Zindaan – The Golden Cage Chapter 27 (Battle of memories- Part 2)

First of all really sorry for late update, was stuck in some home issues. Thanks to Anjali, Saniya, Shona, Khushi, Niharika, Prajakta, Dheepu, LCharish, Ninika for being a constant support. Sorry if I forget anyone’s name. Stay safe and Take care❤

• Bold and Italics represent whatever Anika saw in the hypnotised process

” Drishya, Did you listen about Dr Advik?” Anjali said to her who was wiping her hand after doing surgery. “I never thought that he is a serial killer. He was very helpful toward others especially for you” She commented while she glared him. “Why are you telling me this? I just came after completing my surgery. Can you spare me for some moments?” She asked rudely while she walked outside from washroom. Drishya searches his number on phone but then she realised that he should change everything or the police track him down. She sighed and washed her face standing in front of the mirror. “I hope you will be fine Adi,” She thought before wiping her face.

*****Flashback*****

“Ishu, Today is our turn to clean utensils,” A girl around ten-year-old told her who was writing something on notes. “Why? This is not our duty” Drishya replied adamantly. “Do you want to get out from this place?” She asked snatching pencil from her hand while she looks on. She sighed and moved toward the basin in front of a mess.

“Can I get some more?” A young boy said to the warden while showing his plate. “We don’t have food to waste…” He shouted making him flinch and move from there. “Uncle, there is still food left. What is the problem of giving that?” Drishya requested while holding his plate. “That leftover food will get serve tomorrow” He replied. “Yes, but he is not done yet. Food doesn’t get over if you serve him another plate” She replied while looking toward the small boy. “Your father is going to pay for this….” He shouts in insolence. “I won’t be living in an orphanage if my father was alive” She replied calmly. “You should be thankful for giving shelter to you all orphans,” He said while throwing empty plate after taking from her hand. “If you are feeling this much pity, then give your food to him,” He said while walking from there.

“What the hell you had done? If he complains to manager, then he will throw you outside. I told you to not to try anything as you don’t know rules of here” She asked to Drishya. “You can take mine,” Drishya said ignoring her friend and passed him her plate full of
rice and lentils. “What will you eat then?” He asked while wiping his tears. “I am not hungry” She replied with a smile. He nods his head and moves toward the table. “Are you planning to serve your plate every day to Adi?” She asked annoyedly. “Don’t know, at least he gets satisfied for today” She replied shrugging her shoulders.

“Are you going to leave?” He asked to het who was trying to stuff a few clothes inside a suitcase. “Yes, I get adopted ” Drishya replied while keeping some photos. “You are lucky that you get new parents,” He said with a tint of jealousy while she looks on. “Once I get out from here, I will make you all free from this place,” She said while staring his broken arm. She only knows the reason behind that injury. “Promise??” He asked with hope while she nods her head.

***Flashback ends***

“I am sorry” She muttered while running her fingers in her hairs. “I miss you, Baba. I wish that you can be with me for holding me” She thought while wiping her tears. “Are you alright?” Navya asked her while entering in the washroom while she nods her head. “You should take an off for one day. You get drugged and your mind needs rest” She said while she turns toward her. “Navi, I can manage my mind more than anyone else” She replied. “How?” She asked while she looks on and then muttered: “Just like that.”

Anika stared the building from outside and then envelope in her hand. She decided to not tolerate this type of behaviour from any side. “Anika, Thank God you come. I am dying from the pressure of work” Aditi joked but she didn’t smile like her usual nature. She moves toward Shivay’s cabin without paying any attention to her. Shivay looks on and his dilemma gets increased in which he was burning from last night. She glanced at him and then throw the envelope in front of him. “I want to resign” She muttered while trying to hide how much his behaviour hurt her maybe more than Ishu’s. She was hell unlucky in this matter of trusting people.

“What?” He asked standing from his chair. “You are not going to do anything like this” He added worriedly. “Why? Is it matter to you?” She asked frustratedly. “I am not accepting this letter” He replied while tearing it in pieces.”Why the hell you want me to work here when you don’t believe on me” She shouts with tears. “Why don’t you understand that Maya can’t lie?” He said helplessly. ” I can lie…Right. Why are you stopping me then?” She said stamping her hand on a glass table.

He himself doesn’t know what to answer. Why did his heart want to stop her? According to him, Maya has the most significance in his life then why is Anika looking important? He sighed and replied, “You maybe get mistaken regarding Maya.” “I don’t know why did my sister tell herself as Maya to you. She is my sister Drishya” Anika said showing pictures which she took out from the album. “I don’t care that you tore that resignation letter but I am not going to come from tomorrow” She yelled and marched outside from his cabin while he stares her retreating figure.

Drishya stops in the corridor looking at her who was coming from the opposite. They both stared at each other and then Anika starts moving. “Ani, Why are you here? Did you get an injury? Let’s go, I will do your dressing” Drishya asked worriedly while she looks on. “Those who hurt others, they can’t heal wounds” Anika replied while she chuckled sarcastically. “If it is like this, then nobody can really wound as they hurt someone once in life without realising. Don’t forget that you are also included” She said and sighed. “Dr Drishya, there is an emergency” Nurse told her breaking the chain of thoughts. “Yes, I am coming. Go prepare OT” She replied while Anika moves from there. “Ani, do let me know if you find the person who never hurt others,” She said from behind before walking in the direction of OT.

“Are you sure that you will be able to cope up with the memories which are going to revive after this? ” Swayam asked while she nods her head. “What made you think so that I can’t able to cope up?” Anika asked back while he smiled. “Only those memories get sealed inside, which we wish to remove,” He said while picking up a pen from his drawer. “I didn’t lock them” She replied getting tensed. “Memories are the only things which nobody can snatch until you want” He replied intensely. “What?” She is sad confusedly. ‘Nothing, Just continue to see this pen. You have to close your eyes on the first click” He said while she cut him in between. “What if it won’t work? Maybe I won’t get hypnotise”.

” That’s impossible until….” He stopped in between as her voice echoed in her ears ‘What are you doing with this pen?’ “Until what…” Anika asked curiously while he murmured “Until you have hyperthymesia.” “Leave it, concentrate on the movement of this pen,” He said rotating the pen rapidly in his fingers. Anika felt her head start spinning. “You felt uneasy but don’t try to close your eyes before the click,” He said while her eyes start getting close. He looks on and clicks the pen and she felt that her mind travelled to another world.

“Where the hell Anika went?” Drishya blabbered while throwing the gloves in a nearby dustbin. “Dr Drishya, Can we talk for a moment?” Roshni said to her while she nods her head. “Actually, I know about that you have R.A.S,” She said while she dragged her in a corner. “How did you get to know? Did you tell anyone about this?” She asked panicking. “Yes, I get to know when you blacked out suddenly. I told about this to Detective Kashyap and he said not to share with anyone including you” Roshni replied while she looks on. She gets understand now that how can he tell her real identity from a mere childhood picture. He guessed it because of the same pattern of injury. “Then, Why are you telling me now?” She asked with a deadly glare. “Because I felt guilty for hiding from you” She replied while she starts laughing. “Damn, you fool. Let me told you that if you choose one side, then stay fair to it. If you tried to become good on both sides, you get crushed in between. You should stay true to Detective Kahsyap when you choose him first. Got it! ” She said with a smile and walked from there leaving her horrified on her behaviour.

“Did you see anything?” Swayam asked while his voice ringed in her ears. Anika looked all around but found nothing except darkness. “No, It is dark all around. Is it my memories are this much empty?” She replied while her forehead starts creasing. “Don’t panic, just think about the moment which you want to see” He commands while patting her hand. She starts seeing blurry images. “Which moment you want to see most?” He asked.

“I often get flashes of some accident.” She replied while pressurising that moment and then she can see her surrounding get change in the road. She sees a huge truck heading in the direction of a car. “No, Stop….” She tried to stop but it badly crushes the car in front of her. She runs toward it to see but gets shocked to see herself on the passenger seat but what she saw next, shook her more. She sees Shivay lying covered with blood near to the driving seat and tried to hold her hand for pulling her outside. “This can’t happen. What is Shivay doing there?” Anika closed her ears while bending down. “Are you alright? ” Swayam asked her who was covered in sweat. He gets panicked looking for her condition.

“You can hear my voice right. You are going to be back here when I will click this pen. Got it! ” He told to her who was lying on a chair. He picked up a pen and click it near her ear while she opens her eyes with a jerk. “What was that?” She asked while crying and stand from the couch. “Your sealed memories…” He replied and keep the pen aside. “I want to know What Shivay is doing in my memories?” She said in a determined voice while wiping her tears. “It’s enough for today. It can harm your mind” He replied. “No, I want to see how did I know Shivay from before,” She said while he sighed.

“This is not possible to bring memories if you don’t remember a little bit ” Swayam tried to make her understand. “What do you mean?” She asked. “Look, you have to at least know the moment which you want to see back. You can’t finish if you don’t know the starting point” He replied seriously while she gets worried. “But you told me that you can bring my memories back ” Her voice quiver. “No, I never said that. I told you that I can take your back in past but for this, you need to have a faint idea of those memories. This is your fight with those memories, you only have to hunt for those memories which locked inside. I can’t help you in this” He said bluntly. “I will try my best to chase them. I don’t want to stop trying until I found my existence” She replied in determination. He nods his head while picking the pen and she closed her eyes.

“Ishu, Why the hell you did that with me? Why?” Anika shouts throwing the sketches in front of her while she remains unaffected. “What are you saying?” Drishya asked confusedly while collecting the sketches. “You still want to pretend….” She asked in a cracked voice. “Why did you do that with Shivay? What did you get hurting him along with me?” She shout while she looks on. “Ani, How do you know Shivay? You don’t know anything about him…” She starts saying but she interrupts in between. “I know he is schizophrenic. I also know that he has an imagination named Maya but I never thought that you are going to be Maya” She said angrily. “How can you trust Shivay over me? Did you forget that I always protected you standing like a wall in front of you ?” Tears rolled down from her eyes.

“Ishu, You made me a coward and turned yourself in stone by becoming my wall. Why didn’t you tell me that you can fight yourself instead of standing in front of me?” She yelled while crying. “Yes, I trust Shivay more than you because I want someone who can be behind me for supporting as a companion not the one who made me weak by standing in front. I don’t want a shield, I want love and support.” She said while wiping her tears. “You think I don’t love you. Shivay is not the right one for you. Why are you not understanding?” Drishya asked while rubbing her eyes.

“Love gives freedom, it doesn’t trap in a protective cage. Did you get it?” Anika cried holding her forehead. “I was going to tell you about me and Shivay but you ruined everything. Shivay said that Maya is with him from childhood, how you can be Maya when you are always with me? Did you play with him by telling yourself as Maya?” Anika asked still hoping for a negative reply. “Yes…” She replied calmly while she falls down on her knees. “Can’t you feel a lil bit pity for him? He is innocent like a child for God’s sake. How can you stoop so low? ” She shouts while holding her.

“Sometimes, small sacrifices are necessary for fulfilling big targets” Drishya replied while her face becomes pale. “What did you say? You can’t be my sister. I never know this Ishu” She said pushing her. “Ani, hold yourself. Think with your mind instead of the heart. Shivay is not worthy of you. He is mentally unstable” She said while Anika looks on in rage. “Love doesn’t discriminate on the basis of this. Everyone deserves love.” She replied. “I will make sure to free Shivay from you. You will witness that heart is much stronger than the mind” Anika added while moving outside. “Ani, you will get in trouble like this. Don’t go” Drishya rushed behind but she didn’t pay any heed. “You will going to pay for ruining my efforts,” She blabbered while crying.

The whole scenario felt vivid to her this much extent that she can see everything happening around her eyes. Tears start flowing from the corner of her eyes as she opens her eyes. She rushed outside of his cabin while wiping her tears. “Where are you going?” Swayam shout from behind. “What happened to her suddenly? Did she see anything? ” He wondered while looking outside. Anika walked inside directly to her cabin. “Where were you? I was looking for you in hospital ” Drishya asked while keeping reports and looked at her bloodshot eyes. “Ani, Did you cry?” She asked moving toward her while she looks on with tears. “Did something happen?” Before she continues, she slapped her. “Have you lost your mind?” Drishya shouts turning toward her.

“Yes, I get conscious today only. I get to know the real faces of some people” Anika replied with burning eyes. “What do you get to know?” She asked back. “I remember everything. You played with Shivay by pretending like Maya and you still continue to do that” Anika cried. “Ani, You don’t believe me” Her voice hold remorse. “How can I believe you? You didn’t mention once that I know Shivay from before. Why?” She asked. “I want to keep you away from him. You will going to get in trouble…” Drishya told while she interrupts her. “Shut up! Don’t give me any fake excuses for justification. How many time I cried for my memories in front of you but you didn’t budge at all. You even did that accident for your so-called obsession of separating us…” She said with trembling voice.

“What rubbish? Why would I do that? I never think of hurting you” Drishya said holding her arm. “How much you want to hurt Ishu? You already hurt very much. Isn’t it enough? ” She said jerking her hand. “There is no use of saying anything as you don’t believe me. Did you ever ask the reason instead of accusing? No, you never want to know that. Yes, I lied to you and even hide things from you. Did you ever realise your doings?” She chuckled sadly. “What do you want to say? Say it to me clearly” She shouted.

“You hated that I caged you. You know what is the truth that you yourself didn’t break that cage. You were enjoying inside this golden cage filled with luxuries and happiness. Did you ever open your eyes for the outer world from there? Why would you see the suffering of the others around you until you suffered from same?” She asked while wiping her tears. “Ishu, Don’t try to blame on me” She shouts furiously. “If you will come out of the little bubble that you have created around you, you will get to know that you are not the only person on the earth who has suffered. You don’t know what it feels likes to be unloved. There are children like Raghav who suffered more than you, they face ignorance from time to time. And you are here telling me that you feel suffocated because of care and love. Do you even realise how lucky you are to get this? I will stop looking on you from now onward. Ani, Live with your freedom.” She yelled and marched outside while picking up her phone leaving a stunned Anika behind.

Don’t forget to next update?❤

Regards

Niyu