'Best friend.'
Sometimes words failed to explain the depth of a relationship or the explanation could be too complicated, but these two words describing a relationship stayed always simple - like away from all the chaos of the world, the place of solace and peace a mind could gather, a person who knew your core so well.
Shuvro was always by all meaning best friend to Tuli. He was the place of peace and where her soul connected. Shuvro's calm, composed nature was so very blissful in contrast to her other friends and her own extroversion of mind. That first day at the playground seeing him sitting all alone, helplessly looking around for a friend intrigued the caring side of her and she had adopted him as if guarding and loving him was her duty. Shuvro too had lingered on to her. Her loud mind with stupid problems always found reasonable solutions in him. He was her Switzerland. Her love for him had so much depth, trust and respect in it than anything else seemed inappropriate for her.
She knew the whole school assumed that they were a secret couple always. Tuli never gave that a heed. She could never imagine she could fall for the tranquillity of an ever-flowing, serene, placid nature of Shuvro. When she met Sumedh's fugitive, ceaseless, roaring passion, like hay bite she floated away. The reckless teenager of her knew nothing better than falling in love with Sumedh's eccentric, bright, always attractive and glamorous existence. Shuvro was very timid and dull beside that to be attracted. His obtrusive perpetual announcement of his love was very nagging to her, as it could be and got rid of him
Then with the inevitable and cruel rule of time Tuli's life lost its shore and anchor both. Shattered, tormented by the adversity she was forced to marry Shuvro. Her teen antipathy ruled her feelings memorising every spite towards him and the feelings of guilt and fear of replacing Sumedh increased it more.
But maybe Shuvro's love for Tuli had something more than just stubbornness of desire and possession. Maybe his harbourless destitute love for her had the power to be impoverished. Maybe his love for her had strength enough to be patient to bring her back home, her home - himself.
Maybe his love was strong enough for Tuli was now being firm enough was sitting in front of his cabin.
The police already had taken her statements. Sitting with Ratul very steadily without a sign of a crack in her voice she had described the incident.
"Was he drunk?" The policeman had asked.
Gathering a frown on her forehead Tuli said "No!" Determination strongly supported her answer. "No one was. We were going home from the doctor's clinic."
"And what were you arguing about?"
The question hooded her eyes with guilt. "That's something personal."
"If the case really twists, nothing will stay personal anymore Mrs Roychoudhuri." The policeman had smirked. "It's fortunate that the driver of the other car was not injured heavily..."
"But my husband is!" She stated firmly looking at the police. Sitting beside her Ratul put his hand on her. "The only one that is suffering is him. So don't warn me officer. " flaring eyes of him challenged.
Heaving a sigh the policeman nodded and his head in empathy before he left.

Five days later she was yet to be discharged from the hospital. Having the bandage around her shoulder and her left arm yet again strongly holding her head up looking at the doctor she claimed. "What do you mean whatever you can do? I need you to do your best, do you hear me? Otherwise, have him discharged, I will sign any bond and take him to someone, who can do something!"
"I understand Mrs Rouchowdhury but I need you to calm down, please it's not good for your health to be-" the young doc tried to calm her.
"You are mistaken doc, I am nowhere being excited." In a calm tone, she said "all I want is for you to do your job best and bring my husband back into senses."
"I understand. I am doing. But if he stays like this longer than one more week he will go into vegetation stage a-and I..." The doctor tried to explain the things the almost graduated student of the Kolkata Medical College already knew. She stood up without letting him end the sentence and came out of his cabin.
"I am calling my old professor," she said to Ratul trailed behind her. "Enough of this Ghoshal's nonsense!"
"But I don't think the hospital will let him go Tuli!" Ratul ran his hand through his hair and fished out his own phone to find Renuka was calling.
"Well, they have to." She said dismissively looking into his eyes and dialled her professor.

*

After lunch, Tuli came at Shuvro's cabin just to see him sleeping like a not-responding body having channels and pipe everywhere of his body. The nurse looked at Tuli having compassion in her eyes again. Though she was very much weird, to be a wife whose husband was in a coma, for not even one day, anyone had seen her shedding a tear. Not for once she had cried. Not for once she had shown any sign of weakness. Holding her backbone strong and straight she stood there out of the cabin. Even when the doctor, after two days, allowed her inside for five minutes surprising the nurse Tuli stayed calm. With keen eyes, she scrutinized every inch of Shuvro and quietly raising her hand touched his needles pierced right hand - just to feel his existence for once. Did her heart tremble for once? Did fear start climbing her back? Her face didn't give anything out.
Now she quietly walked in the room. The beeping sound of the heart monitor gave the proof of Shuvro's life. Her eyes caught the nurse's once as she went out of the room leaving Tuli alone with Shuvro.
As usually for moments she kept gazing at his face. For once did she want to just cry out taking him in her arms? Who could tell? Then with the same blank face slowly she sat on the chair beside his bed and took his hand in her. Keeping her gaze on him she rested her head on the railing of his bed. With a steadfast glance, she kept looking at his sleeping face, as if telling thousands of things to him - making endless promises. For once her lips trembled, maybe trying to say out loud what was going on in her mind. Heaving a sigh she raised her right arm to run her fingers through Shuvro's messy, neglected hair.
The spared time got over the nurse walked inside the room like always. Tuli stood up, but her eyes refused to leave his face. Before she went out she leaned over him and reached her face to his to plant a kiss on his forehead.

*

In the middle of that night flattering his eyelids, Shuvro opened his eyes. At first, he couldn't realise where he was. It occurred to him as if he was sleeping for ages. To look around he tried to turn his head around but an unbearable pain through his body kept him still. He felt as if all his nerves were numb now.
The nurse in his room seeing him rushed to him. "Can you see me? Mr Roychoudhury, can you hear me?" She yelped tapping on his cheeks. Shuvro tried to nod to answer but all he could was just close his eyes twice.
The nurse rushed out of the room to find a doctor.

After Tuli woke up next morning, Mouseen, the nurse she had on her duty grinned looking at her ear to ear. "Your husband has gained his senses." She informed her.
Tuli, who stayed calm like a stone till now, suddenly felt loud drumming in her chest. With a trembling voice, she asked the nurse if it was true. As the nurse said yes smiling once again and confirmed, in her sleeping pyjamas she raised to head his room. But saying he was still sleeping, the nurse stopped her and ushered her to freshen up.

*

The doctor said Shuvro needed to stay in the I.C.U. and under observation for one more day to declare that he was out of danger. At the visitor hour, Ratul came along with Renuka and Tuli's mother, bouncing with joy to see his awakened friend. But hearing the news his face drowned.
"Baal e ki nesha koreche naki! He didn't use to have this much of hangover even after having gallons of whiskey!" He made a face.
"Hey!" Mildly Renuka slapped on his arm.
"I think he is just taking revenge now!" Unknowingly words came out of Tuli's mouth in murmurs - having creases of frown on her forehead as she looked through the glass of the I.C.U. cabin. Standing beside her Ratul's face turned with a jolt at her and a mischievous smirk looped onto his lips. "Just vao khacche maalta!"
"Hey! He is your husband!" Tuli's mother hissed pushing her a bit. "Stop talking like that!"
"No, but I think she is right though!" Ratul chuckled and heaved a sigh as his face loosed the grin. Looking at Shuvro's still sleeping body and growled in a mild tone "It getting boring now you moron! Get the fuck up!"
"Charbona ami! Just let him wake up I swear I won't leave him!" Tuli growled again without realising that's all he ever wanted...

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