If Drugs can make you feel so good, what's the problem? : Part 2
- A Short Story -

Dr. Neha Thangjam *

Drug has impaired his connection with everyone.

That's when he started realising time has lapsed so much. The stillness of the moment was broken by his murmur "may be its too late"

Dolly heard him but she pretended that she didn't and asked him what? He paused, eyes closed, a shadow of regrets can be seen all over, he continued "the man in the mirror isn't what i set out to be and his life isn't what i wanted to live ."

Dolly remained silent and kept watching the lighted candle, her grandma had offered to God, which flames were tilting every-time the wind passes them.

He was the one who taught her the letter A or the counting 1,2,3.. The one who knew her favourite nursery rhyme, he was always happy, active, passionately loving all creatures, a caring son to the aged parents. But somehow down the line drug took him over, drug consumed him.

Dolly:"the mirror is the last judge of human so don't bother. The mirror lies."
But her heart knew- there is nothing worse for the lying soul than the mirror of reality.

Dolly often ask him "uncle why do you do this when you know its bad?"
He just wish he knows.

He couldn't break the bondage. He didn't want to use but he couldn't stop. Its easier to feed the addiction than to quit them.
He would take his young niece in his bike and go to random houses, he'd say he's taking medicines but in-real he was taking drugs from them, he will take the little girl with him so that the police wont stop him. Once he was caught from a dealer's house and got arrested, he was asked to apologise in the local newspaper and the rest was history.

Dolly knew she needed to do something to encourage him and making him meet Malvika was the ultimate.

On hearing that he has come home, Malvika looks up with a sigh and a tear drop, she seemed to thank God.
Dolly convinced her to meet him. She was unsure. But after thinking hard she decided to go meet him for 10mins. It was a tuesday.

Malvika is a pretty girl who is suffering in love, she met him in college, they were classmates in engineering college,his tall handsome demeanour coupled with his wit and kindness won her. They hung out alot in the first few months of college and did a lot of things together. It was fun while it all lasted but all good things come to an end.

Back then she knew he drinks and did weed but it didn't seem he was dependent on them. She asked once "are you sure you know what you are doing?"
"I just used them to have a good time once in a while with friends" and kissed her fingers.
Its easy to trust the one you love. So she thought it wasn't a big deal.

Initially he was warm, caring and loving as time wore on another side emerged.

He would come to pick her up and go to class , spend the rest of the day together and then drop her home. Gradually things started to change quickly. He started coming late to classes. He'd disappear for an hour at a time, he always has a good excuse. He won't come to pick her up and neither turns up to college on a regular basis. He would call her up with dramatic stories on how he's been busy and stranded and this and that. Malvika also started losing money, cheques, credit cards from her purse, Harsh blamed it on her friends but in fact he took them.

One day he went to loo and never came out. Malvika knocked but no response, she kept knocking until they had to break the door, he was lying there unconscious. He looked like he was dying.

She realised her boyfriend is getting into heroin real bad. She never saw herself associating with a heroin addict, let alone falling in love with one.

And thus he was put in rehab for a month. Weeks later he was out and seemed to be doing great but he relapsed again, it only took a day to relapse , there were countless nights he'd be gone and she had no idea where he was or if he's okay. It was so hard for her, never knowing that when he'd go to random bathroom to shoot up, and all his mood swings she had to deal with or never knowing if he will ever change. It was like one day 'Harsh-YIN' and the next moment 'Harsh-YANG'. She has heard enough that it was his last day and that he's gonna change.

Still she had strong feelings for him.

Addiction is such a mystery disease!

She will sometimes blame everything to herself for not loving him enough, which isn't true but that's what happens when you fall in love.

Or sometimes she would feel she is trying to take away his happiness because he seems so happy and contained being a druggie.

She just prays everyday that her love will find a way back.

The date day:
He was waiting for her, looking at his watch counting every second. He knew Malvika loved him but he also knows, she has no reason to give him another chance. About half an hour passed, he wont give his hope up when he looked up the door, there stood Malvika. Her purple long skirt was complementing her tiny waist, her shinning black hair falls straight til her shoulder, her eyes where beaming with happiness.

Harsh heart skip a beat seeing her. She looked like an Angel. He considered himself beyond lucky to have her in his life.

Malvika walked elegantly towards him, she has been missing every little bit of him.
"Harsh you have become so thin" she spilled out.
She quickly added, you look thin but healthy.

He is the love of her life, her soulmate, he means everything to her. Sitting next to him after so long, all the feelings came rushing back. At that point she made the decision to dedicate herself to him. She wanted to be there for him, change him and see where it would take them.

He remained silent, looked at her with those wet innocent eyes which she always falls for.

To be continued..