Hallucination - II

Next day they met at coffee Corner as decided. Varun was already there on time.

“Sorry Varun. You know how the traffic is.” Alok forwarded his hand to shake Varun’s hand.

“It’s ok. Actually my apartment is few minutes away from here. So came early taking a walk.”

Irfan was walking slowly behind Alok murmuring something which was not audible from where they were standing.

“He thinks she came with us. And now he is talking with her,” Said Alok looking at Irfan’s direction.

“He was not ready to come but I told him that I am meeting a friend for some official purpose and did not want to go alone” said Alok to Varun.

Irfan reached near them. A medium height boy around in his late twenties with dark hair and a lean body. By looking at him no one could say that he was suffering from any sort of disease.  

“Varun, he is Irfan and Irfan he is Varun” Alok introduced both of them.

“Hi” they both echoed.

“She is my girlfriend” Irfan pointed towards a blank space.

Varun smiled at the blank space while shaking hand with Irfan.

“Come let’s go in.” Alok offered.

Irfan gestured to that blank space by offering his elbow as if his invisible girlfriend was holding him by his elbow.

They took a corner seat which was not surrounded by much people. Although the café was not that populated by that time. They took their seat and Irfan pulled a chair for his invisible girlfriend just like a gentle man would do.  

They talked for a while. Irfan in between would talk to the chair next to him. Waiter came and took order. He was confused when Irfan talked with the chair and ordered one extra coffee and pastry. Alok signaled him to leave and the waiter left with confusion in his mind.

“So Irfan, tell me something about yourself.” Varun asked Irfan, “Alok was telling you are a content writer.”

“Yes, I write for different companies. Actually I am a freelancer. Whoever needs me they would just pay and make me write for their company,” Irfan replied.

Varun observed him carefully without paying much interest to what he was saying. Waiter came back with their order. Still there was confusion in his face.

Varun took his coffee in his hand. He took his first sip and asked Irfan, “And what does your girlfriend do?”  

“She is a painter. She teaches in a school and also has her own art school.” Irfan said without even looking at Varun.

“That’s interesting. My wife is a painter too.” Varun took his next sip.

Irfan looked at the blank space and smiled.

“Ya ya” Irfan said

“What?”  Varun asked.

“What what?” Irfan asked Varun.

Varun could understand that his invisible friend said something. “Actually I could not get what she said” Varun covered.

“She says she likes you.” Irfan replied.

“Oh really. Thank you.” Varun Smiled at the blank chair.

After few more minutes and studying Irfan’s condition they decided to leave the café. His invisible friend's Coffee and Pastry were untouched

“Irfan, you go and sit I will just talk with Varun and join you.” Alok asked Irfan to leave.

Irfan was about to leave when Varun stopped him, “Irfan wait a minute,” Varun took few steps toward Irfan, “why don’t you come tomorrow to my office. Just want you to write content for my office. Alok will accompany you to my office. Right Alok?” Varun looked at Alok.

Alok gestured as a positive response.

“Sure Varun” Irfan smiled and left.

“What do you have to say Varun? Will he be cured?” Alok asked Varun.

“Look Alok, as I said there are few cases which are not cured. But to me Irfan looks better and by one or two hypnotic session he can be cured.” Varun touched Alok's shoulder and assured him.

“But why Him? Why Irfan is seeing her?” Alok asked.

“In simple term if I have to explain then take example of fever. During fever our body is in pain. And our body is designed with such a mechanism that during any disease it releases some hormones to relief it from pain. These hormones are released on getting signal sent by brain. It’s kind of defense mechanism.” Varun paused and looked at Alok who still had a concerned face.

“Same thing happened with Irfan. He was in pain. So his brain has rewired itself. Or you can say after he fainted that day his brain restarted. Not completely but only that portion which had memories of his girlfriend. His brain shows him images which already happened earlier when he was with her. Or he sees thing which he may have imagined with her. You mentioned that he re-read their old conversations and browsed through their pictures.” Varun stopped to get a reply from Alok. But Alok just nodded trying to understand what Varun was saying.

“So even re-reading messages and constantly seeing her photo has affected his brain or you can say reprogrammed his brain.” Varun paused again.

“If you have seen the movie Lage Raho Munna Bhai, where Munna, Sanjay Dutta, Hallucinates Mahatma Gandhi. But he could see only those things about Mahatma Gandhi or could answer only those questions which he read in the book.”

“I am getting your point Varun. So whenever Irfan misses her he starts seeing her. Brain shows him her image to relief him from pain.” Alok replied.

“Chemical locha you see”, Varun tried to lighten the situation.

Varun patted Alok’s back, “It’s really hard to find such friend these days. Irfan is lucky to have you.”

Alok smiled at Varun.

“So see you tomorrow then,” Varun smirked.

Irfan was waving from inside of the car and showing his watch to Alok as he already has made him wait for longer time in the car.

“See you tomorrow Varun,” Alok shake Varun’s hand and they left.

Part III