The Co-CEO

Zafirah had been the model child since the very beginning. Her parents had always told her that she was meant to do great things much like all other parents in the world. Even though they never really forced her to act a certain way or be like someone, she could feel the invisible pressure.

The relentless push. The push to do better, be tougher, try harder. She was after all The Rodriguez heiress and a lot rode on her shoulders. She was to bring honour to the Rodriguez name with any and every move she made.

Somewhere between becoming someone and achieving something, she misplaced the most significant and invaluable part of herself, she forgot how to enjoy her life. She was so worried about building a brighter future that she forgot to enjoy the things that the present had to offer. She had somehow forgotten how to live life to the fullest.

Life for her, had become a constant marathon between setting a target and achieving it, upon which the initial process was followed again. The thirst to be her own person and to prove her worth was unquenchable.

Fresh out of college with a Hotel Management degree from an ivy league college, she was well equipped to take over her family's hotel business just as it was planned. Under her leadership, the hotel business blossomed and reached new heights. Her enthusiasm and vigour were the driving factor of its growth as well as a motivation for the employees who worked for her.

They say that the hotel industry is a tireless one and like a whirlpool it had sucked her in. She immersed herself in work so much so that the office became her second home. She rarely ever left office before ten pm and on most nights ended up crashing her couch.

She had almost cut herself off from her family, forgetting that they were the ones who she was trying so hard for. She did not even visit during the holidays or attend the family functions anymore. She felt the connection with her twin brother become weaker as days turned into months and months into years of them not having a proper conversation. She did love him dearly though.

She slept less and worked more, a lethal combination. Her willingness to work herself dry had led to an array of health problems. The endless working began to take a toll on her health. She was soon diagnosed with multiple disorders including insomnia and hypertension.

Ultimately, sleeping tablets became her only escape from the realm of endless work. The tablets silenced the voices inside her head and brought her peace. Her schedule was so hectic that she needed the pills to knock her out cold for a much-needed good night’s rest.

In time, she felt as though she'd developed a resistance to the medicines she was taking. She needed more and more to get a good night's sleep. The voices in her head were getting louder and out of control. Pushing her harder and harder.

By this time, she had long become addicted to the medicines that were her respite. It had reached a point where she could no longer tell the difference between 'just enough' and 'too much'. And, one fateful night, she paid the price for her ignorance.

One too many pills later, she'd slipped into a deep sleep. The only difference was that this time, it wasn't quiet and peaceful. She could hear sirens and mourns but, couldn't open her eyes. She was trapped in her own body.

She could hear every word spoken to and of her, loud and clear. She heard their plea's and cries. Her mother, her father and even her twin brother cried out to her, asked her to reach out to them.

But, the truth about coma is that unlike imminent death, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. It's just an infinite stretch of pitch-black nothingness. It was almost like being stuck in quick sand. The more you try to reach for your conscience, the deeper you slip into the darkness.

Helpless, she heard them go through the blame game, the questioning of faith and finally, acceptance of the inevitable. She knew that they each thought that this was their fault in their own way. Oh! how desperately did she want to wake up and take it all on herself.

After all, it was her own fault. The blame was hers and only hers to take. It was her fault that she could almost feel the light and caring touch of her mother, smell the perfume her father always wore and feel the little nudge of the connection with her brother but, do nothing of it.

The truth now was that, no matter what she did, she couldn't reach out to them. Wipe their tears and take their pain away. The very few friends she had suddenly became less frequent and he stopped coming altogether.

Being dumped is as it is the worst feeling in the world but the true pain manifests when you cannot explain yourself, beg him to stay just a little longer. Remain by your side when the whole world has decided to leave.

She remembered clearly, the words that he'd said to her like they had been engraved on her very soul, etched in her mind forever. He'd loved her, he'd said. But he couldn't wait anymore. He needed to move on, live his life when he had one.

The words cut her and even though she was incapable of feeling physical pain, it felt like it. The hopelessness and helplessness of the situation was killing her, if only she could just die because of it. But she didn’t have that privilege. She couldn't do anything. Ask him to stay, shout at him or even respond. She just lay there in the darkness, listening and hurting.

Time became irrelevant to her. For she seemed to be stuck in the darkness for eternity. She didn't know whether it was day or night or which season it was. She somehow ceased to exist yet heard the world around her

functioning normally.

Her family visited her often. Her brother being the most frequent visitor. She could feel his guilt. And what she loved about her brother was that he spoke to her as if she were awake. As if they were having a conversation over tea.

He told her of his day and life in general, asking for advice, even though she couldn't give any. She heard the hoarseness in his voice at times and imagined his sitting beside her teary eyed. She wished to wake up so she could tease him about it.

She'd been so happy when he'd brought his girl to meet her. She heard everything that was said and concluded that she approved of her for her brother. Only wished that she could see her in person.

Her mother seemed to sound weaker and weaker each time that she'd visited. Zafirah's heart broke hearing her mother sob for her. But, when her mother told her of her father's illness, she'd decided that she'd taken enough rest.

She had to do something, she had to meet her father. She'd struggled so hard to fight the darkness and finally after what seemed like an eternity, she'd opened her eyes to a bright white room and beeping monitors.