To You From The Stars

October 3, the day unfolded under a gentle, persistent drizzle that had been falling since early morning. It had delayed Parth’s solo trek, forcing him to start much later than planned. Close to 10 am by the time he finally set foot on the Tadiandamol trail. The landscape transformed into a lush paradise by the recent rain.

Parth spreads his arms, “Finally, the peace I yearn for…” he took a deep breath, reaching the summit, “Solo trips after work just hit the spot.”

The vastness of the world spread out before him like a living tapestry. The sky was still overcast, with clouds hanging low, casting a greyish hue over the dense forest.

“Well…” his lips folded to a soft playful grin as he pulled out his camera, “Let’s take some beautiful pictures.”

Initially, the plan was made by his sister, Isha, to venture together and explore the adventurous trek; however, her unexpected schedule change, her job, made it impossible to accompany Parth. Now, Parth would use the images to rib Isha for her inability to join him.

After spending an hour, enjoying a nice cup of hot coffee before the majestic view, it was well into the afternoon when Parth began his descent. The sun had finally broken free from the clouds, casting a warm glow over the landscape.

As he walked half past, the trek back, in the soft hum of a waterfall he had crossed in his ascent, a flicker of colour drew his eyes away from the path. A bird perched upon a mossy trunk, its plumage burning in shades of orange and crimson, as if a fragment of sunset had come alive.

For a heartbeat, it stood still, soft rain light glinting off its vibrant feathers, regal and otherworldly against the grey forest.

But before Parth could bring his camera, the bird leapt away, a flare of scarlet vanishing between the trees.

Parth followed it until he stepped off the trail, as he pushed aside the ferns, only to freeze at the sight before him. A girl was lying slumped against the cold, damp rocks near the waterfall.

She was probably in her mid-twenties. She was half-submerged in the shallow stream, her long dark hair fanned around her like a halo, stark against her pale, almost luminous skin. For a heartbeat, the forest fell utterly silent.

The sight felt unreal, too fragile, and haunting to belong to the peaceful wilderness.

“Hey, are you alright?” his voice a mix of hurry and concern, “Can you hear me, lady?” he quickly knelt beside her, his fingers trembling as he checked for a pulse. Her skin was cold; he couldn’t feel any pulse.

Suddenly, Parth noticed her fingers twitched slightly, a small, almost imperceptible movement. It sent a jolt through him, his heart skipped a beat, and the fear turned to hope. She was alive.

He needed to act fast after her fingers gave a slight movement as a sign. Parth recalled the basics of CPR taught by his friend, Madhav, years ago. Rolling onto her back, he quickly checked her airway, ensuring nothing was obstructing her breathing. Her chest barely moved, as her face was pale, her lips tinged with blue.

With a deep breath, he began chest compressions, counting quietly as he pressed down firmly, trying to keep his movements steady. “One, two, three...” he counted, his voice desperate.

After thirty compressions, he tilted her head back and pinched her nose, sealing his lips over hers to deliver two rescue breaths. He repeated the cycle—compressions, breaths, and a silent plea that she would wake up.

Suddenly, as he prepared to start another round of compressions, there was a slight movement in her chest—a shallow breath, followed by a weak cough. Parth paused, his eyes widening as she took another breath on her own, her body gradually beginning to respond.

“Come on, stay with me,” he urged, relief and hope swelling in his chest.

Her eyes fluttered slightly, with a distorted vision, she slowly opened her eyes, her hands reached to Parth’s face as her fingers brushed lightly against his cheek, only to faint again.

Without hesitation, Parth slipped off his raincoat. It was slightly damp but sturdy, and it would have to do. Carefully, he draped the raincoat over her bare body, ensuring it covered her as best as possible.

While he secured the raincoat around her, he had called the emergency medical support to reach him as soon as possible.

Parth knew it would take the meds to reach them, so he knelt down and gently lifted her onto his back. He adjusted her weight, making sure she was stable, her arms draped loosely over his shoulders. He could feel the coolness of her skin through his shirt. With a deep breath, Parth deliberately set off down the trail to find a dry place and light a fire to keep her warm and safe before the rescue medics arrived.

Several hours passed, and the girl finally opened her eyes in a quiet room. She was lying on a bed with only the faint beeping of machines near her in the silence. Confusion washed over her blank face. Her gaze darted around the room like a lost soul. She scanned the surroundings, taking in the IV drip attached to her arm, the monitor that quietly tracked her heartbeat, and the plain ceiling above. Everything was so sterile and foreign.

She struggled to remember how she had ended up here. She recalled the sensation of falling from a great height, the cold water surrounding her, and then the darkness that had swallowed her. She tried to push through the haze, to grasp onto something more tangible.

Just when she recollected the visions in her memories, a woman in a clean, white outfit walked into the room.

She wondered what uniform the woman was wearing, almost like a special suit for work.

The nurse smiled gently as she approached the bed, her voice soft and reassuring. “Good, you’re awake,” the nurse said, checking the monitors beside the bed. “How are you feeling?”

The girl failed to understand the nurse’s words. She tilted her head slightly, continued staring at her with a neutral, apathetic face, trying to decipher the meaning of the woman’s words.

After a moment of awkward silence, the nurse called the doctor to check on her. Witnessing the girl’s confused and uncertain stare, the nurse proposed that either the girl didn’t know the language or she had lost her memories.

The man came through the door, wearing a white coat under a blue shirt. Adjusting his glasses, he reached out to her. As he tried to grab her hands to examine her, a swift reflex took over, and she grabbed the doctor’s throat.

Her eyes cold as the winter sky. She called them a threat to her.

Confusion flooded the nurse; she screamed as the patient they tried to save was now trying to kill the doctor.

Meanwhile, Parth, sitting in the corridor, leaned back with his legs crossed. His expressions were a mix of worry and impatience, and he held his phone to his ear.

“I can handle the cost of treatment. But not the trouble she would bring me,” said Parth on the call, “Can’t you use your connections to help me here? What good of a friend are you, Madhav?”

Across the line, with a chuckle, “Don’t sweat it, Parth. The Medical team will be handling everything.”

“Oh, is that how it works. I wonder why I’m still here.”

“Either the medical team or any of Napoklu’s local officers will be coming soon for interrogation. You better tell them everything,” a wicked gleam seeped into his words, “Tell them how you feel when you see the girl naked in the woods.”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Parth replied sarcastically, “My eyes belong to Maya only.”

After a moment of brief pause, Madhav finally responded, “Oh, then let me tell her, you were alone in the forest with a girl, warming her up, and you even kissed her,” with a giggle.

“Hey, this sounds too suspicious and dirty. You better not open your filthy mouth there.”

Parth knew Madhav was trying to keep things light. They both shared a laugh until Parth heard the turmoil cry of the nurse, which pierced through the sterile silence of the sterile corridors.

Parth’s laugh faded instantly, replaced by a furrowed brow of concern. After realizing the sound came from the same room where the girl from the woods was, he immediately stood up and went in the direction of the sound

His eyes widened as the unsettling scene unfolded before him. The girl from the woods, the frail and depleted wilted flower, was sitting upright on the bed, her fingers wrapped tightly around the doctor’s neck. Her cold, unwavering gaze was fixed on the doctor as her grip tightened.

The doctor struggled, his face flushed and strained as he tried to pry the girl’s hands from around his neck. But she was stronger.

Parth stood frozen for a moment; his mind couldn’t comprehend the sudden turn of events. The nurse in the room was in disarray, her attempts to intervene thwarted by the girl’s unexpected hostility.

“Stop it! What the hell are you doing!” Parth took a step forward as his voice rose.

The girl heard him, the only voice which felt familiar to her. She didn’t know the meaning of words, but judging by the intensity and attempt to free the doctor, she understood Parth’s intentions. The memories of getting lost, crashing, falling, water body, darkness, soon a blurry face, which she tried to focus on, immediately the image sharpened, the same face cleared, it was Parth. Her grip loosened as she fell unconscious on her bed.

“Is he okay?” Parth asked, his voice filled with anxiety as he looked at the doctor, being attended to by the nurse and the team who rushed after the nurse’s loud cry.

The doctor nodded weakly; his face still flushed but visibly relieved to be free from the girl’s grip. “I’m fine,” he rasped, though it was clear he had been shaken by the incident. He glanced at the girl, now lying unconscious but stable, and then turned to Parth, “Parth Shastry, we need to talk.”

Taking the opportunity, the doctor took Parth outside the room to begin his own interrogation. He was curious about the girl. The nurse wanted to accompany them, but she was stopped by the doctor: “Mrs. Sanskriti, take care of her.” He wanted to keep his talks with Parth private.

The doctor led Parth through a series of winding corridors, their footsteps echoed in the empty hallway like questions in his mind. Parth was still troubled and perplexed by the girl’s actions. The chaotic scene had left him with countless mysteries with no answers, like the doctor. Who was the girl? Why can’t she understand anything? Could she be from any alien tribe?

The doctor gestured for Parth to take a seat across from his desk as they entered the arranged office. Parth sat down, his expression a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. The doctor settled into his chair, leaning forward with a serious look on his face.

“Please, tell me everything you can about your encounter with the girl,” the doctor began, while he took a small mirror, only to see the purplish bruises and swellings on his neck. “Damn! She left a deep scar,” he continued, “Any details could be crucial in understanding her condition and why she reacted the way she did.”

Parth was rather surprised than concerned. The doctor was calmer and cooperative. He muttered to himself, “I expected him to call her a monster and hand her to the police, but I think I might be wrong.”

“Mr. Parth?” The doctor repeated while he gently rubbed his neck with a soothing cream.

Parth nodded, brought back to the conversation. He recollected his thoughts, “I found her near a small stream in Tadiandamol Trek. She was unconscious, might have fallen from a height, but she doesn’t seem to be a traveller. When I first saw her, she was barely breathing. I tried to keep her calm and conscious until help arrived.”

The doctor listened, occasionally making notes, “How can you say she wasn’t a traveller? What was her attire?”

“Nothing.”

“What nothing? Do you mean naked?”

He nodded.

“Interesting. She was naked. Could be sexual assault. Yet no trace of foreign DNA other than you. Are you even telling the truth?”

Parth felt a sudden change in the atmosphere. The doctor was doubtful of him.

He stood up, “Look, Doc. My cooperation would end the moment you see me as the villain here.”

The doctor chuckled, “My bad. Please sit down. That wasn’t my intention.”

Parth took a moment before he nodded and sat again.

“Anyways, did you see anything suspicious around her?” The Doctor continued.

Parth shook his head.

But he didn’t reply. An awkward silence lingered.

“Doc? Is everything alright?”

Jolting back to reality from his thoughts, the doctor finally replied, “Yeah, everything is fine.”

“So, can I go now?”

“Ah, yes, sure,” but before he could reach the door, the doctor stopped him, “Wait! Are you leaving the town already? Where do you live?”

Puzzled by the doctor’s strange questions, “Doc, do you need something from me?”

“That girl showed symptoms of Retrograde Amnesia. I suspect no memories of her past are known to her. However, she responded to your words. I couldn’t call it a coincidence. I need to run a few tests and observations. I need you to stay for at least a day. The girl might wake up in a few hours; we could start after that. So, are you in?”

“I’m telling you, Doc, I know people. Don’t go putting rape charges on me.”

“That won’t be a problem. I’m not calling the police.”

Parth took some time to think. He may not know the intentions of the doctor, but he didn’t feel right to leave the woman alone if there was a chance for him to be helpful to her.

“Alright,” Parth sighed, still hesitant, “Also, I’m already late for the bus. I’ll do anything possible for the poor soul."