Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The next thing Suman remembered was being woken up by the two disheveled selves of Kanchan and Shravan. Both seemed exhausted as if had travelled from a faraway land in a single pair of clothes. Suman observed Shravan and that he was still in his school apparel, staring blankly into him as if uttering a mild fascinating in her thought bubble. She thought of the night before and its missing links with him that her sister was yet to provide with. She promised herself she would ask, rather question Kancha of Shravan's presence in the room and of the last night's hullabaloo later. The presence of another figure had her undivided attention.

A lady in her mid thirties presenting a wrinkled smile that smelled affectionate, stood at the rear end of the bed ready with a suitcase. Perhaps she had been waiting all the while for Suman to be up. Suman advertently looked at the time and exclaimed ,"Blimey! It's 7 pm!" And raised herself into a bolt. She tried moving aside the heap of blankets which got in her way. Any outsider seeing the scenario would've mistaken Suman for a sprinter.

"Relax Suman", Kanchan assured getting near her sister and tapping on her back. "The medicines were bound to give you rest".

When Suman had relaxed her shoulders, giving in to her sister's explanation, Kanchan continued.

"Meet Miss. Usha, she's here to take your blood and other samples for testing. Remember how Doctor Shetty had intended to send someone after? Well she's the person".

Suman remembered the afternoon events in flashes, with Dr. Shetty's charming smile assuring her a speedy recovery, occupying most of it. Rest all details were blank as a white canvas.

Suman's waking up had brought Anjali into the room. The mother answered the nurse's routine questions with Suman giving occasional yeses and nos. The nurse positioned into a chair next to the bed and began the procedure almost as instantaneously as Suman had wanted to end it.

Shravan who retreated himself to the rear end, intending to give a little privacy to the ladies stood with his fingers crossed. A single muscle movement on Suman's face translated into a hundred more on Shravan's. Suman remained mostly composed through the entire procedure making Shravan both fascinated and worried.

"Are we done?", Suman calmly asked after a brooding 10 minutes into the testing kits. 

"I have to do my homework".

"Oh you must be kidding Sumo!", Shravan thought with anguish, daring not to let the words spoken in his mind, out of his mouth.

"I'm afraid dear. You've been advised strict rest for the day", the nurse said loosening the tourniquet. Anjali nodded in agreement and after the nurse was done, offered to take her to the door. The nurse followed suit, leaving the three kids to continue.

"Kancha! What is he doing here!", Suman spoke in her NCC cadet high voice no sooner than the nurse and mother duo were out of vision and room.

"Shravan has been of great help today and..."

" I don't need any help. Not from Shravan in a million people", Suman cut her off and folded her hands. The red of her nose was visible even to Shravan who was at a foot's distance away. Kanchan who was becoming a little irritated of her usually calm sister, blurted out.

"Was I the one calling his name out in my sleep then!?"

Kanchan was so quick to barf the words out, that she took a second to register what had been said exactly. Suman stopped midway, eyes pale from the answer and Shravan lifted his head to the chair against which Kancha was standing.

"Yes that's right" she said almost second doubting herself, like a kid who knows the correct answer to a question yet frets when asked a 'Are you sure?'

"But...", Suman stuttered through her sentence, not quitting the incessant eye blinking even for a moment.

"Shravan was sweating in your worry last evening, Suman", Kanchan spoke in the most heart-wrenchingly soft way. It made Suman grab a pillow, trying to distract from the embarrassment that lay written all over her face.

"Had it not been for him we wouldn't have had Dr. Shetty visiting and treating you!" "And to answer to your him being present here, is because he was given permission to do so by Dadu himself!" Kanchan ended the sentence with what she believed was a mic drop moment.

Suman's eyes widened and retuned back to her indifferent self. She wasn't good at putting up a facade but somehow believed she had to. To ensure herself from not hurting again.

"For god's sake guys! Can't you see how much each of you is affecting the other? I can't be the only one that can see it now? Clear things out already. Brooding will only make it a lot more difficult." 

Anjali called for Kanchan. She had made some soup and bread for the kids and wanted someone to deliver the tray upstairs to them.

"Now if y'all allow me. Best of luck, you two." and Kanchan exited the room.

Both Shravan and Suman kept mum almost taking note of the temperature around them.

"You can remain mad at me", Shravan said after a while, cutting the silence surrounding them. Suman who had taken her head off to face the neighboring wall looked back at him in astonishment.

"What?..." She had caught the words but the sudden splutter made her question again.

"But", he continued. "Can we have a time out for it? at least for now? I mean, you just woke up from a fever. I would not want you turning red from a different reason now".

Shravan spoke with composure, so rebellious to his character that Suman wasn't sure of who had been through a high fever anymore.

"I am not mad. Wherever you got that idea from!" Suman pouted.

She found Shravan staring at the pillow she had placed on her lap. She replied with arched eyebrows. "What?"

"The pillow. You're clenching it. I know you must do that since fisting is your way of anger management." Shravan answered. Suman was taken aback by the observation and rested the pillow besides her. 

"I won't trouble you with my silly tricks anymore. I'm just lucky to have met you", he smiled after saying it.

If taking out eyes were an option, Suman would've opted for it but the string of shocks for a person who had just gotten well from sickness was a tad too much to handle. 

Shravan had always been a different character. Probably that's what made her question herself time and again. The one who had been good at assessing the opposite person's views and thoughts, failed to do so when it came to Shravan. She'd expect him to do one thing and he would end up doing something entirely different.

 Suman cleared her throat and instead offered to veer from the topic.

"Are you going to be at the blood donation camp tomorrow?

"Oh Yes! He is", Kancha replied before Shravan could move his jaw to answer. She had been back with a tray in her hand. The three soup bowls swayed as she approached the side table. Some of the soup was already out on the tray, the bread soaking wet in it.

"So sorry. It tumbled on the way", she spoke and sat on the chair willing to join right back into their conversation.

 "That's okay" Suman replied. "So Shravan, you've volunteered? That's good", she replied absent mindedly.

"Umm" he spoke in whispers. He cursed himself for not telling the truth.

"I wanted to go too. I mean I know I can go anytime in the future since I'm of the age now but this could've been my first time", she stared at the soup bowl that had been neatly placed on her lap by Kancha.

"No worries Suman. The illness is a nasty little thing. But perhaps it'll make you stronger!" Kanchan said showing off her imaginary biceps. "You see Shravan", Kancha continued. "Suman and I have always seen the camp happening at school and Suman waited years to donate and be of help to the society. It's rotten luck this time of the year".

"Hmm" Shravan couldn't help but feel sorry for his Sumo. What he had been trying to elude was what she had been desperately trying to capture.

"Who's volunteered? Shravan?", Dadu's loud voice trailed in and made everyone look in his direction. He stood at the threshold of the room. "That's impressive! Good job".

"Girls, I have news for you", Dadu continued. "Since poor Suman can't donate blood cause of her weak state.... I've decided to take her on a visit to the camp tomorrow. That's the least I can do. Oh but that is if she feels better", he gave a little pat on Suman's shoulder. 

"I shall accompany of course" he smiled and looked over at Shravan who seemed frozen in all of space and time.

"Off you go now, Shravan! You must sleep early to wake up early tomorrow." Dadu reasoned.

Shravan hesitantly retired from the room, hitting a small goodbye wave at Suman who returned it unknowingly. Shravan knew he was going to be sick for real.

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