10 Bani's Unconscious State

Bani's mother gently pushed open the door and stepped inside, a soft smile on her face. Her daughter lay curled up in bed, her breathing slow and steady, lost in a deep sleep.

With motherly affection, she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Reaching out, she softly patted Bani's head.

"Bani, get up… wash up and have breakfast, dear," she called gently.

But there was no response. Bani remained still, as though lost in a dream far beyond her reach.

Frowning slightly, her mother leaned in closer. "Bani?" she called again, this time shaking her daughter's shoulder lightly.

Still, there was no answer.

Unease gripped her heart. She shook Bani again, harder this time. "Bani, wake up!"

Bani lay motionless, her body limp. It wasn't the deep sleep of someone reluctant to rise—it was as if she had lost consciousness entirely.

Her mother's hands trembled. "Bani…?"

Panic set in.

Her hands shook as she placed them on Bani's shoulder, gently shaking her. "Bani… wake up," she whispered, her voice trembling. When there was no response, she shook harder. "Bani?"

A cold dread curled around her heart. The stillness wasn't sleep—it was too heavy, too lifeless.

Footsteps hurried in. Her father and brother entered, alarmed by their mother's distressed voice. The sight before them stole the air from their lungs.

Bani lay motionless, her face pale, lips slightly parted. Not even the rise and fall of her chest was visible.

"Bani!" her father gasped, stumbling forward.

Her mother let out a strangled sob, clutching onto him. "She's not… she's not…" Her voice broke, unable to finish the sentence.

"No," her brother muttered, shaking his head. "No, no, no." He hurried to her bedside, pressing two fingers to her neck, searching—praying—for a pulse.

For a terrifying moment, nothing.

Then—faint, but there. A heartbeat. A breath.

His own exhale came out in a rush. "She's unconscious," he announced, as though saying it could undo the nightmare of the last few moments. "She's breathing. She's alive."

Their father closed his eyes, pulling their mother into his arms as she wept against his chest, relief and fear blending into her sobs.

"We need an ambulance," the brother said, already dialing. His fingers fumbled, shaking, as the dial tone rang in his ears.

Bani was rushed to the hospital. The doctors wasted no time and sent her for several tests.