Room no 16

"Who says Love is blind? Love fosters wants? If it would have been like that then…!!??" Deep in his thoughts Sameer was unaware of the fact that nurse Suji was calling him for the last ten minutes… 

When he came to consciousness; Sameer was a bit ashamed of his behavior. Suji was calling him to go on the round and visit the patients . Sameer took a couple of minutes to wear his apron, stethoscope and started.

One by one he examined the patients and soothed them. Sameer was a famous cardiac surgeon and hence he had to be extremely polite to all his patients. When he reached near room no.16; his heart pounded like anything and a drop of sweat appeared on his forehead. Suji was observing this. Out of curiosity she asked the cause of this weird condition as the patient's health condition was stable and that day he was supposed to discharge the patient...Suji asked in askance why was Sameer so nervous..??

Sameer heaved a long sigh and spoke slowly….."Suji...I have seen many patients in my career who had heart problems. But this time…it's something related to heart...not as an organ but as the emotion…!!

Last Friday I was coming to the hospital as usual in my car. On the highway, a young lady stopped me and called out for help. It was raining outside. I could see her completely wet and observed her hurriedness. So I could not refuse to help out. We had to walk to the subway and I saw a young man lying on the grass who was unconscious. She said that it happened suddenly. They were leaving the place because their families were against their love due to their vain family values. But they loved each other for the last two years and now they had no way other than this as their families were threatening to assassinate them in the name of Honour Killing. They got married in a temple but that union was also discarded by their families. They tried a lot to convince them about their love. But…

She stopped her story and requested me to help her man with some medications. As a doctor I helped her and brought him to hospital. Immediate treatment was highly required. He had a mild heart stroke. When I was finishing the formalities to admit him in ICU; she requested me to allot him room no.16 for treatment. I did so as I could mark her eyes filled with tears and loads of love for the man. To deposit the required money for his treatment she gave me a diamond ring which I accepted as emergency and deposited in the office. I examined the young man and did all necessary treatments to save his life. By grace of God he was out of danger. He was kept in room no.16.

The young lady then came to my cabin with folded hands and conveyed her gratitude. I was really touched by her concern and feelings. Don't know why and how I asked her about their past life… !! She told me that she met him one day when she was going to college; Dev (the boy) collided with her . It was a casual collision but that time they exchanged their files unnoticingly which contained Dev's resume and her project submission. Dev was supposed to present his resume in his interview that day. When she marked it; immediately she called his number and exchanged his valuable document. This was the second meet that day. After completion of the interview when Dev came to the bus stop she was also waiting for the bus there. Like this they met thrice that day. Dev marked her location and noticed that she was going to college by bus. When his file was exchanged with hers ; he had a look at the papers which contained her poems. She was a poet by passion. Dev loved her thoughts. Even his thoughts were not different from hers. This developed a keenness in him. Sometimes he will wait near the bus stop only to have a look at her. She too developed the same feeling. Their love grew day by day and they were very much intimate to decide each other as life partners.

They loved each other with the madness of the trill and decided to be one. But then all these family issues arose and they had to leave everything behind and decided to go far away that day. She expressed all her feelings which were enough to prove her hearty love for Dev.

I heard everything casually and let her go after she finished her story. Dev had to be under observation for two days. That was the time when Dev was expected to regain consciousness. My attention was on him. To my great surprise I could not see the girl anymore. My eyes were chasing her but in vain. When Dev came into consciousness; I examined and informed him how his lady love saved him.

To my utmost surprise; Dev smiled suspiciously and murmured " love you forever…"and kissed the diamond ring which he was wearing in his little finger. I was surprised how it went unnoticed by me till now and wondered when the lady brought this back from the office and gave it to him…?? When I asked him about his smile ; I heard something that was completely unbelievable…!!

Dev said that before two years the lovers were dreaming to lead a lovable life. Their families didn't accept their love. They wanted to separate them or else put an end to their lives. But...They had many dreams ...they wanted to be with each other till the end of time…!! So they decided to leave everything and go to a new place where they can live happily with each other . Their families conditioned them never to come back again. They agreed and moved … !! To go far away while crossing the highway ; to his misfortune in the crossing she met her fatal death when a truck hit her and she hit a big pointed iron rod lying on the roadside. Dev reached there only to weep and cry hard which was in vain because she already met her tragic end. He had nobody to help him. So he went on the highways to call someone for help and do the death rituals of his beloved. But by the time he returned; he couldn't find her body. Only the diamond ring that he presented her was lying there. He could hear her voice telling him "LOVE NEVER DIES...I WILL BE THERE...WITH YOU...IN YOU...ALIVE... FOREVER". This made him strong and from that moment never shed a single drop of tear.. Dev always felt her presence. As he didn't find the dead body ; he believes that she is alive .. forever…!!She helped out him all the time he needed her just as she did this time. While crossing the highway; he felt the pain of that accident day and might have had a stroke there…!!

I was dumbstruck and ran towards the reception to collect the ring but when the receptionist opened the safe to bring it; it was empty. Dev then told me that the ring was her last token of love he could find in this mortal world. His lover saved his life with that. He cleared the hospital bill when he knew that he was going to be discharged. If that time the girl would not have produced the ring then his treatment would have been almost impossible. 

I could not utter a single word when Dev said that he always feels the presence of her with him and in him and he knows he will be saved till she is his savior. She had promised to be like this till he loves her like this. Even after two long years I could mark love glittering in Dev's eyes…when he was narrating his love story…!!"

Suji was almost in tears after hearing this. To her great surprise, Sameer revealed the unbelievable fact that Dev's beloved faced the horrific accident on 16th. That's why she requested the doctor to allot room no.16 to him. 

Suji was now bewildered to be a witness of unfaded love where even death is defeated …!! Yes ...love is not blind ... rather it shows a different projection of hearty relationships. True love never fosters wants... rather it meets the wants of the beloved ones...love is undefined… It's just a beautiful soothing journey of hearts which are broken if not bound by faith and last forever with the strength of belief in each other.