Chapter 2

"…..the heavy blow….imagination….no Anannya…..insane", this was what Tanvi could hear as she struggled to wake up. "Where am I?" thought Tanvi looking at all white walls and her eyes immediately searched for her mother. By now she understood that she was laid down on a bed and her parents were talking-rather listening- to a doctor. She understood everything. 

They were saying, "As she became too weak psychologically her brain created an imaginary friend to escape mental depression and loneliness. Her mental health is so weak that she couldn't differentiate between reality and imagination. Now that she came back to you she got confused between what reality is and what is not! So she still thinks that (what's 'her friend's' name?) Ah! Anannya is a living person-" 

"She is alive! She exists really!" Tanvi burst out. "Please Tanvi! Stop it!" pleaded her mother with tears in her eyes. "Yes! You have to understand that there is no Anannya! Only then you can come home!" her father tried to keep a straight face. "what?! you are leaving me here?! It's a mental asylum! I'm not insane dad! Anannya is very real I lived with her! Please dad listen to me! Something must have happened to her! We have to help her! Please don't do this dad! Please", she went on pleading but they fell on deaf ears "it's for your on good, dear", her father said slowly.

The more she pleaded the more they believed her to be insane. And soon her parents left her there. "It's ok! You are safe. We are all here for you", said a lady very sweetly and Tanvi immediately realized that she was a shrink and the sweetness was a fake. She also realized that there was no escape from this. They had branded her Mad!…. "there is no place to hide…. Everyone left me…. I am alone..", with these thoughts she fainted again.

It had been two months now and for the first time Tanvi wondered if there was any Anannya in the first place. Now she didn't know what to believe and what not to. She had gone to recreational room quite absent-mindedly. As she walked two nurses were whispering to each other, "Another murder had taken place yesterday!" "What? This is the fourth murder! The police still don't have a clue about who did these?" "No! It's like the rest no weapon or fingerprints! I am sure the murderer is an insane person because no sane person would do this and I have a feeling that he will end up here!" "Here? Oh! I don't want him here! What if he's too dangerous?" "Oh! I want him here! He will make this asylum more prestigious!" "All they care about is money and name not about the victims. Don't know if the murderer is crazy or not but if he comes here he will surely become one!" thought Tanvi.

Most of the times she just sleeps and sometimes she even has weird dreams involving Anannya. One night she was particularly disturbed. She dreamt that she was in the same forest where she met with the accident…

She wandered around taking pictures of animals, birds and whatever she found interesting. Suddenly she heard a girl scream and then a rustle of leaves as if someone was running through it. As she was intrigued she decided to follow it. She turned the camera on and started taking a video of herself and what she was doing.

She stealthily followed the sounds of the rustle and found her way to a clearing. She hid herself in the edge of the clearing, behind a tree. "NO!!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!", a girl was screaming as two men caught her by her hands. Another guy slapped her, "SHUT UP OR I WILL MAKE IT A HELL FOR YOU!"

Tanvi was shocked but continued to take the video. There were five men surrounding the girl and the made her lie down. "Oh no! I have to call the police!!! Where's my phone?!" thought Tanvi urgently searching for her mobile. By the time she got her mobile from her bag the men started forcing themselves on the girl. The girl was trying to fight but of no use. Tanvi desperately tried to call the police but there was no signal!

The girl's scream and the men's laugh were making her anxious and she left the camera running and started moving around to find a signal. She had moved a bit back for a signal. Suddenly realization dawned on her that the girl was not screaming anymore!

Tanvi ran towards another hiding spot from where she could face the girl directly and her fears came true. There was another sixth man beside the girl's semi-naked body. The man who slapped the girl was holding a gun pointing at her and a loud BANG was heard. Tanvi gasped in horror before she could stop herself. All the men looked towards her and she started running.

"Catch her!!" someone shouted. But she ran towards the highway. "Leave her! I will take care of her!" someone said gravely. But she didn't stop and she ran towards the road and turned back to see if anyone was following her. Suddenly lights flashed on her and a car came too close…. Tanvi opened her eyes with a scream.

"What was that?!" thought Tanvi. She realized that this was the memory that she had lost on that day. Although she didn't remember the girl, she wanted to bring justice to her. But she also knew that the people around wouldn't believe her and would only think she was creating stories! So she decided that she should stay quiet until she remembers everything not just blurred images of the memory.

From then she tried to be silent and remember the accident but it only made her stressed out and the psychiatrists only thought she was growing more insane. This made her pressure herself more.

This pressure finally took a toll on her, she collapsed again and saw herself in the forest again but this time she had a clearer vision. She was standing with her camera and saw the girl's face.

"Anannya!" was the first word Tanvi said when she woke up. "Not again! Tanvi there is no Anannya dear. Please just accept the fact", pleaded her doctor. "Yes! There is no Anannya. You were right doc. It was my imagination all this time. I- I can't believe I was imagining her to be really there all this time!" Wondering what brought this change, the doctor said, "That's – That's correct! Th-" "Yes there is no Anannya because she is dead!" continued Tanvi talking more to herself. "What?!!" was the only reaction from the doctor. Then as the doctor probed her further Tanvi told her the whole truth.