Slowing Pulse

Six days since Sindhuja was in the hospital. He was just making his way to the ward from home because Tapesh had forced him to go back and sleep last night. It was 7 am in the morning now; he had hardly been able to close his eyes the whole night, and therefore concluded that it was a bad idea to go home for sleeping. Working out what medicines she was supposed to take and should have taken already, he pushed the door open with Kaaki in-tow behind. Sindhuja was there on the bed as before, but something had changed, he could feel it in the air. Tapesh and Kaka sat up immediately, looking over at him. Both of them had concerned faces, and Sindhuja, well, her eyes were closed and he couldn't tell a lot about her expressions because of the oxygen tube going across her face.

"What's the matter?" He asked immediately.

"Felu; we tried ringing home a few minutes ago; Sindhu hasn't responded a lot since waking up right now."

Blood gushed up his nerves. "Wh- what do you mean?"

"She is okay, not that way; but not moving a lot... The doctor came and went... Said we can only wait for her to respond..."

He looked at them for a moment and rushed to her bedside, dropping the bag with food that he had helped Kaaki carry.

He touched her head gently. "Sindhu... Sweetheart..."

She opened her eyes and slowly turned her gaze up in his direction. He took her hand and held it on his face, so she could recognize him. Her fingers trailed down and twitched at his cheek; and he read the look in her eyes, finding the exact expression he had been dreading the most.

"It's okay... You're going to be fine..." he said more to comfort himself than her.

But her eyes, the knowingness in them, the sadness, the finality they held; all of it screamed what she wanted to say in his ears.

"I'm here now... Hm?... I'm here, don't worry..." He held her hand and kissed it as she weakly tried to reach out to him again. He sat by her side for some time.

Suddenly, he felt her grip inside his fingers tighten. He darted his eyes up to her."Sindhu? Sindhu, what's happening?!"

But she just tensed more, shuffling her fingers that were locked into his now.

His heart raced and he almost shouted, "Topshe, call the doctor, quick!"

Tapesh understood the situation and immediately dashed out of the room as Kaaki went to the other side of the bed and Kaka stopped behind him."What is it?"

But he couldn't see or hear anything around. "Sindhu, Sindhu look here! Look here, try to talk to me!"

He cupped her face with the other hand and shook it as her breathe started to hitch."No, no! Look here, don't close your eyes! Sindhu, talk to me! You have to stay awake!..."

But her breath grew even more uneven, and she held on to his hand with a surprising strength. Kaaki realized too and held her other hand."Sindhu, Sindhu!..."

He continued to try and keep her awake. "The doctor is coming... You're going to be okay, Hm? Just stay awake...Keep talking with me..."

Tapesh meanwhile ran in panting with Ashok and a nurse behind.

Kaaki quickly got up and Ashok took her place, glancing at him before turning to Sindhuja. He quickly ordered the nurse to prepare an injection before checking the oxygen line and making sure it was proper.

He turned to Ashok desperately."Ashok, do something, please! She-her pulse... It's... it's slowing..."

Ashok held his hand up to him. "Calm down! I'm giving her this..." Ashok held the injection that the nurse had brought.

"Please save her Ashok! Please..." His voice cracked.

Ashok carefully put in the injection, but looked up at kaka and shook his head side-to-side. Kaka understood that there wasn't much point to it.

He held her hand tightly, shaking with every heavy breath as his eyes were fixed on her. "It's... It's not working... Sindhuja? Sindhu?!"

Ashok tried to calm him. "Mitter, it will take some-"

"It's not working Ashok, do something, quickly!"

"Wait-"

"Her pulse is slowing! I can feel it!... Ashok, PLEASE!" His nerves tensed with every passing moment.

She now breathed more heavily and with more difficulty.

"Sindhuja, look here! Just... Just hold on, please!" He rubbed his other palm on her hand that felt more and more cold. "You're going to be alright... Hm?... Just stay awake..."

"Mitter, I suggest that you maybe go out for some time, give her space to-"

"I'm NOT leaving her." He declared without taking eyes off Sindhuja.

Ashok meanwhile said and did something, but he couldn't understand what; because her cold fingers suddenly pressed on to his hand, so tight that he thought they might snap against themselves. He looked below at the hand and back to her.

There even in the panicked state his mind was in, he saw her eyes smiling warmly to him. The same eyes, where he could still see his own clear reflection on the deep, black surface. The pair of stars he had always lost himself into. Unknowingly, he relaxed for a moment melting into them.And suddenly, he felt her fingers slack off.