Posted:
*The medical information in this OS is invalid and unreliable!*
**Dedicated to the AnSh AT's most sensible member, Khusiđ
***This OS was for the 50AnSh AT - am posting it in forum finally. Corrections and comments welcome đ
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In Sickness and Soup
The Shekhars had returned to Udaipur and Shiv was away for a one week conference in Bangalore. When DS learnt this, she insisted Anandi stay over at the Haveli while Shiv was away. Her first afternoon back at the Haveli a few hours after lunch, Anandi got violently ill. At first all were excited that she might be pregnant especially Sumi, but Anandi suspected her ulcer was back with a vengeance. She didn't want to worry her family, but she could not very well give them false hopes. When she shared her suspicion, Bapusa immediately called the hospital for Lal Singh. He was out of town, so Jagya came to treat her instead. He was now working at the Jaitsar Hospital under LS and living nearby in a small house with Gauri and their son, Dukhiya!đ¤ŁJagya agreed that it was indeed her ulcer acting up. To complete matters, it appeared Anandi had picked up a cold from her students as well. He gave her an antacid injection, something for the cold, and some painkillers to help her sleep. The pain and cold made her feverish and she dreamed Shiv was there with her not just Sumi or Jagya, who had insisted on keeping watch till her fever broke given the complications.
He arrived all harried near dawn, tossed his jacket onto a chair, rolling up his sleeves immediately took over placing and removing the wet handkerchief on her forehead. He soothed her back when she was nauseous but, had nothing left in her stomach to toss.𤢠He held her hand when the pain was overwhelming and had her squeeze it to her hearts content! It wasn't real but, imagining Shiv there gave her peace and strength.
'Shiv - aap itne aachee or handsome kyun hai?!" She mumbled happily when he wiped down her bro for the umpteenth time. Shiv blushed tamatar red as Sumi smiled shyly at her son-in-law. He had rushed back to Jaitsar, for once pulling every official string and then some ...first to get a flight from Bangalore to Delhi and then another one from Delhi to Jaipur, lastly riding the final overnight bus from Jaipur to get Jaitsar early morning...home to Anandi's side in hours instead of days.
Jagya watched and remembered how he had refused to visit Anandi when she was first diagnosed with ulcer...now watching Shiv care for Anandi was bitter medicine - but better than listening to Gauri's constant taunts and Dukhiya's collicky cries.
It was eight in the morning when Anandi's fever finally broke. Relieved, Shiv insisted both Sumi and Jagya get some rest while he kept watch. After they left, Shiv crawled into the bed beside his wife for a quick nap himself. Her face was still wan but, he could feel the lack of fever in the coolness of her cheek against the back of his hand.
Anandi woke an hour later to find Shiv cuddled next to her holding her pulse near his face. Disbelieving her dreamy reality, she pinched herself and then Shiv's cheek!đ
"Soo jaao, Anandi" Shiv scolded in his khadoos cranky Collectorsaab voice as he opened his eyes a midge.
"Aap kab aaye?" Anandi still disbelieving he was there in the bed beside her. How had he managed to return from Bangalore this fast? He really was her SuryaBadal...always there when she needed him. With that thought Anandi fell asleep a happy smile on her face once more. Shiv pulled the covers over the both of them, spooned her into his body, and fell back asleep himself.
That's how Jagya found them cuddled asleep under the blanket in Anandi's former room when he came to check on her an hour later. Swallowing the thick lump in his throat, he woke them to administer another antacid shot to Anandi before making her drink some pheeka soup he had asked Taisa to prepare.
As Jagya readied the needle and filled it with the antacid medication, Shiv held Anandi's arm..and babbled that it would not hurt much and she had to be a good patient. He had almost convinced himself all would be well, but then felt light-headed when he saw the needle about to go into her arm. With her free arm Anandi grabbed his Shiv's face and forced him to look at her face.
"Mein bilkul teek hu! Dekhiye!" Anandi gave Shiv her brightest smile and a wink that had him blinking and blushing in sweet surprise. Jagya inserted the sui in her other arm and tried helpless not to watch. Had he and Gauri ever loved so sweetly? He could not even remember the last time they had even said a kind word to each other. The only thing they spoke about these days or rather ranted over was Dukhiya.
Gehna brought in the bowl of steaming soup for Anandi just as Jagiya was leaving to return to the hospital, confident his patient was in much better hands. đ Shiv had shifted to the chair beside Anandi's bed once more and immediately stood up to take the tray with the soup from Taisa. He placed the tray on the beside table and took the bowl and spoon in his hands.
"Shiv tum bhi neeche jaake nashta karlo. Mein Anandi ki saath rehti hu...tum kal raat bhi kuch nahi khayaa" Taisa told Shiv, but he refused to budge from Anandi's side so she said she would bring up a tray for him as well in that case. Shiv nodded his head to that, got up and whispered something in her ear that had her leaving with a teary smile and a nod. The soup bowl in hand Shiv sat down back down. He scooped a spoonful of steaming soup for Anandi. But, she sealed her lips together and refusing to have any... wrinkling her nose in disdain.
"Yeh soup bahoot pheeka hai... mujhe nahi peena hai!" She made a puppy face similar to the kind Shiv made whenever he was sick and she tried to feed him such stuff.
"Meri sherni...mujhe hi grrr" He laughed at her nakal, determinedly chasing her mouth with the soup spoon till she consumed it.
"Not fair - mere liye peeka soup...aur aapke liye aachhee pakwaan" Anandi continued her "Shiv"personation. Shiv tucked in a strand of hair behind her ear and tugged on her earlobe while he fed her some more soup.
Jagiya cleared his throat from the door, putting a stop to the lovebirds' game. He had forgotten his stethoscope and Taisa had asked him to take up Shiv's tray when she had seen him on the stairs heading up. He handed the second tray to Shiv and picked up his stethoscope from the desk where he had left it.
"Soup? Aapke liye bhi? Yeh kya Shiv? Mein toh sirf aapko chhed rahi thi" Anandi softly asked Shiv with a watery smile.
"Agar tum mere liye Soup pee sakhte ho jab mere tabiyaat kharab hota hai...to mein tumhein company nahi de sakta hu kya?" Shiv replied back as he spooned the soup into his mouth. It was indeed pheeka but, to him it tasted as sweet as Anandi's halwa.
Jagiya felt nauseous seeing the fond and proud look Anandi gave to Shiv. He was the one who had been there the whole night taking care of Anandi, but she didn't even see him. Compelled to disrupt, he started to cite off the items Anandi should eat and avoid while she recovered. Shiv immediately handed the soup bowl and spoon to Anandi and grabbed a paper and pen from the table. He then asked Jagiya to repeat the list, diligently noting it all down while Anandi fed him the soup!đł
Frustrated Jagdeesh stomped off as soon as he finished the list again mumbling something about returning to check on Anandi later in the day.
Alone once more, Shiv tucked Anandi tightly into the bed and made her sleep some more while he showered, changed, and skyped the presentation he was supposed to give in Bangalore. As he finished, he spotted Anandi looking at him with "THAT" look! Blushing, he shook his head in the negative.
"Nahi tum theek nahi ho!" He said with quick kisses on her forehead, eyes and a slow soft one on her mouth. Slipping away before she could hold him!
By tea time, colour had returned to Anandi cheeks and Shiv carried her downstairs when she refused to stay in bed any longer. They were near the staircase landing when a harried Gauri entered with baby Dhukiya in her arms. She had baby spit up all over her the front of her salwaar and a splotch of what looked like baby powder on her neck. Before AnSh or anyone could properly greet her, she rushed off toward the kitchen only to be rebuffed out by Sumi, who coldly told her she would warm baby Dukhiya's milk while Gauri waited.
Putting Anandi down on the sofa, Shiv too headed to the kitchen with a determined look of his own. Anandi chatted with Bapusa and Tausa about the upcoming harvest while they waited for tea. Gauri tried to quiet the baby, who was once again crying. DS tried to help, but the baby threw up on her...forcing her to go change. Jagya returned to check on Anandi just as Sumi and Shiv returned from the kitchen with afternoon tea. Jagya tried picking up the baby to help, but with a glare Gauri snatched the baby back from him.
"Woh tumko nahi jaanta! Aur bhi rooyega!" she hissed at him. Shrugging, Jagya turned back to ask Anandi how she was doing now. She was smiling at Shiv while he handed her a cup.
"Yeh kya Shiv? Mere masala chai kaha hai?" She questioned with a puzzled look after taking a sip from her cup.
"Yeh green tea hai... hum aaj se yeh peenge...jab tak tum teek nahi ho jaate ho" Shiv informed her while picking up his cup. The hot chai cup Jagiya had just picked up slipped from his hand drenching him with hot coffee. He went up to quickly wash the coffee out. Shiv and Anandi had already left for Circuit House by the time he returned. Anandi had wanted to go "home" and the Singhs were confident Shiv would let nothing awry happen to her. Who could take better care of Anandi then Shiv?!đ
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