21. DRENCHING INTO OBLIVION

                                    

                                          
I Couldn't find the female version of the above song, SORRY :(
INAAYA'S POV
"Inaaya, Ishaan doesn't recognize you not because he doesn't want to but because he can't"
I thought he would tell me why Ishaan doesn't recognize me as his friend, something I already know. But instead, he is making alibis for Ishaan. Does he think I am so pathetic that I can't handle the truth? I already know the truth.
I close my eyes, feeling a wave of frustration wash over me. Taking a deep breath, I try to calm myself down, my expression reflecting my boredom and irritation. How much longer do I have to endure this? The more he tries to explain, the more it feels like he's justifying Ishaan's actions, and it's exhausting.
"He met with an accident seven years ago"
My eyes shot open upon hearing what he said. What? Accident? Ishaan met with an accident?
I felt my chest grow cold, a hollow feeling emerging as tendrils of panic gripped my throat, rendering me unable to speak. The weight of his words settled in, making my breath come in short, shallow gasps.
My mind raced, trying to process the information, but the shock was overwhelming. The room seemed to close in around me, the sounds of the restaurant fading into the background as my focus narrowed to the pounding of my heart and the cold, suffocating grip of fear.
"What"
The color drained from his face as he gulped, his nervousness palpable. Concern was etched in his eyes, a stark contrast to the calm demeanor he tried to maintain. The gravity of the situation was evident in his expression, making my own panic surge even higher.
"He met with an accident seven years ago. The driver crashed into his car at an intersection. The driver was drunk and ran a red light. Ishaan's parents were in the US at the time. The passerby called the ambulance and got him to the hospital. As his parents had already shifted to the US, they thought it would be a good idea to shift Ishaan's hospital as well, and I was there as well. They didn't know Ishaan had a friend here in India. I myself learned about his accident a few days later. When he woke up, I asked him to call you, as I was the only one who knew about you but..."
I gulped a swollen lump in my throat as he continues 
"...But he asked me who Inaaya was. Later, when his parents asked him a few questions, he could not answer any of them. The doctor said he had selective amnesia. He forgot a few years of his life due to the brain injury caused by the accident. His parents decided to keep him in the US. The plan was to shift him to class 11th, but he refused to go because you were here; he didn't want to leave you. The night before the accident, he called me, telling me he would propose to you and finally confess his feelings to you, but that didn't happen. I tried to search for you on Instagram and Facebook to tell you what happened, but I could not find you. I am sorry, Inaaya. I was the only one who knew about you, yet I didn't try to make him remember. I was scared something would happen to him
I take everything in, trying to process everything I just heard... accident, amnesia, refused to go to the US, confession. My heart feels heavy, and my breath catches in my throat. I try to take another breath, but it's as if I can't draw in any air. A ringing sound echoes in my ears, drowning out any external noise. My vision blurs as tears threaten to fall, but I somehow hold them back. My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my chest, each beat hammering away at my resolve.
Every word replayed in my mind like a broken record. How could this have happened? Ishaan, the person I thought had discarded our friendship like it was nothing, had suffered so much. He had been through an accident, lost his memories, and even refused to leave because of something, or maybe someone, important to him. The confession from Raaj seemed to shatter my reality, making it hard to believe what was true anymore.