Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

I repeat this is a work of fiction. I did my bit of research but I no way claim 100% accuracy on various aspects you might come across in this story. Please be generous enough to pardon any absurdities found. I will get better. Please ignore any errors and typos found.

Happy Reading. Do let me know thoughts.

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Sleep, take me now and never let me wake

Still in your hands, in your kingdom, I'll be yours to break.

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They said he was blessed by fates to be lucky. Why not?

Born into an affluent family ringing with riches, parents who loved him more than life, a heritage to carry forward as the only heir of an undisputed leader in the business arena of Kolkata, he had everything many would wish for.

Cuddled to his mothers bosom, he would look around with his wide eyes, an attempt to understand hustle around. His mother sang him sweetest of lullabies tucking him into softest of the quilts. He would gurgle at faces made by his father which he found obviously funny. He would play in his father's lap, hearing his stories, though he couldn't make out a word of it, as his mother would try to make him eat. He smiled a lot, cried very little and was fussy at times, But he was loved nonetheless. His every tantrum was a source of happiness for his parents.

And he was named Sanskaar.

His first birthday was greeted with great pomp as his first words, his first steps...every little thing about him was no less but a celebration. With every passing year, the fortune only seemed to smile upon them. As years passed he has grown up to be a handsome lad. His eyes lashes impossibly long and dark stood out in his features. His every wish was catered in silver platter even before he could ask for. He was 'maa ka ladlaa' and dad's prince.... and he had a kingdom to take over. But he was no spoilt brat but brought up to be responsible, taught to value his fortune. He was good at whatever he did. His grades were excellent but music fascinated him like nothing else. The grand piano at the center of their mansion's hall was his favorite play instrument. He loved watching his mother play around with the white and black striped keys, her long fingers moving on them with an ease, And the sound they create--the music they sing, It was a wonder for him. Then he liked to toy around with the guitar, a gift from his dad on his 6th birthday LX1 Little Martin, of a lovely mahogany color on back and sides.

He was a sweet, little, shy kid who had a fortune anyone would envy of, till fates decided he had enough and it was time to spin the wheel.

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Many years later...

Lying on the bed of hospital, in comatose, a state of deep unconsciousness for a little more than 6 months and hanging on the delicate thread of life and death was Sanskaar Maheswari. Few would term it 'peace' where he was oblivious of vile and malice in the world, devoid of every pain and response...but little did they know he was in a state of chaos, not order, he nursed within seeking its way out.

or was it something else, a large frightening space...vast, cold and empty: Null and Void.

Brought in with a critical head injury, no one had hopes of his survival, but he did fight back, like he wanted to live, as if something held him back, as if he was waiting for someone to walk in right from the door and wake him up from the deep slumber which he was tired of.

He heard voices around some familiar ones, some strange ones but not the one he wanted to. Lying in depths of darkness for months where it was always night ... he waited to be freed. Only the wait seemed never-ending.

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Sarita walked in early that day. She had to step into shoes of head nurse Mrs. D'souza who was on emergency leave and she was allocated to take care of a high profile patient. Her wide experience of 10 years, her patience and ever caring nature made Sarita favorite among others. Sarita loved her job, nursing people back to health, but she could never make up her mind around the classification of high and low profile patients when sickness, pain, ailments marked no difference be it rich or poor, then why the treatment?

Oh, She knows the answer very well. Money...It speaks everywhere.

She drew apart the blinds, letting the sunlight stream in and turned to look at her patient for the next few days. A young lad must be in the mid 20's. When he should be living his life at fullest...lying in the state of coma, in the same hospital built in memory of his dad. That was a sad state to live in.

He would be a little elder to her own son, in his late teens. She already had the brief. She was supposed to take care of his vitals, closely monitor him and give a sponge bath and other medications.

"It would be tiring right! Lying down all the while...you must be bored as well." Sarita talked as she prepared him the bath. Who knows few words might reach his ears. She went on muttering about things here and there as she gently squeezed water out of the sponge and wiped over his body.

"I just hope you will be back to being healthy, son. You have so much life before you. What are you waiting for? Just imagine how wonderful it would be to wake up to life and this world again, your loved ones..," She continued her little talks till her eyes caught something interesting. What's this? She peeked in close. A blank inked tattoo right on his chest in small intricate letters within a heart symbol...

"Oh! Looks like you have someone very dear in your life. Who is it? " Sarita smiled and leaned a little forward trying to read letters. They were so little she had to narrow her eyes to grasp the words.

" Shona"

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" Shona...." He called her, his heart humming at her name like always.

"Sanskaar .... Here, " Her sweet voice and twinkling laughter rang in his ears and the vague images of them. She laughed hard as he twirled her around. He was laughing too and was happy. His shona...

"I love you Sanskaar," Her eyes sparkled with love for him. His heart picked up its beat screaming love for her. "I love you too..." he wanted to shout back. He couldn't and he felt utterly helpless

Then she was angry with him. Why? Her eyes, they were full of hate, for him? Then a vivid memory flashed.

"Mat jao mujhe chodkar, Please," He heard his own heart-wrenching cries but she was leaving him. She can't. She can't. He can't let her go. He tried and he couldn't move. He couldn't find his voice. But he had to. Her leaving form... No, she can't. He had to stop her.

A desperate need clutched his entire being and a fear shook him from within. His breath choked at the thought of being left all alone without her. 'Don't leave me... Please." His heart screamed again and again.

The monitor beeped, the lines dashed up and down on the screen, alerting Sarita as his movement of a hand clutching the sheet. Stop her...Please stop her. He stirred restlessly, with the long-lost chaos resurfacing, hitting him with an enormous intensity, he could no longer take.

And he woke up with a startling scream.

Shona...

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Breaking through the usual silence of Maheshwari Mansion that morning, was the ring of the landline phone. Annapurna Maheswari walked in slow steps and picked the receiver. She listened to the other side calmly and placed the receiver back. She stayed silent for a while and walked back to dining space where her family was having morning breakfast. She glanced around at her husband Durga Prasad Maheswari, her elder son Adarsh and his wife Parineeta.

"It's from the hospital," and she had everyone's undying attention. "Sanskaar ko hosh aagaya hain." She broke the news with same calmness her face devoid of any other emotion.

For a minute it felt as if everything had come to stand still.It was Durga prasad Maheswari who found his voice back.

"Kya? Sanskaar ko? He tried to sink in the news and smiled in relief. He turned to Adarsh who seemed equally joyous and all of sudden the mansion buzzed with life. Parineeta looked happy at the news. Though she had not known him on a personal level other than a few visits to the hospital with her mother - in - law in the last 3 months from the time she stepped in as Bahu of Maheswari household. It was no secret from her that if anything whole Maheswari family wished for ...It was Sanskaar's recovery.

"This is such a good news, Annapurna. God listened to our prayers.Hamare bete ko hosh aagaya.Adarsh, cancel all the meetings for the day. We need to go to the hospital right away" Durga Prasad Maheswari's joy couldn't be contained.

"Yes, Dad! And I will inform Laksh too and will ask him to come straight to the hospital, "Adarsh reached to his mobile.

Annapurna watched them in silence and all she thought was

"He should have never waken up. He was better off in the coma"

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Notes and References

Hypnos, a deity in Greek mythology is a personification of sleep. He lived in a cave where no light was cast by the sun or the moon; He was the son of Nyx (night) and Erebus (darkness).

Comatose; A state of being in the coma.

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Thanks for reading. Hope you liked it.

Love

Lucky