“Dr. Khanna. My brothers are there and they need to be fed–”

“Yes. And they can stay here as well as you can. For God’s sake, Rupali. Stop making everything an issue of self-respect. It isn’t. The world will not look down upon you just because you let someone take care of you when you were ill.”

He regretted his outburst when she started sobbing. “Please don’t cry,” he asked miserably, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I can never mean to hurt you. You will only worsen your condition if you cry. I’m sorry. Please now.”

She wiped her tears and said weakly, “I want to lie down.”

“I will take you to a spare room. And don’t you need to inform someone at the pharmacy?”

“Yes,” she rubbed her temples, “Thanks for reminding. I should call–” She picked up her phone, but her hand shook.

“Tell me the name,” he took the phone from her, “I will ask Soumitra to call. And come with me to your room.”

“I must talk to Soumitra. He needs to bring some stuff from home and inform Sugata–”

“He will come to your room. Tell him that they are also staying. So they should bring their stuff over.”

—

Paritosh was unable to sleep. A little past midnight he got out of his bed meaning to take a stroll outside. He walked past Rupali’s room to find it open. Soumitra and Sugata were sitting by her side with cold water strips.

“What happened?” Paritosh asked.

Rupali’s fever was increasing despite the medicine they had given her. They were trying cold water strips now. But she was delirious with fever. Paritosh went ahead to check her temperature and withdrew his hand with a start on touching her forehead. It was burning. He called up at the hospital and was advised to bring her there as soon as possible.

“Someone will have to stay with Meenal,” Paritosh told them, “Soumitra, can you?”

He wanted to be with Rupali, but he also knew that Paritosh could be of more help in the hospital than he himself. So he agreed.

Together they loaded her in the car and Paritosh drove as fast as he could. Sugata accompanied in silence. Throughout they could hear her feverish ramblings. Words were broken, but her fears were clear. She was talking to her dead parents. Beseeching them to come back.

“Baba. I don’t want my scooty. Please come back.”

“How can I manage everything on my own, Ma?”

“Where do I take them, Ma? Nobody gives us shelter.”

When they finally reached hospital and the attendants there took charge of Rupali, Paritosh noticed Sugata standing in a dark corner, crying and wiping his tears at the same time.

He went to the boy. He had interacted more with Soumitra, who came across as the more mature of the two, and had not spoken much to Sugata earlier. So he was a little unsure of how to talk to the boy. But he figured that in moments like these, what anybody needed was assurance. He patted him on the back and said, “Don’t worry. It can’t be anything serious. She will be all right by the morning. Let’s go in.”

Sugata followed him in silence and mechanically did everything he was asked to do.

Couple of hours later, they got a call from Soumitra.

“How is Didi, Dr. Khanna?”

“Her fever is in control now. She is sleeping. They are running a few tests to see if there is something other than a viral fever.”

“Is there?”

“We don’t know right now. But I’m sure she will be all right. Don’t worry.”

“And Dr. Khanna – Meenal is awake. She is asking for you… And Didi. She wouldn’t go back to sleep.”

“Okay. I will come home and bring both of you here.”

—

“Mamma is ill. Mamma is ill,” Meenal announced to no one in particular when she saw Rupali sleeping on the hospital bed.

“She’ll be fine, Meenu,” Paritosh assured her once again, then motioned Soumitra to go to Sugata who was sitting next to Rupali, morose and silent.

He took Meenal outside the room to leave the siblings by themselves for a while.

But when he came back it was with the reports and some bad news.

“Jaundice!”

“She will need bedrest,” Paritosh said and the twins looked at each other. They all knew the near-impossibility of the situation.

“She will never agree,” Soumitra said dejectedly, “She will have to leave her job. She will not let us work–”

“She will have to. It is contagious,” Paritosh said.

“Oh!” If that meant she lost her job, especially with Paritosh, she will take it even harder than if she had to leave it on her own.

“Is there a relative or friend you can inform?” Paritosh asked.

Soumitra shook his head.

“What about,” Paritosh hesitated for a moment before completing, “Her boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend?” Soumitra was startled, then recollected, “Oh! Mihir. No, I don’t think…”

He didn’t think they should inform him? Or he didn’t think Mihir was her boyfriend?

“Listen to me, then, Soumitra, Sugata,” he said, “You have let me help. And you have to support me when I talk to her.”

“Help how?”

“Whichever way required.”

“No. Why should you–”

“Because your sister is the best thing that has happened to my daughter. This is purely selfish.”

“If it is contagious, she can’t continue working with Meenal.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that Meenal needs her. Please guys? This is for everybody’s good. And it is a matter of few weeks. Then she would have recovered.”

“If you can convince her…” Soumitra replied weakly.

“I will try to. You must help me by agreeing.”

Soumitra nodded and then said sincerely, “Thank you, Dr. Khanna. I will never forget this day in my life.”

—