Amnesia

“A name can be given in a moment, but the truth behind it may take a lifetime to uncover.”

Author's POV

The rain had started pouring again.

He sat quietly against the headboard, his gaze fixed on the window as raindrops slid slowly down the glass, merging with one another before disappearing from sight.

There was something strangely familiar about the rain, something he couldn't explain. It reminded him of a place he couldn't remember and a night that existed somewhere beyond the reach of his mind.

The door to the ward opened.

The doctor stepped inside and walked toward his bed.

She glanced at the ECG monitor first before turning her attention toward him.

After asking him to look toward the light, she carefully examined his pupils and then made a few notes on the chart in her hand.

Finally, she looked at him.

“So, you don't remember your name?”

He slowly shook his head.

“Do you remember anything else?” she asked. “A memory, perhaps? A face, a name, a place… or even a voice?”

A voice.

The moment she said the word, something inside his mind shifted.

For a fraction of a second, the hospital room disappeared.

He was back in the rain.

He could hear the river rushing somewhere nearby, feel the coldness against his skin, and see a shadow standing several feet away from him.

Then he heard her.

You came.

His breathing changed.

The memory vanished almost immediately, leaving behind nothing but confusion.

The doctor noticed the sudden change in his expression.

“Are you alright?”

He didn't answer.

His eyes remained fixed somewhere beyond her, as though he were trying desperately to chase something that had already disappeared.

Then a sharp pain suddenly struck the back of his head.

He winced and pressed a hand against his forehead.

The doctor immediately moved closer.

“Relax. Don't try to force your brain to remember everything at once.”

He lowered his hand slowly, his face tightening with frustration.

“Why can't I remember anything?”

His voice was weak, almost exhausted.

The doctor pulled the chair beside his bed and sat down.

“What you're experiencing may be related to the trauma your brain suffered during the accident,” she explained calmly. “Sometimes, after a serious injury or traumatic event, a person can experience temporary amnesia. The brain can have difficulty accessing certain memories, especially memories surrounding the event itself.”

He stared at her silently.

“So my brain is hiding them?”

“In a way,” she said. “It can sometimes be the brain's response to severe stress or trauma. But that doesn't necessarily mean the memories are gone forever.”

His eyes lowered toward his hands.

“When will I remember?”

The doctor hesitated.“I can't give you an exact answer.”

He looked back at her.

“It could take days. It could take weeks or even months. In some cases, memories can take much longer to return.”

His expression hardened.“Years?”

The doctor didn't immediately respond.

That silence was enough.

He looked toward the window again.

Outside, the rain continued to fall heavily against the glass.

“So what am I supposed to do until then?”

The doctor watched him carefully.

He swallowed, his voice becoming quieter. “Where am I supposed to go when I don't even know who I am?”

He paused, struggling to keep his frustration from showing.

“I don't know whether I have a family waiting for me somewhere. I don't know where I live, what I do, who my friends are…”

His eyes dropped to the hospital bracelet around his wrist.

“I don't even know my own name.”

For the first time, the doctor seemed unsure of what to say.

He leaned his head back against the pillow and closed his eyes.

Just then, a voice came from behind them. “You can live with me.”

His eyes immediately opened.

He turned his head toward the voice and found the same young woman who had brought him to the hospital standing near the entrance of the ward.

She had apparently been listening to their conversation for some time, and there was a faint smile on her face as she walked toward them.

He stared at her for a moment.

“Huh?”

She stopped beside his bed and smiled warmly saying.

“Well, I don't mind you staying with me,” she said as though she were offering the most obvious solution in the world. “My house is big enough for two people, and honestly, I was getting bored living all by myself. You can stay there until someone finds you or you remember where you belong. At least you won't have to worry about where you're going.”

He looked at her strangely.

The doctor raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

“Aren't you afraid?” he asked.

“Afraid of what?”

“Of taking a complete stranger into your house,” he said. “And living with him alone.”

The girl smiled even more widely.

“Well, I have a special ability.”

He stared at her.

“What ability?”

“I can usually tell what kind of person someone is when I meet them for the first time.”

He gave her a skeptical look.

“And what kind of person am I?” He asked.

She studied him for a moment, pretending to think seriously before answering. “Definitely not the kind of person who would take advantage of a woman living alone.”

His expression remained blank.

She continued before he could respond “And besides, I saved your life. You wouldn't hurt the person who saved your life, would you?”

He looked at her for several seconds before saying “You're too extroverted for your own good.”

She laughed.

“Oh, come on. It's not like you have a place to stay.”

She reached over and gave his hand a light playful smack.

He immediately hissed in pain.

Her smile disappeared “Oh!”

She pulled her hand back quickly “Sorry.”

He glanced at her, then at his hand.

For the first time since waking up, something almost resembling amusement flickered across his face.

The doctor cleared her throat, bringing their attention back to her.

“Alright,” she said, closing the file in her hands. “You can discuss all of that later. For now, you still need rest.”

She looked at him before continuing “If everything continues to improve, we should be able to discharge you in another two or three days. Until then, you'll remain under observation.”

He nodded silently.

Two or three days.

After that, he would have nowhere to go except the home of a woman whose name he barely knew.

The doctor gave them one final glance before leaving the ward, quietly closing the door behind her.

For a few moments, silence settled between them.

The man looked at the woman standing beside his bed and asked “What is your name?”

She blinked. Then she suddenly smacked her forehead with her palm.

“Oh my God, look how stupid I am.”

He stared at her.

“I've been talking to you this whole time and I didn't even introduce myself ” she said.

She gave him an embarrassed smile before extending her hand toward him.

“My name is Aarohi Mehta, and I'm a nurse here.”

He looked at her outstretched hand for a moment before giving a small nod.

“Aarohi.”

She smiled “Yes.”

He hummed quietly, committing the name to memory.

Aarohi pulled her hand back and was about to say something when she suddenly paused “Wait.”

She looked at him “You don't remember your name that doesn't mean you have to stay nameless until your memory comes back!”

Something bright appeared in her eyes “We need to give you a name.”

He stared at her.

She folded her arms and began thinking “How about Mahesh?”

He immediately made a strange face.

Aarohi's confidence disappeared “Okay…”

She nodded slowly “Not liking it. Got it.”

She thought for another second “What about Golu?”

He looked at her as though she had just suggested something deeply offensive.

“Am I some kind of pet?” He asked bewildered.

Aarohi pressed her lips together, desperately trying not to laugh and said “What? Golu is a perfectly respectable name.”

“What exactly makes it suitable for me?” He asked.

She shrugged “I don't know. It just came to my mind.”

He stared at her in disbelief.

Aarohi finally laughed awkwardly “Okay, fine. Golu is rejected.”

She placed a finger against her chin and studied him carefully.

“Let me think…”

Her eyes travelled over him as though she were trying to solve some complicated puzzle.

“You don't exactly seem like a cheerful person.”

He raised one eyebrow.

“You're not very talkative either.”

His eyebrow remained raised.

“And you're extremely easy to ragebait.”

“Excuse me?” He asked.

“Don't interrupt me,” she said immediately, raising a finger.

He fell silent, looking at her with an expression that suggested he couldn't believe this conversation was actually happening.

Aarohi continued thinking “Something simple…”

She snapped her fingers.

“Aarav.”

The room fell quiet for a moment.

He repeated the name silently in his head.

Aarav.

Unlike the others, it didn't feel ridiculous.

It didn't feel wrong either.

He looked at Aarohi.

She was watching him expectantly.

He shrugged “I don't hate it.”

Her face immediately brightened.

“Then it's confirmed!”

She pointed at him triumphantly.

“Until we find out your real name, you're Aarav.”

He looked away toward the rain-streaked window.

“Aarav…”

The name sounded unfamiliar on his tongue.

Yet, somehow, it felt better than being nameless.

“Whatever,” he muttered.

Aarohi smiled “Great. Aarav it is.”

Neither of them noticed the faint change in his expression.

To be continued.........