Even as Madhukar Sankhe, senior police inspector of the Dadar police station maintained, “No arrests have been made so far, we are still investigating the case”, Preeti continues to battle for her life in the trauma ward, bed no. 2, at Lokmanya Tilak Hospital, Sion.

“She is still unconscious. And when she does gain consciousness, can't recognise any of us. For how long will this continue,” asked her heart broken mother Geeta. According to Dr M A Gore, head of department of surgery at the hospital: “Preeti has received significant head injury and has a fracture at the base of the skull. Her condition is still serious and we can’t yet say that she's out of danger. However, she has responded to medication till now, and we are hoping that she improves.”

One of the most evident signs of improvement in Preeti, according to the doctor, is a decrease in oozing of fluids from her ear. “When she was admitted, the cerebrospinal fluid was leaking continuously from her ears, now that has reduced,” Gore said. Cerebrospinal fluid or CSF is a fluid that flows over the surface of the brain between the meninges, and often acts as a cushion or buffer to the brain.

Outside in the visitors lobby, Preeti’s father Pravir Ganguly is now hopeful that his daughter will be better but is livid with the authorities. “The police have made several enquiries and say they are searching the entire city, but haven’t managed to catch anybody yet,” he said.

Geeta added, “It’s nearly a week now, but the people who hurt our daughter are still at large. All that matters to us, though, is that Preeti becomes alright soon.”