Joined Paths

Allena I tried to move my body but I felt like something heavy was pushing me down. An intense pain ran all over my body, my head was aching, and even after putting so much effort, I couldn't open my eyes. I felt a hand on my head gently stroking my hair, I tried harder, and finally my eyes open. Everything around was still blurry at first then it started clearing up and I could see Ziya sitting beside me.  "Where am I?" I said my voice came out very hoarsely and my throat felt dry. "You are in hospital, do you remember you were in an accident," she said trying to calm me down. "Jack" I shouted, he was there. He jumped in front of the car to save me, oh god please not let anything happen to me. "Allena you need to relax, the doctor said that you need to rest." "No, please take me to Jack, I beg you" she gave me a sympathetic expression, I don't need sympathy, I need to see Jack. I tried to move but there were so many pipes attached. "We can't now, you are not in a condition to move" "Please tell me he is all right?" panic was rising in my body and my hands were sweaty. "Allena, when he was brought to the hospital he was very critical" No, this can't happen. Nothing can happen to Jack, he has to be fine.  I gathered all my strength and got up from bed, my legs were shaking so I took Ziya's support, "Please take me to him" This time she did. I walked through the hospital corridor as fast as I could but my body wasn't helping much. I was reaching the ICU area and I heard a wailing and crying sound coming from one side and my heart wrenched. Please god, it is not what I am thinking, please please, please. I shut my eyes and kept praying while Ziya guides me in the direction. When she stopped at a point I opened my eyes to look around. Mr. Paul was sitting on a side of the sofa looking lost and beside her was sitting Esther crying badly holding to her daughter.  They all looked at me and hatred clear in them. "You b***h, because of you he is dead." and she kept on ratling more insults but my mind stopped functioning after I heard the word dead. No, she is lying. Jack can't die, they are pulling a prank on me or they are trying to hurt me. Suddenly Esther stopped shouting and there was dead silence. I looked up and a doctor was standing there with some papers in his hands. "You can take the dead body, I am sorry for your loss," he said to Mr. Paul and left. Tears were flowing down my eyes, I walked toward the room but was stopped by a hand. I turned toward it a tall security guard was holding it. I tried to move but his grip tighten. "What is your problem, leave me" "Get this girl out of my sight. I don't want her anywhere around" Esther's voice came from behind. "Please let me see him once," I said in between sobbing but no one helped. I was dragged out of that area.  I was not only thrown out of that area but also the hospital. I don't know what I am doing, I feel numb. What is happening, I still don't want to believe Jack is no more. Fresh tears starting flowing from my eyes.  Riya took me to her apartment and I just followed her there. As soon as we got out of the taxi in front of our apartment we were suddenly surrounded by media. We tried to make our way pushing into the crowd to the gate but the question broke my heart. "Maam Mr. Paul died trying to save you. How do you feel?" "Do you feel guilty?" "How did you know him, was he special to you" "Was it your plan to kill him?" And their question only got meaner. It took us 10 minutes to reach the house. I felt devastated both emotionally and physically.  I just sat on the sofa for days watching on television Jack's funeral news for hours. I felt helpless and clueless. What did I ever do to deserve all this? All I could feel was excruciating pain and agony. It had been 3 days and I still didn't feel any different. Ziya gave up on trying to make me feel better. It was morning and my eyes were red and aching now. I closed my mind and started imagining Jack's smile and then it all blacked out.