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The doctor examined Roshni. “Roshni, looks like your wounds are healing. We may be able to take off your bandages next week, but the cast on the left ar
m and right foot will remain for a few more weeks. The bone does not heal that quickly, you see…it takes at least six weeks.”
Roshni was pleased to hear this and smiled.
“It is so good to see that smile on your face, Roshni. Once these bandages are off, you may be able to walk with a crutch.” He assured Roshni that she would be able to get on her feet very soon. To Deepak, he said, “Her complete recovery will take a few more weeks. How long is your stay here?”
“Why, doctor? Is everything all right with her?” Deepak asked.
“Yes, yes, nothing to worry about. Roshni is fragile at this time – both physically and mentally. She needs a great deal of support, and I’m glad you’re here.”
Deepak nodded and assured the doctor that he would do his best. “Doctor, I’m here on an extended stay, for at least three months,” Deepak said and looked at Roshni
Roshni had her eyes open wide. Three months? I wonder why.
Everybody was happy to hear him say three months but were puzzled.
“I wanted to spend time with Roshni, and my boss asked if I could work remotely. We are collaborating with a firm here in Bangalore, so he wondered if I could help him while I was here, and I agreed on one condition.”
Everybody waited for him – what was this condition?
“As long as the work does not get in the way of spending time with Roshni, I would be all right with this offer,” explained Deepak.
Roshni listened with awe. Why is Deepak doing all this? Isn’t this relationship over?
Her past thought came back to her: for her to understand him better or confide in him, it was necessary for her to live an extended time with him. She never thought this was feasible, but now Deepak had made it feasible; he’d made himself available to her.
The doctor talked to Deepak about Roshni’s progress and the next steps in her treatment. He left, informing Roshni that he would be back on Monday.
“Roshni, is it all right if I leave?” asked Sheetal.
“Yeah, Sheetal, please go ahead. I know you wanted to go to a talk.”
Instantly, a thought flashed in her mind. She looked at Akash. “Akash bhaiya, Sheetal is going to attend a talk by Shri Ravi Shankar. Would you be interested in going?” She continued, turning towards Sheetal, “Sheetal, is it all right if Akash bhaiya went with you? I’m sure he would enjoy the talk.”
Akash was a fan of Shri Ravi Shankar, and Sheetal was delighted. “Akash ji, do you want to accompany me?”
Akash had a broad smile on his face. “I would love to go, but is it okay, Deepak, if I went with her?”
“Of course! I will stay here with Roshni.”
“No,” Roshni responded loudly. She did not want to offend Deepak, so she toned it down. “I mean…you should go home and rest. Aunty will be with me here in the hospital.”
“Deepak ji, I think Roshni is right. You can come back tomorrow morning,” Sheetal suggested, agreeing with Roshni.
Akash also suggested the same to Deepak, and very hesitatingly Deepak agreed to go home.
As this conversation occurred, Aunty came in. She gave instructions to Sheetal regarding the food and the arrangements she’d made at home to accommodate Deepak and Akash.
Before he left, Deepak came to Roshni and held her right hand in his. “Roshni, I will be back tomorrow morning.” He walked away, looking at Roshni, still very troubled.
Chapter 24
Deepak reveals the truth of his marriage to Akash and Sheetal
Deepak was all alone in the apartment. He was restless and worried for Roshni. This was a very genuine concern he had for her, but how could he authenticate his feelings for her? He tried to divert his mind by switching on the TV and flipping through the channels, but he couldn’t focus on any of the shows. Finally he settled on a channel with an old Hindi movie, and he logged on to his laptop to check for any e-mails. He needed to get set up to communicate with his office in the US and also the office in Bangalore. Of course, the office was closed until Monday, so he decided to check his personal e-mails.
He retired to bed after a few minutes. As he lay on the bed, he recaptured the prior incidents: their conversations on their wedding night and in Jammu, his second trip to India when he spent a couple of days with Roshni and his feelings grew for her, his desperation to persuade her to believe in him, and then this trip. All these agitated his mind; he tossed and turned but to no avail. He could not rest.
