If Drugs can make you feel so good, what's the problem? : Part 3
- A Short Story -

Dr. Neha Thangjam *

He looked down, he seems so lost. Malvika held his hands, forced herself a smile and said "why so low?"
He seems in doubt. She has never seen him like this before.

He loves her so much as much as someone can love while loving drug first!

'I'm sorry i have put you into so much pain Malvika'

'No...its never late to start afresh Harsh,its never late to change,its never late...'

She was saddened to see him in that state.

"Just being part of the human race itself is a big thing. You can do anything you set out for. As long as you are alive, you have no excuse to say you can't, everything is possible, don't give up the person you wanted to be. Don't put yourself in the position of what you don't want to be,"she talks for about an hour.

He was more than silent, and just utters two words, hmm n maybe.
She could sense his pain in his silence , he wasn't ready to say anything.
The problem for him was he can't really see what he was anymore.

That's what drugs lead to 'despair' and 'total lack of self esteem'.

And thus the 15min meet turned to a 2hr talk and crying and lots of talk and there was no looking back that day Malvika gave herself to him. Harsh promised her he would change.
Later they said their goodbye.

He drove home on his black pulsar180, teary, recalling every word of her, it was a crowded road. He knew he had to change for her. She has done enough now it was his turn to prove her.

But every good turns become bad when fate goes against a person.
A white gypsy was rushing front from the opposite direction, an auto came out from the other side, he was trapped.
The gypsy hit him.

Sometimes misfortune comes without notice.

When he got back in his senses he was sleeping in the hospital. He was in pain. His head hurts.
His mom was beside him, she looks like she hasn't slept in a while. His sister Shely, "oh Harsh you are awake, how are you feeling...are you okay..."
Harsh: what happen? Where are we?
Shely: you collided with a gypsy and was thrown from your bike and got hurt so bad. Don't worry everything's gonna be fine.
He needed a knee surgery.
Harsh knew he has hit his rock bottom.
Shely: accident is accident. No one knows what lies ahead. Its God's monopoly.

Harsh was so much in pain, he is a heroin addict, he has indulged in every other drugs so no pain killer could relive him for long, he needed the highest dose frequently. It wasn't even legal to sell those drugs without prescription, the doctor had to sign on the same day to get those drugs. He had the worst time in his life to manage the pain.

Drugs has cost him so much.
He cried remembering the first day he started using drugs. He realised he has to stop now or he will cry for the rest of his life.

Once he recovered, this time it was different he knew he had to change and went to the rehab again for straight five months. When he came out he was strong and healthy. He has made a break from his drug buddies and he's adopted a pet dog, Daisy and started looking after himself well.

He showed his niece a small book which he said is his Holy book.
She inquired what's in there. He recited a few lines..
"Inspire Others
Be an inspiration for others. Refuse to give up and try your hardest........Your hard work and dedication could be the spark that was needed to light the dreams of those around you........"

Harsh a new man now.

He had stick a priority list on his bedrooms door, among many others it reads,
*Complete engineering
*Make my parents happy
*Get married with Malvika !

He's 8 months clean now, one of the few lucky ones. He completed his studies, he and Malvika has started working together . It was the best 8 months of life not only for Harsh and Malvika but their entire family. Things were Bliss!

Until one day Harsh started having common cold which wont go away even after the 11th day. It was in a matter of time he started having visible weight lost. No medicine was of much help. After a month again he was bedridden with loose motions.

Shely had something in mind and she wanted Harsh to get his HIV test done. Harsh won't even care though. No one ever said I may have HIV. No one wants to. He just thought its impossible for him to contract the virus. After lots of counselling, he agreed to do the ELISA.

That evening was life changing, yes Harsh results came positive, he was told he was in stage 2 of the disease. That he is positive didn't shook him much but that he has given them to the love of his life wasn't forgivable for him. He didn't know what to do. How to even tell her. She trusted him with everything.

Harsh has lost it again, he has started taking alcohol,his urge to do drugs has all come back again. He wanted to die but then what about Malvika?

When You do drugs you don't just ruin your life but you ruin every person that loves your life!

Few days has passed since then when his two drug buddies visited him. They went upstairs to his room. There was lots of laughter and talking like the celebration of old buddies meeting after ages. When suddenly.....

There was chaos.
Loud footsteps along the stairs. Stammering voices.
Lots of screaming and apprehension.
Alarming fearful noises.
His friend ran down calling for help. Something just happened.

"He just breathed his last breathe"

His drug buddies as usual brought drugs for him.!
He got overdose and died there.

Harsh parents still ponder what wrong they did and how bad things could have been that their son would want to put a needle in his arm and fill his body with a poison.

Concluded..