Return to sender

Disclaimer : I'm a huge KPop fan and you will come across names and photographs of KPop idols in most of my stories. They are my muse and inspiration in so many ways. The incidents and characters are fictional and have no resemblance to any K pop idol in any manner.

The letter arrived today. Apparently, the person wasn't available at the address on the letter.The address itself didn't exist anymore as the cottage had been destroyed in the powerful earthquake last week. So, the postman had been kind enough to mention it all on the envelope and it was returned to the sender; Me. It did surprise me, because I thought she would still be there. As I tore up the envelope and took out the letter I had written exactly 10 days back, I re-read it, admiring my beautiful calligraphic handwriting on the lavender scented paper. I sighed and put the letter back in the envelope, pushing it inside the drawer of my nightstand. I repeated the same action 5-6 times since the letter came back to me around lunchtime. As I lay on my bed, my mind drifted back to that rainy day 5 years ago. I was leaving my clinic as the rain pelted down. By the time I reached my car, I was soaked to the bone. Those days I worked almost 18 hours a day! I managed to get inside the car and waited for the rain to slow down a bit. I had turned on the heater for some warmth as I had dumped my windcheater into the plastic bucket near the co driver's seat. A useful hack I learnt on the Net; to keep your car from getting all wet and slushy, dump your wet shoes, raincoat, umbrella, etc into the bucket! Well, not a very sophisticated idea but pure common sense that works wonders! As my damp hair dried up and my hands and feet felt warmer, the rain did slow down. I looked around as the wipers did their job and drove away. I was singing along with BTS blaring on my speakers, enjoying the drive on the wide, black empty roads. BTS and a drive in the rain- perfect recipe for peace of mind! Imagine if Jungkook was driving me somewhere romantic in this rain! I'm a psychiatrist and I see the human mind like no one else does! How good or bad and how simple or twisted it can be is just unimaginable! I only see patients by appointment and the list of my loyal clientele is only getting longer. I guess I'm doing fine! I earn well, but I live well too . I mean I work hard but I party even harder! We have only one life after all!

In fact today I left slightly early because it's Saturday night and I'm meeting up with my gal-pals at the pub. Once a week we all meet and let our hair down- just some gossip, some booze and lot of dancing! After 6 days of back to back sessions with my patients, I really look forward to this unwinding! We girls have been together since we moved into the hostel during college. We shared some of our best and worst moments with each other. We are extremely close to each other, though our jobs aren't the same. We studied in this city and now we work here, so we make it a point to meet every Saturday, unless something urgent comes up! I carefully parked my car at my designated parking spot and ran up to my flat. I locked the door and kept my wet shoes and windcheater on the balcony to dry. I took out my favourite black lacy dress and a pair of silver danglers. After a quick refreshing shower, I put on my dress and my danglers, just a hint of kohl and lipgloss to brighten my face. My short hair is absolutely low maintenance and although I colour it frequently, it's back to my natural black right now! I slip my feet into my comfortable black shoes and spritz on my favourite perfume. I look at myself in the mirror and blow myself a kiss- I love myself!!💜 All set to go! My Uber is here, so I'm on my way. I'm pleasantly surprised to see a female driver! Wow! I smiled as I got in and chatted away with her. She is Piya, studying to be a lawyer by day and working as a designated driver by night, specifically for girls like us. She told me her cab is pink( I didn't even notice in the dark!) and there's a sos panic button next to her which alerts the cops in case of an emergency. Such a relief, I tell you! I took her phone number and told her I will take her cab every Saturday night! She smiled. I don't remember the last time I slept in the cab- definitely a first! Piya dropped me off safe and sound. I couldn't wait to tell my friends about her! I'm really impressed! I wave out to my friends and we all walked in hand in hand. The reason we patronise this pub is not just the "ladies only Saturday nights "here but also because right from the bartender to the waitresses to the bouncers, it employs women and even transgenders! Booze and food is slightly more expensive than others but it's totally managed by women. It doesn't say but screams- men not allowed! All they need is a board outside. Till 7, they have happy hours, open to all, men included. But male customers have to leave before the ladies night begins at 8! As always we girls had a wild night! Soon we were on our way back for the sleepover. One of my friends, Anna, had invited us to a sleepover at her posh residence. We were prepared for endless gossip, rounds of truth or dare and maybe a chick- flick.... I wonder how we really never felt the need to have men around to have a good time! Anna is getting married soon though but her man is okay with our girly meet-ups because he knows he will lose Anna if he isn't okay with it! Sunday morning passed by in a daze as we all gathered for a brunch in Anna's beautiful garden- fruits, sandwiches and lemonade. After that it was time to go back home.

Piya had told me Sundays she was off work and she would be going to meet her parents after dropping me off at the pub. I called her to see if she can drop me back to my flat. Apparently Anna's house was close to her parents' place. She reached me in 5 minutes and said," Let me show you my house. It's just 2 minutes from here! " We stopped in front of a beautiful cottage which looked straight out of a magazine! With two huge mansions on either side, the cottage looked humble and tiny. Piya took me inside and I met her parents. They are both old and her father is bedridden. Her mother works as a cook in one of the mansions. Piya doesn't want to marry because she wants to be a lawyer and she wants to look after her parents all her life. After a brief but emotional meeting, we came back to the cab.I noticed that it was pink! As Piya drove, I closed my eyes and leant back. Suddenly there was a loud crash. Piya's head hit the windscreen and she fainted. We were hit by a car coming towards us on a one-way! I was, miraculously, unharmed barring a few scratches on my arms. I quickly called for an ambulance and reported the accident and checked on Piya. She was breathing but unconscious. I went out, limping slightly to check the other car. The young boy at the wheel was unconscious too. Soon I heard sirens as an ambulance and a police car( courtesy the sos button!) stopped near me. The injured drivers were checked by the paramedics. Piya was alive and being moved to the ambulance. The boy had died. I had been stoic so far but now the tears of relief and grief poured out of my eyes. I tearfully filled in the cops with whatever I knew and accompanied the ambulance in the police car. I finally reached home after two hours at the hospital. Piya was badly injured and her right leg had to be amputated. She also fractured her right arm and got a nasty gash on her forehead. Luckily her vitals and her eyes are fine. She was moved to the ICU and after one last look at her, I decided to get back home. The boy's parents were a crying mess and blaming themselves for letting him drive despite him being underage! What a tragic loss of a young life.... I curled up on my bed and thought of Piya's parents. They had not been informed so far. Too tired to keep awake, I drifted off to sleep. Next morning I woke up feeling slightly better. I decided to take Piya's parents to the hospital. I cancelled all my sessions and drove down to the cottage. Her mother was crying but refused to tell her father. The shock could be fatal for his weak heart. Piya's mother accompanied me to the hospital. Piya was being shifted to a normal ward and she was smiling when she saw us. Her mother held back tears and spoke lovingly, holding her left hand. Piya looked at her and said," Sorry Ma, I won't be able to keep my promise....." We all had tears in our eyes now. I hugged Piya's mother and said," Aunty, Piya is like my little sister. Please let me help you till she feels better again. " Despite her protests, I decided to send her the amount Piya earned monthly and also pay Piya's medical bills. Piya never walked again but she got her law degree and started working in the Court. Her father passed away but Aunty never left the cottage. One day her employer found her dead and Piya just lost her mind! As I drove Piya to the cottage, she kept blaming herself for everything. Aunty's death affected Piya a lot. She refused to leave the cottage and moved back for good. I kept visiting her for a while, helping her with money, buying necessities for her, trying to talk her out of the trauma.... But then she started avoiding me. She asked me to stop visiting her because looking at me brought back painful memories. My professional opinion was that Piya needed time to come to terms with her loss. I continued to write letters to her and send money. That was 5 years back. Today the letter came back to me. The money had been deposited though. Still, I felt restless. Tomorrow morning I will drive down to the cottage because something seems amiss here. I was worried about Piya. I slept fitfully, waking up every two hours. Finally I gave up. I went to the kitchen, made a cup of tea and brushed my teeth while it cooled down. I watched the sky as it turned lighter, sipping my tea, waiting for the magic that turns the sky a delicate pink... I'm feeling calmer now. I got ready and packed a picnic basket with fruits, sandwiches, juice boxes and chocolates( Piya loves chocolates!)Oh, almost forgot my water bottle! Soon I was driving towards the cottage. As I turned into the tree lined street I could see the mansions at a distance. There it was- the cottage. I remembered the envelope saying the earthquake flattened it! Liars! I parked the car and walked in with my basket. There were flowers blooming everywhere. I saw a girl watering the beautiful garden. The cottage looked much better, cleaner and brighter than I remember. " I knew you would come!", Piya turned to me with a radiant smile. We walked towards each other and hugged. "Where's my hug, darling?" A cheerful voice made me turn around .It belonged to a handsome young man who hugged Piya and kissed her forehead. "My husband,Dr Kumar. And this is my guardian angel," she said pointing towards me. Kumar and I shook hands.

Piya and I sat on the stairs, as Dr Kumar opened the basket and passed us sandwiches. The couple filled me in on how they met and fell in love. He had come to visit a patient in the mansion where Piya's mother used to work. The kind lady called Piya over to show her amputated leg to Dr Kumar as he was a renowned Ortho specialist. He started Piya's treatment immediately and soon fell for her charms. The kind lady got them married so Piya would be looked after well. "I knew you would come here the minute the letter reaches you! I am sorry I was so rude to you... I guess I needed time to heal... I just got my prosthetic leg last week and wanted to surprise you! Thanks to you, I could pay for treatment. Kumar gave me that idea, by the way!" Piya was glowing as she spoke. "I'm so happy for you sweetheart! And I'm always there for you!" I told Piya. " And you, that bit about the earthquake was a pathetic attempt at humour! You look after my little sister!" I playfully glared at Kumar. "She is my queen. I'm so glad to meet you finally! Why don't you stay with us for a few days? ," He offered. I slowly got up and said," Definitely, but not today. I need to get back to work! We will plan something! " Piya and Kumar saw me off. As I drove away I could see them waving out to me! I was smiling, listening to Jungkook 's Euphoria and singing along with him! I wonder if I would ever meet a guy like Jungkook in my life! (Sigh... 💜)