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“Yeah, a few hours of sleep; you know – time difference,” he said and looked at Sheetal and Akash.
Aunty was all packed and ready to leave.
“Did you all eat something, or should I get some breakfast from the café here?” she asked.
“No, Aunty, we had breakfast. I made some poha and saved some for you,” Sheetal replied.
Aunty mumbled, “Okay, thank you.”
“Aunty, don’t bother coming back tonight. You can stay home, and I will stay here with Roshni,” Deepak said, looking at Aunty.
“What about your meals?”
“I will get some food from a restaurant or the café. We will have dinner together.”
Roshni’s reaction was prompt. “No, I need her here. I need her help. Aunty, please don’t listen to him. You can come back,” she pleaded.
Deepak held Roshni’s hand very affectionately. “Roshni, Aunty has been sleeping here for the last several days. I’m not sure if she is able to sleep well; moreover, with her age, she needs some rest. Please try to understand. I will be with you here, and if you need anything that I can’t do, I can call the nurse to help you, okay?” he assured Roshni.
Roshni knew Aunty needed some rest but was hesitant to have Deepak around her alone.
Sheetal noticed her discomfort and said, “Roshni, I think Deepak is right. Aunty needs some rest, too. Let her stay at home, and Deepak will be with you. Try it out for a day or two, and if you still insist Aunty’s presence here is necessary, we can plan accordingly, all right?”
Roshni eventually agreed. Aunty left, and Akash helped her with the auto rickshaw. Akash returned after a few minutes and sat beside Roshni and engaged in a casual conversation, enquiring of her health.
“Akash bhaiya, did you all talk to Satish bhaiya to check on his health?” Roshni asked Akash.
“No, Roshni, I didn’t call, and I don’t think Sashank bhaiya called either,” he said.
“Bhaiya, don’t you think one of us should check on his recovery? It has been a few weeks, and it will be encouraging if he is improving. Bhaiya, can you please call them?” she requested.
“Roshni, you take care of your health first. We can talk to Satish bhaiya later.”
“Roshni, Akash bhaiya is right. Let’s plan to talk to Nirmala and Satish bhaiya in a few days after you feel better,” added Deepak.
Roshni certainly was much attached to Akash and talked to him uninhibitedly. Deepak enjoyed this intimacy between ‘brother and sister’.
~ ~ ~
Akash was to leave for Mumbai that afternoon. Sheetal and Deepak went to fetch lunch for everyone before he left. They came back with sandwiches. Sheetal and Akash sat by a table at a distance from the bed while Deepak brought a sandwich to Roshni.
He placed a small table across Roshni’s lap and helped her with the napkin and started to feed her. She hesitated and wanted to eat by herself. With Deepak’s help, she managed to hold the sandwich.
“Thanks for helping. I’m all right now. I can eat by myself. You can eat your sandwich,” Roshni said.
Deepak ensured Roshni was comfortable and joined the others for lunch.
After lunch, Deepak helped Roshni drink some water and cleaned the crumbs that had fallen and made her comfortable. Sheetal and Akash were very happy to see this; they exchanged glances and smiled to themselves. It was time for Akash to leave. He bid good-bye to Deepak and Roshni, and as he walked out, Roshni again reminded him to call Satish bhaiya and Nirmala bhabhi, and Akash promised her he would call.
Sheetal volunteered to drop Akash at the airport. Roshni mused on this, but supported Sheetal. Sheetal and Akash were becoming closer, and she noticed. Of course, the real reason behind Sheetal leaving was to allow Deepak and Roshni to be together.
“Roshni, I will drop Akash ji at the airport and then go home. I think you’re all set here with Deepak.” Then she turned towards Deepak, “Deepak ji, I’ll be at home. Please let me know if you need any help. If not, I’ll drop in tomorrow. I believe the doctor will examine Roshni and, if possible, remove some of the bandages,” Sheetal said.
Deepak looked towards Sheetal. “That’s fine, Sheetal ji. I will be here. But I need some help tomorrow.”
“Certainly, what is it?”
“Firstly, I need a cell phone; secondly, I need help with my computer, getting it set up so I can correspond with my team in the US and here.”
