‘I was scared,’ Rohit continued. ‘I followed her ... two steps behind, calling out to her. But she continued walking—a strange expression on her face, knife in hand. She walked up to the tree in the garden, and stopped. Then she turned, went back to our bedroom, put the knife under her pillow and fell asleep.’
‘Did you talk to her about it later?’ asked Meera.
‘I did, the next morning. But she had no recollection of it.’
‘And then?’
‘I took her to our family doctor, who referred us to a psychiatrist. It took me a few days to convince her to visit the psychiatrist. She underwent therapy for about two months. When therapy did not work for Tanvi, medication was prescribed. I learnt to keep track of the medicines and their dosages, so that I could administer them myself, should the need arise. But nothing seemed to have an effect on Tanvi. In fact, her condition has only worsened.’
‘Worsened how?’ asked Meera.
‘The sleepwalking episodes have become more frequent. Every other night, she walks about in our room, up and down the staircase, and at times, goes out of the house. And then, one night ...’ Rohit paused for a moment, evidently struggling to articulate what he was about to say. ‘She tried to attack me with the knife. That was the first in a series of attacks—all in her sleep, of course. She had no idea what she was doing. Then . two days ago, after I had fallen asleep . she . she stabbed me with a pair of scissors.’
Rohit rolled up his t-shirt sleeve to reveal a fresh wound on his left shoulder, about three inches wide, the stitches still visible.
‘Oh my God!’ Meera gasped, walking up to him to take a closer look.
‘Have you thought about arranging for ... better care?’ asked Aditya, choosing his words carefully.
‘You mean like a mental institution? She is my wife, for God’s sake,’ said Rohit.
‘No offence meant. It’s just that she probably needs that level of care and attention,’ said Aditya. ‘Now tell us, Mr Acharya, how can we help?’
‘I didn’t know what to do ... so I called the police. I don’t want anything to happen to Tanvi, but I also fear for my life.’
Rohit’s hopeless dilemma saddened Aditya. Help me, please, the scream rang in his head again, I don’t want to die.
‘We’ll see how we can help,’ he said finally, patting Rohit’s back as he noted Tanvi’s psychiatrist’s details. ‘Thank you very much,’ said Rohit.
‘And where is she now?’ asked Meera.
‘Upstairs. In her room.’
‘Can we see her? Talk to her?’
‘Not sure if talking will help. She may not even be awake. Anyway, come with me,’ said Rohit, as he led them towards the staircase.
‘One more thing,’ said Meera, as they walked up the creaking stairs, ‘what’s with the constant loud music?’
‘Ever since all this started, I’ve had difficulty sleeping. Since the attacks began, I have been, in fact, afraid of falling asleep. The loud music is to ensure I don’t, just in case.’