" You need to take your medicine on time otherwise it will get worse" The doctor said wearing a serious expression.
" But I am tired of taking medicine." He replied looking out of the window. "I don't even know why I have to hide my situation from everyone and why do I need to go through all of that"
"
" I understand that it's really hard for you….."
" You don't understand" he interrupted " how could you understand when you have never been there"
" It's because…."
" It's because you are a professional psychologist and have been working for years" he interrupted again " Have you ever seen a world that doesn't exist. You definitely remember that things happened but they actually never happened and then your doctor tells you, it was just an illusion. It's because you are mentally ill and you are on the verge of killing yourself" He stood up, held onto the report file and walked out.
He took the elevator and stared at the psychologist Room board through closing elevator door " A better you" was written on it.
" I don't want to come back here" he thought as the door closed.
He sat in the back seat and driver took off. He used to drive by himself until last year as his licence got suspended after he got into a big accident due to mental issues. According to his statement he drove his car to one side of road because a girl in her twenties was standing in the middle of the road. But police found no traces of anyone while going through all CCTV.
Later he was told that he have illusions due to his worst mental condition. He was taking medication as prescribed but his condition wasn't improving.
His Name was Shal . He was from a well off family. But he was an illegitimate child. All his family treated him like a leech. He got fed up with them and started living alone in a little apartment near his university. He was bullied in middle school until he made friends with Malay and he protected him and taught him boxing. But on second last day of exam he died in an accident. Shal had to send him off because no one came to ask for him. He couldn't find any of his relatives regardless of searching. Shal lost the only friend he had in this world.
He came to his room took medicine and turned off lights to go to sleep. The door started knocking and an old song started playing. He got up took two more pills and went to bed. After a little while it became silent and slowly he started to fall asleep.
The next day he was walking through the university alley. Suddenly the earth started to release water and it started to rise up. He got scared and stumbled to get away but fall down on his back as he was going to drown in that water. The voices in the alley started to fade away. When he got out of that illusion a girl was asking him " Are you okay? Do you need help"
" Who are you?" He asked breathing heavily.
Ji" I'm Mila. But that's not important. You should head to infirmary, your head is bleeding"
He touched his neck where he could feel fluid and saw blood on his hand. He stood up quickly and ran away from there.
Mila looked at him worriedly " Will he be okay!"
In the lunch break Shal was sitting on his seat in the back beside window and looking out. His head was wrapped in bandage.
"Are you doing better now"
At the voice he looked up ahead of him. It was Mila .
" How did you know about my classroom?"
"But….. I am your…. Classmate" she completed her sentence hesitating.
He looked around in classroom and his head felt dizzy. He Everted his gaze out of the window.
" So are you okay?" She insisted.
He looked at her. She was wearing hair band on her long black hairs . Her round big eyes wore curiousity as they looked at him.
" She is pretty" he thought.
She sat down in front of him and held his hand to check on him " you don't have fever"
He pulled his hand back " I am okay"
" Wanna have lunch together?"
"No"
" Don't be like that you need to eat well to get well" she insisted.
He looked at her face for a while and thought " why don't I feel dizzy looking at her. Is that because she is pretty"
"So…"
" Mmm" he stood up to go along with her .
She smiled and walked ahead to canteen.
He was stealing glances at her while eating. After that she always asked him to go to canteen with him and they ate together silently. If Mila asked something he would reply otherwise they stayed silent.
It was Monday. After school Mila was playing basketball with her friends. She saw her friends looking at her above from class window.
" Bring me water" she asked.
" Take it yourself" one of her friend replied.
She glared at them and turned around. Shal was standing in front of her. He gave a peck at her lips and waved his hands walking backwards " I am going home, see you tomorrow"
"AWWWWEEEEE" her friends exclaimed. " Are you dating" " why would you hide this from us"
She was bewildered by his sudden action. She was taken back that she forgot to ask for explanation.
The Next day she was sitting on her seat in second row. Shal came and placed chocolate at her table. " Good morning" he said smiling warmly. He sat at his seat beside window.
Mila placed chocolate at his desk with a thud sound " What's wrong with you, Can I get explanation"
"Mmm?" He had a questionable expression.
" Come out" she said and walked out of class room. Shal followed him. But as they came out of classroom teacher was about to inter so they had to come back.
They had different classes as they were in different majors . Mila quickly entered the class but Shal was nowhere to be found.
She asked her friend who was sitting on next seat " Where is Shal"
" He left early. I heard someone died in his family."
"Ahhh I see"
" Haven't he told you? Or maybe he forgot to tell you in a hurry"
Mila took a deep breath " he is not my boyfriend. We are not dating"
She chuckled " after that kiss you are still denying it"
" About that….. about that…"
She had no words to explain. She couldn't get it herself.
Next morning Mila came to Shal seat as soon as she entered the classroom.
" Lets talk" she said and threw her bag on her seat and came to the backyard of institute.
" You need to…" Shal hugged her as she was still talking. She could feel Shal numb body. She pushed him back softly.
"What are you doing?" she said and saw Shal tears that were following unstoppably.
" Are you crying? What…what happened" Then she suddenly recalled her friend words " someone died in his family" her eyes got round at realisation.
" I'm sorry for your loss" She was still talking and Shal hugged her again.
" Just let me hug you for a while, I will be okay"
Mila didn't push him and stayed like that until Shal let her go and sat on the bench nearby.
Mila ran her hand through her hair in awkwardness and said " I will get drink for you"
She came back with Mango juice and handed one of them to him . She settled down beside him " You should have stayed at home and took some rest. You are looking so pale"
" It's okay, staying at home is more difficult" he replied in a numb voice taking a sip .
Silence took over for a while.
" Who died in your family"
" Grandfather's brother"
" You must be so close to him to feel devastated like this"
" No , it's not because of his death. I don't feel anything for them. But as I told you before my family don't like me. I was their target whole day yesterday"
" As you told me? You never talked about your family"
" The day you came to my apartment, don't you remember"
" Your apartment?" she curved her eyebrows.
" Yes. Ahhh I heard that you are looking for old Refrigerator from your friends. I have one at my apartment. It is practically new it's just I saw a new model and bought it"
" Yeah our refrigerator was too old … Wait about coming to your apartment"
" Do you want to check it after school" he proposed excitedly.
" But we need cheap one, we have a low budget"
" You can take it for free or if you don't like you can pay me as much as you want. I was going to discard it anyways"
" I got it"
She wasn't able to get an explanation as the bell rang and Shal said " let's hurry. Class will start soon"