Subham slowly opened his eyes to the sterile white of a hospital room. The steady beeping of the heart monitor filled his ears. He felt groggy and disoriented, trying to piece together how he had ended up here. As his vision cleared, he saw familiar faces around him—Saheli, Ankan, and Dipika, all looking relieved.
"Subham! You're awake!" Saheli exclaimed, tears of relief streaming down her face.
"What... what happened?" Subham managed to croak out, his throat dry and raspy.
"You've been unconscious for a week," Ankan explained, his voice steady but filled with concern. "After you fell at Bhangad kila, Dipika showed up out of nowhere and called an ambulance. We were all brought here."
Dipika stepped forward, her eyes filled with a mixture of worry and relief. "I was at the airport, ready to leave when an old man appeared in front of me. He told me you guys might run into trouble. I didn't know what he meant at first, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. So, I came back to the hotel. The receptionist told me you had left for Bhangad kila, and I rushed there immediately. I found you all in such a terrible state..."
Subham's mind raced, but he decided to keep his encounter with the old man to himself. Instead, he focused on the relief of being alive and with his friends. "I'm just glad you came back, Dipika. You saved us."
Just then, a doctor entered the room, his expression serious but with a hint of amazement. "Ah, Mr. Subham, I see you're awake. I have to say, your recovery is extraordinary. Your healing rate is at least ten times faster than a normal human's. It's nothing short of a miracle."
Subham's friends exchanged bewildered glances, trying to comprehend the doctor's words. "What do you mean, Doctor?" Ankan asked.
"Typically, injuries like yours would take months to heal, but you've shown remarkable progress in just a week," the doctor explained. "We'll need to run a few more tests, but it looks like you'll be ready to be discharged in a few days."
The doctor then glanced at Subham's friends and added, "Could I speak with you three privately for a moment?"
Ankan, Saheli, and Dipika nodded and followed the doctor out of the room, leaving Subham alone with his thoughts. As the door closed behind them, the doctor led them to a quiet room down the hall. He closed the door and turned to face them.
"I didn't want to alarm Subham, but there's something unusual about his recovery," the doctor began. "We've never seen anything like it. His body is healing at an extraordinary rate. It's as if some external force is aiding his recovery."
"What do you mean by 'external force'?" Saheli asked, her voice shaking.
"It's hard to explain," the doctor replied. "It's almost like his cells are regenerating at a superhuman speed. We've run multiple tests, and all the results point to the same conclusion—his recovery is at least ten times faster than normal."
"Is he going to be okay?" Dipika asked, worry etched across her face.
"From what we can see, he's going to be fine, perhaps even better than before," the doctor assured them. "But we're still baffled by how this is happening. If you notice anything unusual once he's discharged, please let us know immediately."
The friends exchanged concerned glances but nodded in agreement. They returned to Subham's room, their minds buzzing with the doctor's revelation.
A few days later, Subham found himself preparing to leave the hospital. The thought of returning to normal life felt surreal after everything they had been through. As he gathered his belongings, he realized his wallet was missing.
"Guys, I can't find my wallet. It must be in my bag, but I don't have it here," Subham said, frustration creeping into his voice.
"Don't worry about it," Saheli said, stepping forward with a smile. "We've got it covered."
Ankan and Dipika joined her, holding up their wallets. "Yeah, after everything we've been through, this is the least we can do," Ankan added, his tone light and reassuring.
Subham felt a wave of gratitude wash over him. "Thank you, all of you. I don't know what I would have done without you."
They paid the bill and made their way out of the hospital. As they stepped into the sunlight, Subham took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the past week begin to lift. He knew their lives would never be the same after what they had experienced, but with friends like these, he felt ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
As they walked towards the car, Dipika turned to Subham. "Are you sure you're okay? The doctor told us your recovery has been... unusual."
Subham nodded, managing a weak smile. "I'm fine. Really. I guess I'm just lucky."
But deep down, Subham knew there was more to his rapid recovery than luck. The mysterious energy from Psychodeus had to be responsible, but he chose to keep that secret for now. As they drove away from the hospital, Subham stared out the window, wondering what other secrets Bhangad kila held and what the future had in store for them.