A Cursed Up Love T2 - Page 47

Chapter 30: Caring and cursing

The buzzing mobile and a whimpering Geet woke his little nap session. For a fiddle second, he looked confused at the feminine face that lay a few centimetres away from his but that died along with the continued buzz. Following the sound, he was awarded with her silver phone shining as Pammi bhabi' was displayed in flashing lights pulling him into more thoughts. Did he have the right to take her call? Was this too personal? Even if he did, he didn't know what to say since he wasn't sure what she's told her family, about him and them. The could's, should and the would's fore-played one another until the ringing phone lay dead in his hands; coming back to life a few seconds later, stirring the sleeping Geet.

'Hello' he timidly answered walking a two steps back, the Maan Singh Khuranna hiding behind the bitter truth

'Hel...Pammi have you got the wrong number... Nahi Chachi it's Geets, she wouldn't change it, unless... hai rabba meri bache koi musibat main to nahi... I'm sure it's nothing Chachi... meri dil nahi manta, Geet ko kuch na kuch hua hai' he heard the two woman commute on the other side, one in distress and the other in assurance. But he just couldn't stop them, he didn't want to intervene, he just wasn't sure what to answer or how to answer. Finally remembering he not only had a wife but in-laws too.

'Whose this and where's my sister?' came an crackling tone, sounding like a young boy that suddenly hit puberty

'Look you miserable sod..' he continued when Maan sustained his silent observation

'Tito' admonished both the woman, almost immediately

'Hello' a crying voice called choking at the end while Maan watched the phone in shock, on the other side Pammi pulled the phone back from Rano who fell to the sofa and Tito scrunched his eyes together looking directly at his bhabi wanting the phone while she just plainly pointed towards his homework.

'Hello main Maan bole rahi hoon' he finally answered when the other side fell into disturbing silence

'Maan?' asked the surprised voices

'Beta tum, you almost gave us a heart attack' it was Rano taking a sigh of relief as Maan apologised

'What's wrong with Geet, she hasn't received her phone all day; hasn't given rung once which is so unlike her. Is she there with you now?' Pammi asked as Rano passed over the phone and concentrated on a studying Tito

'erm she's sleeping'

'Why?' the level of care clearly evident with the presence of bewilderment in her tone. The background noise limited as Tito stopped also realising the concern in the air. Maan could just imagine the family cuddling around the phone, an image that somehow warmed his heart. Geet was indeed loved, if not by her in-laws then her family.

'She's fallen ill'

'What?'

'I don't know the specifics but when I got to work, she was running a high temperature but I immediately brought her home.' He didn't know why, but he had to defend his corner; trying to paint himself innocent so they don't blame him for Geet's current situation

'He let didi go out with a fever' Tito shouted in annoyance, once again reaching for the phone which Pammi pulled away as Rano held him back. Handa men were too hot tempered, especially where Geet was concerned; irrespective of their age.

'But I didn't know' Maan shot instantly and then regretted closing his eyes, almost sounding like a whining child.

'It's ok' he heard the humour in Pammi's voice, doubling his embarrassment

'It's probably because of the weather, but has she eaten anything. Geet has a tendency to skip meals and totally neglects herself' Pammi informed looking over at Rano who held onto Tito, as a mother she was worried but Tito needed a shield to wade off his anger or else things could complicate for her darling daughter.

'I'm not too sure' Maan scolded himself for a minute, he could have asked Geet to eat. Yesterday, he himself saw how she starved herself; so today he should have known better.

'He doesn't know whether Geet didi's eaten' Tito screamed in bafflement, growing red in anger

'Hayye rabba, Tito shant ho ja bacha mein wessi bhi parishan hoon' Rano cried as there was only so much she could do for her daughter who burned in high temperature on the other side of the country.

'I'm sure he hasn't even called the doctor, what an idiot?' Tito mumbled loud enough for Maan to hear, while Rano cried in worry as the thought of the curse raised. During the wedding Maan seemed disinterested, and again he proved the same. What husband doesn't know of his wife's health, unless he didn't care?

'Rano chachi Maan ji hain na, app chinta mat karo' Paami had advised Rano seeing her cry, while Maan looked to the ground in shame. He wasn't at all good at the husband business, just a few minutes ago he promised to take care of Geet as a fellow family member, and a few seconds later he was failing on the exact task.

'Maan ji could you wake her up and feed her some soup or something, also call the doctor. She's allergic to Penicillin though I don't think she'll need antibiotic, but just in case. Do you have a medical kit?' Pammi spoke in a very understanding tone knowing somewhere that Tito's accusations were right, but she needed Maan to make Geet better hence had no option but to act wisely. This fortunately, also helped Maan to rise in his own eyes. It was required of him to manage henceforth, so there was no point in sulking now.

'Yep' and with that Maan immediately ran towards the top drawer, where he knew the medical devices should be placed. Nakul was advised by Dadima specifically to keep a First aid/medical kit in the first drawer of every bedroom, so it was easy to find in case of an emergency.

'Perfect, check her temperature and blood pressure' Pammi waited with a paper and pen while Maan switched on the electric monitor, once done both noted the blood pressure and heart rate, before checked her temperature which read 39.2c, raising panic.

'Please call the doctor and get her to eat something, I'll call in a bit' and with that the line went dead, Maan stared at the phone in his hand and once the command registered, he got to work calling Nakul to bring in some soup. But was interrupted by Nakul asking for the kind; carrot, tomato, lentil, mixed vegetable, butternut squash.

'Anything' he shouted before slamming the phone back down.

In half an hour, Nakul had arrived with his request, a bowl filled in what looked like steaming hot carrot soup with 2 slices of bread. As he wheeled the tray towards the bed, Maan called a sleeping Geet tugging at the bedsheet which she pulled over her head, wanting to sleep.

'Geet please, kuch to kalo' Maan requested putting a smile to Nakul's face, Maan had rarely requested so this made a pretty picture.

'Geet wake up please' he tried again and then again but the response was the same. Geet kept pulling the duvet over and moving away from the sound. Left with no option, he raised Geet and immediately sat behind her then leaned a sleeping Geet against him. Yet she didn't wake up, but cried out Papa' and then pushed further in the crook of his neck, curving his lips ever so slightly. Nakul watched with lowered eyes, a fatherly smile playing of his lips as Maan fed Geet; coaxing, pleading and even demanding a sleeping Geet. The picture was perfect, Geet secured in Maan's left arm with his right busy in feeding her. With closed eyes, Geet continued drinking though she complained like a baby and then once down, Maan wiped her mouth and placed her back onto the pillow allowing her to fall instantly to sleep.

'How can she sleep so much?' Maan complained, looking quite baffled while Nakul laughed allowing him to giggle also.

'Geet beta likes her sleep' he had commented while collecting the empty utensils as Maan reached for his phone with a smile knowing a bit more about her.

'Nakul did you call for the doctor' Maan asked stopping Nakul, he was just about to call for the family doctor when he remembered Nakul had made the offer a few hours ago.

'I did but he's on vacation, I had come in to tell you but you were asleep' Nakul finished looking at his suddenly angry boss, Maan shooed him away in frustration and then called a friend, who called another friend who in turn called another friend until finally he was gifted with a doctor's number. It being evening, so doctors' on call were short and the cherry on top was that she was a female doctor.

When the doctor arrived, she carried out a brief physical examination before asking certain questions leaving Maan in an uncomfortable place thus Nakul answered on his behalf, the questions were simple yet again reminding him of how he's failed a husband.

I't sounds like the common flu; runny nose, coughing, temperature etc. I am prescribing her with simple linctus for the coughing and an ibuprofen syrup for the cold, it'll also help with muscle pain' the doctor advised writing on her prescription pad as Maan and Nakul watched.

'I recommend that you get her checked by your doctor or you can bring her into one of my clinics in the next 2 days. If the cold persists, definitely show her to the doctor, or take her hospital' she continued as Maan took note of her guidance, she then collected her things and bid farewell.

'Oh yes, stay with her tonight just in case it gets worse. You can try the old-wives method of cooling her temperature with a damp cloth' she stopped by the door advising once again

'Just focus it on the forehead' she elaborated with a laugh as Maan looked perplexed and then walked out the door, with Nakul carrying her tools behind her; leaving Maan, and his duty.

AN: Ok I made some of it up, we don't get doctors visiting home. Rather we have GP's whom we need to book appointments with, or Walk-in centres for minor issues (i.e. temperature when we can't get appointments, which we have book by waking up at 8 in the morning (imagine the fun)). So I don't know whether doctors visit home in evenings, but in Shows they show doctors visiting at any time. I didn't want her to run down to a hospital for a cold, hence took this path.