A Most Unexpected Fever - OS

It was a very cold morning, and after completing his prayers, Lord Ram donned a shawl before stepping out of the hut and into the courtyard. He looked around and saw Lakshman sleeping in a fetal position under one of the trees. He appeared to be shivering.

Ram felt anxiety pierce his heart as he ran towards his younger brother. Lakshman wasn't asleep. He had his arms wrapped around his body and was shivering uncontrollably, muttering something under his breath.

"Lakshman!" Ram called out, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder and shaking him awake. "Good lord, you are burning up!"

"Bh - bhaiyya," Lakshman stammered feverishly, "For - forgive me for not gr - greeting you this - this morning."

"Nonsense! We need to get you inside immediately, come!" Ram helped Lakshman to his feet and helped him into the cottage. "Sitey! Sitey, look. Lakshman is burning up!"

Sita had rushed forward upon hearing her husband's call and gasped at the sight of her pale and feverish brother-in-law. She placed a hand on Lakshman's forehead and blanched at how hot it was.

"Goodness, his temperature must be quite high!" she exclaimed, "Quick, my lord, we need to get him warm immediately!"

Sita spread several blankets on the floor and created as comfortable a bed as she possibly could. Ram helped Lakshman lie down and sat in front of him, placing his head on his lap. Sita spread a few more thick blankets over Lakshman's body and tucked them in, hoping it was warm enough.

"I will get the water," she said while Ram stroked his brother's forehead, his own creased in worry.

When Sita returned with a small bowl of cold water and a rag, she placed them on the floor and dipped the rag into the water. She squeezed out the water and dabbed the cold rag over her brother-in-law's forehead. Lakshman whimpered in his weakened state and tried to protest, but had not the energy to do so.

"Shh," Sita gently murmured, "It'll be alright, Saumitra. Just relax and let us take care of you."

"That is easier said than done for Lakshman," Ram smiled wanly.

"He will be better soon, Raghunath," Sita said softly, understanding how worried her husband truly was about his beloved brother, but knowing he would not voice it.

"Will he, Sitey?" Ram asked her with a frown. "I cannot help but blame myself for his condition."

"Blame yourself? How are you in any way culpable?" Sita asked with surprise. All the while, she did not break her ministrations to Lakshman, dabbing his forehead with cold water.

"I let him overwork himself in serving us," Ram explained with a sigh, "I should have forced him to take rest more often. He is so stubborn, but had I insisted, he would have listened to me."

"My lord, you are not to blame," Sita reassured her husband, "If anyone is at fault, it is me."

"How are you at fault, my love?" Ram asked Sita tenderly, "You take care of Lakshman like a mother. You are the last person to be at fault for his illness."

"I had noticed last night that it was slightly chilly outside," Sita frowned, "I should have known it would get colder, and I should have insisted Lakshman sleep inside the cottage."

"You know Lakshman would never agree to that, Sita," Ram gave her a reassuring smile. "Although he has built this cottage himself, he never resides in it except to eat."

"I should have at least given him some blankets to cover himself," Sita sighed, "I cannot believe I was so inattentive to his needs."

"Sitey, you are not at fault, please do not blame yourself," Ram placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Then you also must not blame yourself," Sita retorted firmly, "You have never forced Lakshman to do anything, and any service he renders us is from his heart. He is like that, our Lakshman. He is a hard worker and hardly ever thinks about himself."

"As you wish, my lady," was Ram's response.

He and Sita spent the entire morning attending to Lakshman, but when his fever did not break by midday, they became more worried.

"Raghunath, he must be given some kind of tonic!" Sita insisted, "Surely you were taught how to concoct something to reduce fever from your Gurukul."

"Of course! Why did I not think of it before?" Ram asked himself with exasperation. "Bharat was always the expert in the study of herbs, but the rest of us brothers were fair in our knowledge. I will be right back."

Ram left the cottage in search of the appropriate herbs and returned not 10 minutes later with several leaves in his hands. Quickly, he created a tonic for Lakshman and with Sita's help, forced it down his throat. Lakshman sputtered at the bitter taste, but he swallowed it with great difficulty.

By that evening, there was a vast improvement in Lakshman's condition and he finally woke up. By then, Sita had prepared some hot rasam and Lakshman drank it gratefully, feeling much better than he had that morning.

"Bhaiyya, Bhabhi, I am so sorry for making you go through such trouble for me," he said guiltily.

"It was no trouble, Lakshman bhaiyya, but you truly gave us a scare!" Sita scolded, trying to sound exasperated, though there was great relief in her voice.

"I have never been more worried in my life, Lakshman," Ram spoke to his brother with tears in his eyes, "I am not used to seeing you ill. You are the healthiest, most active person I know."

"I am sorry, Bhaiyya," Lakshman said again, "I promise, it will not happen again."

"It will only not happen again if you listen to us, Saumitra," Sita told her brother-in-law sternly, "Whenever the days are chilly, I do not want you to sleep outside, that too without blankets! I will create a warm bed for you in the cottage, do you understand?"

"But Bhabhi -"

"There are not buts," Sita insisted, "You are like a son to us, Lakshman, and your health is very important to us. In this instance, I will not bend."

"Bhaiyya -" Lakshman turned to his brother helplessly.

"I agree with your Bhabhi wholeheartedly, Lakshman," Ram insisted, "It is much too cold to sleep outside in this season."

Seeing that his brother and sister-in-law would accept no arguments, Lakshman sighed and said with resignation, "Alright, but only on one condition. I will sleep in the cottage only while it is cold outside, but once the weather improves, I am sleeping outside again."

"If that is what you wish," Ram nodded his head. "Lakshman, we have no issues with you sleeping in the cottage, but if you feel more comfortable outside, that is certainly fine. However, while it is cold outside you will not be sleeping there."

"Alright Bhaiyya, you may rest assured," Lakshman said humbly.

Ram hugged him and stroked his head fondly. "Now take some more rest, Lakshman. I know you dislike it, but your body must heal from its illness. You will be your same self tomorrow morning."

Lakshman reluctantly agreed and settled back against the warm blankets, closing his eyes. Although it made him feel guilty to have his brother and sister-in-law serve him, it also felt nice to be pampered. It made him remember a time in his youth when he had caught fever, and his mother Sumitra had coddled him in bed, pampering him with rich foods and sweats, while his father read him stories and told jokes to cheer him up. Ram and Sita were liked his parents, and seeing them take care of him, Lakshman remembered Sumitra and Dashrath. He saw Mata Sumitra in his Sita Bhabhi, and Maharaj Dashrath in his Ram bhaiyya. Surrounded by such loving individuals, Lakshman did not miss his mother and father at all.