journey 3

Aryan felt helpless as he was pulled into a vortex, darkness everywhere. His heart weighed heavy for reasons unknown. It might have been the news of his mother's death, whom he had seen alive just hours ago. Perhaps, it could be his own physical state, lead to the end of his promising career. On top of that, there was the someone's marriage issue, gave him severe heart pain, a person whom he was certain he had never met in his entire life until now.

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~ Hospital Ward ~

*Beep* *Beep*

In the quiet hum of the hospital ward, a persistent rhythm echoed—machines humming in unison. Near a bed, a young man in his mid-20s lay unconscious, tethered to various devices producing a symphony of beeping sounds. The monitor displayed a steady graph, indicating a vibrant heartbeat. Upon closer inspection, a discerning relative might identify him as Aryan Powell. He rested in profound slumber, seemingly no reactions to any disturbance the world could offer.

As moments unfolded, Aryan sensed a shift, as if his journey through the darkness had reached its end. Faintly, sounds of conversation reached his ears, yet, try as he might, he remained incapable of opening his eyes or moving his limbs. His body seemed ensnared in paralysis, leaving only his ears operational among his senses.

'What's happening? Why can't I move or open my eyes? This situation feels surreal,' he pondered, a sense of unease settling over him. 

The hospital room saw the entrance of two nurses, gracefully balancing a tray laden with fluids and medical equipments. Engrossed in their conversation, they navigated toward the bed where Aryan lay in a seemingly unending slumber.

"Did he wake up or not, Senior?" inquired the thin young nurse, her voice carrying tone of enquiry.

"No! It's a severe injury, impacting both his head and spinal area. There's a chance he might not make it," sighed the other older nurse. Holding the patient charts in her hands, she placed them meticulously near Aryan's legs at the foot of the bed, her expression reflecting the stark reality of the situation.

'Head and spinal injury? Is she talking about me?' Aryan's thoughts raced, a sense of vulnerability washing over him. 

'Oh, my God! This is not good. Hey, God... Angel... whoever you are, what have you done to me?' Aryan's inner scream reverberated within him, though no sounds or movements manifested outward.

The gravity of his condition loomed in the air, leaving Aryan to grapple with the unsettling uncertainty of his own fate. The frustration of being trapped within the confines of his own body intensified, as the weight of the situation pressed upon him like an insurmountable force.

Aryan felt helpless once more, but this time it was different. In the past, he could watch from the sidelines, but now he was paralyzed, unable to open his eyes. He couldn't figure out where he was or who was around him. Darkness surrounded him, and he was left only with the sound of the world. It was a challenging situation, and Aryan struggled to make sense of his limited reality, trapped in a silent and unseen existence.

"Senior, I overheard the doctor discussing a patient in a coma, no relatives to contact. They mentioned the possibility of him waking up in a few weeks or it might take an even longer period. So he was referring to this patient?" The young nurse, now in gossip mode, sought to confirm the information she had picked up, engaging in a casual fact-checking conversation.

'No relatives? What happened to my mother or my sister then?' Aryan's anxiety heightened, a surge of worry coursing through him.

"Yeah, it looks that way. This patient doesn't have any contact information on him. The police concluded that his family members are no more, and he's the only one left. It's really unfortunate, even he was not left alone. Sometimes, it feels like fate can be quite cruel," replied the older nurse, her words carrying a tinge of sympathy and contemplation on the unpredictable twists of life.

'NO MORE? means DEAD? What? When? How?' Aryan's mind raced with a whirlwind of questions, a mix of shock and disbelief coursing through him as he sought answers to the fate of his family members.

"What about the others who were with him? I heard some didn't make it! Is that true?" asked the young nurse with a curious tone, seeking confirmation on the unfortunate events surrounding the patient.

'Was I not alone? Which accident? What happened to them?' Aryan's inner thoughts echoed in a swirl of confusion and concern, his tried hard to recall memories of unanswered questions.

As the conversation between nurse progressed, Aryan found hard to digest the information he received through them.

"Yes, unfortunately. I heard that some didn't make it. It's quite tragic," responded the other nurse, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. 

"The police report mentioned they were returning from a marriage, you know, that central minister and union minister's grandchildren's marriage. It was even telecasted on TV, right? There were four people in the car, and only two survived. One patient is in this coma state, while the other is in critical condition in the I.C.U., fighting for survival," the older nurse casually shared all the information she had with the younger nurse.

'...' Aryan's mind lit up, this was similar to previous scenario which he faced, he was trying to connect the dots, and desperately scared about the direction where the conversation headed.

"What? Two people died?" young nurse exclaimed, as the gravity of the situation sank in.

"Yeah! You know another thing, that Al-Farsi family's kid also died on the spot in the accident," the older nurse added, continuing to share information about the tragedy as she observed the reactions of other nurse.

"Al-Farsi? Senior, you mean that billionaire family who owns half of import-export business in Fleetport City," the young nurse clarified, her eyes widening as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

'Al-Farsi? Is it Musruf?' he was in disbelief.

Aryan after little bit of thinking, felt like he had fallen into a deep pit without any hope of returning. Controlling his emotions became a Herculean task, sea of emotions that surged within.

"Yes! Such a tragedy," the older nurse remarked somberly, acknowledging the unfortunate incident.

"..."

The room suddenly fell into silence, only punctuated by the persistent beep sounds.

"Senior?"

"Yes, what is it now?" replied the older nurse, her attention shifting from recording readings of monitors, to the one addressing her.

"Senior, there's a rumor going around that it's not an accident, but... " nurse leaning in and lowering her voice, "a MURDER!" the thin nurse shared, injecting an element of intrigue into the conversation.

'MURDER!'

Aryan immediately was drawn towards this word, and experienced sudden surge of anger cursing through him. 

"Impossible! Where did you hear that? The police's preliminary report stated it was an accident, attributing it to a brake failure that caused the collision with a loaded truck," the older nurse countered, recounting the information she had gathered from the official reports.

"Haha... you're such a fool, Senior. You are growing old; I think you should consider retiring," the young nurse laughed loudly, playfully teasing the older nurse.

"Alright, that's enough! But seriously, who could have done this to them? " the older nurse responded, her frustration evident but conveyed in a more measured tone.

"I don't know, but it could be murder. The bruise on this man's face and some other things just don't fit well into the brake failure story," the young nurse shared, her uncertainty evident as she avoided pinpointing any specific details.

Aryan contemplated the younger nurse's words as silence prevailed. The weight of her revelations hung in the air, and he grappled with the implications in the stillness of the room.

"..."

The older nurse, unable to counter the young nurse's statement, remained silent, acknowledging that, she also had similar doubts.

"Anyway be cautious. Don't throw such statements around without solid evidence; it could land you in trouble," the older nurse warned, her tone carrying a serious note of caution.

Aryan contemplated the younger nurse's words as silence prevailed. The weight of her revelations hung in the air, and he grappled with the implications in the stillness of the room.

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Both nurses, having completed the task of replacing the empty fluid packets with new ones and administering other medicines, turned around towards the door to exit.

"You know, the other day Dr. Fernando... ah..." The young nurse's words came to a halt when she almost collided with another person who was rushing in, just few steps outside the room.

"Sorry, are you alright?" inquired the young nurse with concern. The beautiful woman with dignified rich lady aura around her, with fair skin and an anxious expression, seemed a bit out of breath and in a hurry.

"IS ARYAN POWELL, IN THERE? DID HE WOKE UP" With heavy breathing, she asked in a hurried and anxious tone.

"Hmm... he is in there..." The nurse was interrupted by the newcomer.

"Oh... okay!" The lady rushed in, slipping between them.

The nurses stood there, shocked and surprised. The young nurse's eyes glowed with curiosity, entering full gossip mode.

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Inside the room, Aryan was in a deep state of contemplation, his thoughts interrupted by sudden footsteps. The footsteps came to a sudden halt, followed by the distinct sound of a door shutting.

If Musruf or Liam were there, they'd recognize her right away. Even the new Aryan, would have recognized her face, would identify her as the bride from the marriage from which they have escaped.

The lady stood by the doorway, took a brief moment to compose herself, and then walked leisurely to the bed. She stood there silently, gazing her eyes into Aryan's soul.

A familiar fragrance reached his nose amidst the foul hospital smell, evoking a pleasant feeling. He wondered why.

She stretched her hands and tenderly ran her fingers through Aryan's hair, filled with deep emotion. If Aryan could see, he would notice the love in her eyes, shedding tears as she observed the unconscious Aryan. The room held an unspoken weight, with only the rhythmic sounds of medical equipment breaking the silence.

"Hey, Welly. I don't know if you can hear me, we are meeting again after such a huge break." she choked back tears, "but I need to clear my heart. I am very angry with you, but can't ignore you in this situation. I just found out this morning about the accident, and my brother hid the news about you and the others involved. I never thought he'd go that far. I'm so sorry, and I wish I could have come a little sooner."

The elegant lady pulled a stool by the bed, sat on it, hugged his hand tightly, as she lay her head on his bed.

As the lady shared crucial information, Aryan struggled to place her in his fragmented memories.

'Who is this woman? How does she know my pet name, the one my mother calls me with?'

Questions swirled in Aryan's mind, adding another to his confusion list.

"Even though you dumped me, saying I'd be a burden if we got married, I thought you will rethink again and say that you will marry me, but you constantly broke my heart, threw me away like a used toy, but I never stopped loving you."

'Dumped her? I never had a girlfriend to dump. I'm still single, Right?'

Despite his inner thoughts, her words triggered a deep sadness in him, as if his heart was being constantly pinched.

"On the wedding day, there was a grand stage set, lot of guests, family friends, well wishers, those who wanted to see me married off were present, but my eyes were stuck towards the door, I didn;t bat away my eyes till the last moment. I thought you'd come, stop the marriage, pull me away and we'd elope together... but those thoughts remained a fantasy." She cried, her emotions pouring out.

Aryan felt increasingly uneasy as her words pierced his heart.

"I was there when you needed a shoulder to lean on after your mom died, when you lost your legs, when your football career ended, when your sister left home. I supported you wholeheartedly. But when my grandfather, a respected minister, asked me to marry, you declined, saying I was a burden."

'What? My mo... mom, my sister? What happened?'

Aryan shuddered by thought of loosing his mother and sister, he tried to make sense of it, but couldn't, then memories of encounters with the mysterious doctor and kidnappers flashed in his mind linking other situations together.

"I was angry, and I agreed to marry per my grandfather's wish, then it was too late to stop it. Now I'm married, but you're not my better half, and that pains my heart."

"You... okay, leave it. Past is past, no one can change it. No matter what, you will always remain deep in my heart as a happy memory, my deer welly!" lady carresed his hands upon which she laid her head on.

Confused and in pain, Aryan's heartache manifested in silent tears.

"And about your sister, I had people search for her, and they have... WHAT!"

Just as the lady was finishing her sentence, she noticed tears streaming down Aryan's face.

"AR... ARYAN! CAN YOU HEAR ME? ARE YOU AWAKE?"

"DOCTOR! NURSE! HE IS AWAKE! HE IS..."

The voices faded as Aryan felt a pulling force, as if being drawn to another place, and everything around him blurred once again.

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