance, do you know me?", the man asked. He had a helpless expression on his face. He wanted to meet someone who knew him - someone who could tell him who he was.

"I don't know you. But you will find soon, ..... what's your name?", Parvati Aaji asked, unable to realize her mistake.

"I...don't remember.", the man said.

Parvati aaji nearly bit her tongue and said, "Oh, let's have a name for you then! What do you say?"

"What name?", the helpless expression on the man's face subsided.

"Mmm.. let's call you... Krishna!", Parvati Aaji said.

The man's face broke into a smile. "Krishna...", he repeated the name he had been given.

He had instantly connected with this stranger lady. And that's because she had given him something he could remember. Some name, atleast.

He repeated the name that night before going to sleep. He had something to remember. How he met this old lady, how she was concerned about him. And how she identified the need for him to have a name. And how she named him!

After several nights together, he slept calmly. Krishna had one incident to remember now.