A Stranger Inside My Mind
The Mental hospital was unusually quiet that morning.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, filling the long corridor with a warm glow. Nurses walked past silently while doctors checked on their patients.
Dr. Kim stopped in front of Room 208.
He looked through the small glass window before gently opening the door.
Varun sat near the window, calmly watching birds fly across the sky.
Four years ago, he had arrived at this hospital completely broken. His mind had been lost after a traumatic incident. He couldn't remember his own name, where he came from, or even recognize the people around him.
But today was different.
"Good morning, Varun," Dr. Kim said with a warm smile.
Varun turned and smiled back.
"Good morning, Doctor."
"How are you feeling today?"
"I'm fine... really fine."
Dr. Kim nodded with relief.
"That's wonderful. You've made an incredible recovery."
He pulled up a chair.
"Varun... do you remember anyone now? Any family member... any phone number... anyone you would like to contact?"
Varun lowered his head.
Silence filled the room.
He closed his eyes, searching through memories buried deep inside his mind.
One minute...
Two minutes...
Five minutes...
Suddenly...
"I remember..."
Dr. Kim leaned forward.
"What is it?"
"A phone number..."
Varun slowly recited ten digits.
The doctor immediately wrote them down.
"Whose number is this?"
Varun frowned, trying to remember.
"I... I don't know..."
Another long silence.
Then he whispered,
"...I think... it's my mother's."
Dr. Kim smiled gently.
"Would you like me to call her?"
Varun hesitated before giving a small nod.
"...Yes."
───
Dr. Kim stepped outside the room and dialed the number.
The phone rang.
Once...
Twice...
Then someone answered.
"Hello?"
It was a woman's voice.
"Hello. My name is Dr. Kim. I'm calling from Korea."
There was a brief pause.
"I'm calling regarding a man named Varun. He remembered this phone number today. May I ask... do you know him?"
The woman's breathing became heavy.
"What?"
She suddenly shouted.
"Varun?"
"Yes."
The woman burst into tears.
"That boy... he forgot his mother the moment he went to Korea! Four years... FOUR YEARS... not even one phone call!"
Her voice trembled with pain.
"His mother waited every single day... every day she stood near the gate hoping her son would come home..."
Dr. Kim remained silent.
Then he spoke softly.
"Please... let me explain."
"He didn't abandon her."
"For the last four years... Varun has been in our psychiatric hospital."
"He suffered severe mental illness after a traumatic incident."
"He lost all his memories."
"He couldn't remember his family... his home... not even his own identity."
"Today... for the first time... he remembered this phone number."
"He wants to speak to his mother."
The other side became completely silent.
Only quiet sobbing could be heard.
Minutes passed.
Finally, the woman spoke in a broken voice.
"...Doctor..."
"...You're too late."
Dr. Kim's heart sank.
"What do you mean?"
"His mother..."
"...passed away last year."
The doctor's face turned pale.
"She worried about Varun every single day."
"She stopped eating properly."
"She refused her medicines."
"She slowly became sick."
"Her heart couldn't bear the pain anymore."
"She died... waiting for her son."
The woman cried uncontrollably.
"If only he had called once..."
The line suddenly went dead.
The call had ended.
───
Dr. Kim lowered the phone.
His hands trembled.
He looked through the glass window into Varun's room.
Varun was sitting there, patiently waiting.
A hopeful smile filled his face.
"Did my mother answer?"
The doctor couldn't move.
He knew the truth.
But he also knew something else.
If Varun learned about his mother's death immediately, the shock might destroy the fragile mental recovery he had fought so hard to achieve.
Dr. Kim forced a gentle smile.
"I... I think this phone number belongs to someone else now."
Varun's hopeful eyes slowly lost their light.
"Oh..."
He lowered his head.
"I thought... maybe..."
Dr. Kim placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"It's alright."
"Try to remember another phone number."
"Someone else from your family."
"We'll find them."
Varun nodded quietly.
But deep inside...
An emptiness he couldn't explain slowly began to grow in his heart.
Somewhere beyond his forgotten memories...
His soul already felt that he had lost someone precious.
..........
The next morning, Dr. Han stood quietly outside Varun's room. For several minutes he watched the young man sitting by the window, staring into the distance without moving. Even though Varun had recovered physically, his mind still seemed trapped somewhere far away.
Dr. Han sighed softly.
"Varun..."
Varun slowly turned his head.
"I've been watching you every day. Your body is here, but your heart is still lost in another world."
Varun lowered his eyes without saying a word.
Dr. Han continued gently, "You have no family here... no home to return to. So until you find your own path, stay with me. Think of this house as your home."
Varun looked surprised. No one had shown him such kindness in years.
"...Thank you, Doctor," he whispered.
From that day on, they lived together under the same roof. Dr. Han treated Varun not only as his patient but as someone who deserved another chance at life.
Every morning they had breakfast together. Every evening Dr. Han asked the same question.
"How are you feeling today?"
Varun always gave the same quiet reply.
"I'm fine."
But Dr. Han knew he wasn't.
Varun spent hours sitting silently, lost in endless thoughts. Sometimes he would stare at the rain outside the window. Sometimes he would remain awake all night without sleeping.
One evening, Dr. Han sat beside him.
"Varun... don't spend your new life living inside your memories. The world outside is waiting for you. Go out. Meet people. Smile. Watch children playing. Enjoy the little things. You survived for a reason."
Varun remained silent, but this time he nodded.
The next afternoon, he gathered enough courage to leave the house.
He walked slowly through the quiet streets until he reached a nearby park.
The park was full of life.
Children laughed as they ran across the grass. Couples walked hand in hand. Elderly people chatted on benches. Birds sang from the trees while a cool breeze carried the scent of flowers.
Varun stood alone, watching everyone.
A small boy suddenly tripped while running.
Before he could cry, his mother rushed over, lifted him into her arms, gently brushed the dust from his clothes, kissed his forehead, and hugged him tightly.
"It's okay, my baby," she whispered with a warm smile.
The little boy immediately stopped crying and hugged his mother back.
Varun froze.
His heart began to ache.
Without realizing it, memories of his own mother flooded his mind-her gentle smile, the way she cared for him when he was sick, the warmth of her embrace.
"Mom..."
His lips barely moved.
His eyes slowly filled with tears.
One tear slipped down his cheek.
Then another.
He quickly looked away, trying to hide his emotions, but the pain inside him was too deep.
........
Varun stood silently beneath the shade of a large tree in the park.
His eyes wandered across the people around him.
Not far away, a young couple sat on a wooden bench.
The girl laughed brightly as her boyfriend playfully stole a bite of her ice cream. She gently hit his shoulder, and both of them burst into laughter.
The sight pierced Varun's heart.
His mind drifted back to Yuna.
He remembered her cheerful smile...
Her sparkling eyes...
The way she laughed over the smallest jokes...
The evenings they spent walking together after class.
"Varun, hurry up!"
"I'll beat you to the café!"
Her joyful voice echoed in his memory.
For a brief moment, he could almost see her running toward him with that beautiful smile.
A faint smile appeared on Varun's lips.
But it disappeared just as quickly.
"Yuna..."
His chest tightened.
He lowered his head, struggling to breathe as loneliness swallowed him once again.
"I lost everyone..."
He whispered to himself.
Just then-
"VARUN!!"
A familiar voice called out from behind him.
Varun froze.
His heart skipped a beat.
Slowly, he turned around.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"...Minjun?"
Without waiting another second, Minjun sprinted across the park as fast as he could.
"Varun!"
Before Varun could react, Minjun wrapped both arms tightly around him in a warm embrace.
Varun stood frozen.
Minjun's breathing was heavy from running, but he refused to let go.
"Where have you been?" Minjun asked, his voice shaking with emotion. "I've been looking for you everywhere... I missed you so much."
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Varun could feel the warmth of Minjun's embrace-the first genuine warmth he had felt since leaving the hospital.
His eyes slowly filled with tears again.......
