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Hola! I present to you more fluff. This piece is a product of Memorial Day Holiday (still tryna figure out these American holidays, ngl) and missing your S/O because he flies around the country too much and is not around to take care of you. I swear I can relate anything in my life to ShraMan, someone please send help.
Vertigo
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"Can
you call Sumo?" Shravan asks as soon as Pushkar walks into his room around
noon on a Sunday.
"Did
you guys fight again?" Pushkar asks, his voice not surprised one bit, he's
used to their World Wars.
"No,
but she won't pick up my call." Shravan says trying her phone yet again,
for the tenth time.
Pushkar
smiles at his brother's desperation. "Bhaiyaa, maybe she's busy."
"She
would have picked up and said so then." Shravan murmurs, worry evident in
his voice. He calls the home phone at the Tiwari Villa but that too goes
unanswered, he's pacing now. He knows that no one except Sumo is home, the
family is attending a wedding on Mami's side of the family. Sumo stayed behind
due to work and because she wasn't feeling too good.
"Pushkar,
can you try calling her? I don't know if she's just chosen something to be mad
at with me." Shravan murmurs and Pushkar nods taking his phone out of his
pocket and calling Sumo.
"Voicemail."
Pushkar says when the rings go unanswered. "She'll call back."
"She
was supposed to come by, but hasn't, she's home alone too. I am going
over." Shravan says speeding past Pushkar, he runs down the stairs and out
the door grabbing his keys on the way.
Pushkar
is left standing in Shravan's door. "Just friends." He scoffs. "Yeah
right."
She
doesn't answer the door either so he uses the only other way he knows into the
house. Up the ladder, onto the terrace and through the storeroom. It's a lot
more difficult than he remembered because there is a lot more of him now. He
managed to hit his head only twice though.
The
house is absolutely silent but he knows she is inside because her car is
outside and it's Sunday so PCT is closed, he had even called there just in case.
"Sumo?" He says out loud as he approaches her room, she groans in
response, it's really quiet though and it worries Shravan.
He
walks into her room to find her in bed, her eyes are shut right and she's
grasping the sheet like she's in pain. "Sumo, are you okay?" He asks.
"I
am dizzy, it'll pass, one minute." She says breathing slowly, he sits on the
side of the bed, watching her, her eyes don't open for another thirty seconds, she
looks up at him when her eyes open and he can tell there is something wrong
with her because they're not the clear dark chocolate brown he's used to.
"What's
wrong Sumo?" He asks holding her hand in his.
"My
head starts spinning every time I change sides, but once I am up it's
completely okay." She says getting up and sitting against the headboard. She
looks kind of sick, like she's going to throw up.
"Doctor?"
He asks, but she shakes her head.
"It
happened yesterday morning too, and then passed, it's only when I wake up." She
smiles at him. Her face pales all of sudden and she jumps off the bed and runs
towards her bathroom leaving a flabbergasted Shravan behind. He shakes himself
out of it and follows her only to hear her throwing up in the bathroom.
She's
hunched over the toilet, and he kneels right beside her, holding her hair out
of the way and rubbing soothing circles into her back. She gets up slowly and
he helps, just in case she falls. But she seems fine now, her eyes are clearer
and the colour seems to be returning to her face as she brushes her teeth and
rinses.
She
turns back to him and smiles, like she's okay all of a sudden. He takes a step
towards her and feels her forehead before checking her wrist, she doesn't feel warm.
"Are
you sure you don't want to go to the doctor?" He asks and she nods.
"I
am okay Shravan." She smiles and the way she walks past him tells him that she's
not lying but he's still worried.
"You
wouldn't feel dizzy and throw up for more reason..." He speculates before his
eyes grow wide. "ARE YOU PREGNANT?" The words pierce his heart as they leave
his mouth because the thought of her being pregnant with someone else's kid
made his heart clench painfully.
"NO!"
She says back. "That's uh, not possible." She says blushing and he nods
sheepishly.
"Sorry,
sounded like morning sickness." He murmurs back.
"Want
food?" She asks changing the subject. "I am really hungry." She walks out of
her room and towards the kitchen, he follows her still unsure about her state
of health.
"How
about I make something and you
supervise?" He asks but she shakes her head no with a scoff.
"I
like my food not burnt." She replies with a smirk.
"I
am perfectly capable of making some
things, I did live alone for ten years." He answers stepping right in front of
her. Before she knows what is happening he picks her up and puts her on the
counter, her legs hanging off it.
"Shravan!
What are you doing?" She exclaims trying to get off but he steps in between her
legs and places both his hands on either side of her before moving his head
down so he's really close to her,
like that day in the kitchen.
"You
are going to sit right where you are and let me do the work, you've officially
been promoted to supervisor." He says, his voice is an octave deeper than it usually
is, because he knows it gets to her. In the past few weeks, he's noticed that
his proximity seems to disorient her a bit, just like hers does to him. She
nods slowly, her eyes wide, he's tempted to lean in and place a kiss on her
nose but he stops himself and moves back.
"Omelet?"
He asks and she nods.
"You
can make that without burning the house down?" She asked.
"Yep."
He answers as he walks to the fridge and takes out the carton of eggs before
turning to her. She crosses her legs and sits comfortably on the counter
instructing him on where to find things. She watches amused as he carefully flips
the first omelet in the pan, as if it was the most delicate thing in the world.
He gives her a pointed see look when
the omelet stays whole when he is done flipping it.
She
rolls her eyes and dumps the cardamoms into
the tea that is boiling as he plates the first omelet and pours the second one
in the pan. She is impressed, she has to admit, because he manages to plate and
pour everything without burning the food or himself.
"Do
I pass?" He asks as they sit in front of the TV in the Tiwari living room,
watching Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Sumo had
screamed in happiness when she realized it was coming on TV.
"I'd
give it a B-." She nods with a laugh causing him to roll his eyes as he cleans
off his plate. She eats slowly and watches the screen as Shah Rukh Khan roams
through the streets of London. "You've probably seen all of this?" She asks.
He
nods. "Yeah, they chose the really touristy areas, didn't go there much just
because of that, it's always so crowded."
"Hm,
seems pretty though."
"It
has its charm." He nods as she finishes her own food and sips on her tea. "Are
you feeling okay?" He asks and she nods. She looks fine, maybe a bit tired if
anything.
He
picks up the dishes and drops them off in the kitchen before coming back into
the living room, she's sitting on the sofa and smiling at the TV, but she looks
tired and uncomfortable, she keeps moving trying to find a comfy spot, but the
arm of the sofa is not tall enough for her to lean to her side like she wants.
He
sits right next to her and she looks up at him in question. "You can lean on
me." He says and she nods before leaning against him so the sides of their body
are touching and he's supporting most of her weight. The action was innocent,
but they could both feel their hearts beat faster at the proximity. Shravan
tries to sit still for a few minutes but his arm feels awkward, so he takes a
deep breath before wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he keeps his gaze on
the screen though, and can see that she looks up at him in his peripheral
vision but he doesn't acknowledge it. Sumo's smile grows and her heart flutters
in her chest as she snuggles closer to him, her head resting on his shoulder as
they watch the movie.
At
first they are hyperaware of the other, and then they get used to it. It feels
so normal and comforting. To an
outsider it would look like a couple sitting together enjoying a movie. It is
relaxing until the characters in the movie start mentioning how even after
being apart for ten years they still loved each other, both their minds
automatically go to their own relationship. She felt him tense so she knows he is
thinking about it too.
It
had been on both their minds recently, especially after the story-telling
fiasco at the restaurant. He constantly thought about his feelings for her,
trying to figure out if she felt the same. And he was leaning towards a yes, because her actions screamed love,
she stood by him through everything, even when he didn't want to listen to her
about his mother. They crossed lines that they had drawn, they didn't hesitate
when touching the other person, it was mostly unconscious, holding hands to
drag the other somewhere, placing his hand on her back to navigate her
somewhere, touching her face to pull her lips into a smile when she was angry
at him - just little things.
Shravan
feels her droop into him like she is falling asleep after a while, but then she
lets out a groan of pain. He turns towards her to see that her eyes are shut
tight and she looks pale again. "Sumo?" He asks holding her face lightly
between his hands, his eyes grow wider when he realizes how warm she is.
"I
feel dizzy again." She murmurs as the spell passes.
"I
am taking you to the doctor." He exclaims as her eyes open again, she's too
tired to protest this time so he tries to help her up, she seems really
disoriented and he's worried she may fall if she tries to walk. "I am going to
pick you up, okay? I don't think you'll be able to walk without falling." He
warns her before he lightly picks her up in his arm, one arm supports her back
and the other goes under her legs, she groans and leans her head into the crook
of his neck trying to calm herself down.
He
walks out of the Tiwari Villa and seats Sumo in the car before buckling her in,
if he wasn't so worried about her he would have definitely noticed how close
their faces were. He runs back into the house and grabs the keys by the door
before locking the house and getting back in the car.
"Sumo,
you okay?" He asks as he pulls the car out of the driveway.
"The
car is making me sick." She murmurs, her eyes shut tight.
"It's
only a short drive, let me know if you need to stop at anytime okay?" He asks and
she nods.
They
make it to the doctor's office without any mishaps, Shravan gets out of the car
and walks to the passenger side of the car before opening her door. She seems a
bit better now and manages to get out of the car on her own.
"I
can walk." She says but she wobbles ever so slightly, Shravan steps beside her
and wraps his arm around her waist, supporting her, as they walk into the
clinic. Thankfully, there are not many people there and they are inside a room
waiting for the doctor within minutes.
A
petite lady breezes in after a few minutes. "Good afternoon, I am Dr. Khan."
She smiles at the couple in front of her and is immediately taken aback by how good they look together. She can tell
that the woman is not feeling well, and the man is really worried just from the
way he seems to hover over her, moving ever so slightly every time she does. "I
am guessing you're the patient." She smiles at Sumo sitting down in front of
the two.
"Yeah,
I am Suman."
"So
what seems to be the problem Suman?" She asks.
"I
feel really dizzy, it only happens when I move around though, mostly when I
change sides in bed or lean too far to one side. I feel really crappy after the
dizziness passes, like I am going to throw up, and I did throw up this
morning."
"She
also has a fever." Shravan pipes up when Sumo stops talking.
Dr.
Khan nods. "I need you to have a seat right here for me." She says pointing to
the examination bed in the room, Sumo nods and gets up, Shravan gets up with
her just in case she falls but Sumo manages to walk over and take a seat on the
bed without his help but he stands by her anyways which causes Dr. Khan to
smile a bit.
Dr.
Khan measures her blood pressure first before using an otoscope to look inside
her ear, and then checks her temperature. She can tell that there is some kind
of build up in her ear, and that she definitely has a mild fever.
"Do
you feel dizzier when you turn to your left side?" She asked and Sumo
nods. "I need you to get up for me
please."
Sumo
complies and stands in front of Dr. Khan. "Suman, please follow my finger with
your eyes." She says as she moves her finger around in front of Sumo's head,
when she is satisfied that there is no problem she moves on. "Can you please
stand behind her and catch her if she falls?" She asks Shravan who nods before
moving behind Sumo. "Suman, I need you to put both your arms out in front of
you and close your eyes."
Sumo
complies and Dr. Khan watches intently and is pleased when Sumo seems to
maintain her balance and not fall backwards. "Perfect." Dr. Khan says. "You two
can have a seat now."
They
both sit back in the chairs in front of her desk and she sits across it with a
chart in her hand. "Do you have a history of stroke, cardiovascular diseases or
head injury?" She asks and Sumo and Shravan both shake their heads no. "Are you taking any prescription
drugs?" She asks and once again Sumo shakes her head no.
"Hmm,
okay, so the good news is that what you have will pass in a week or so. You
have an inner ear viral infection, inside your ear is a nerve that deals with
balance, when one part of the nerve is affected there is an imbalance between
the two ears which causes vertigo, so the dizziness and vomiting, to occur. These
symptoms are made worse by quick jerky movements and a lot of bending and
rotating of the head, just everyday movement like bending or looking up to get
things out of a cabinet."
"She
does that a lot." Shravan mumbles.
"I
do not."
"Oh
please, that's all you do at work." He answers.
Dr.
Khan tries hard to hide her smile before she continues. "The good news is that
once you start anti-virals the inflammation will go down and you will stop
getting dizzy and vomiting. But for the time being, I need you to take it slow,
no quick movement and try not to change sides when you sleep, it won't harm you
to do so but you'll just wake up and feel really dizzy. There are a few
exercises that you can do to settle the vertigo, kind of tricking your brain to
be back in balance." She says as she pulls out a sheet from on of her drawers.
"The written instructions are here, but I suggest just entering the words Brandt-Daroff Exercise on the top of the sheet here into YouTube and
following along, you might need help doing the exercises Suman. I'll write you
a prescription for anti-virals and something to keep the nausea down." She says
and Shravan nods hanging onto to every word.
"I'll make sure to do the exercises with her."
Shravan nods. "If she gets worse, should I take her to the hospital?"
"Yes, but I don't think she'll be getting any
worse." She smiles back at Shravan. "You have a very caring husband Suman,
you're very lucky." She says to Sumo whose eyes grow wide.
"She is, isn't she." Shravan says when he feels like
Sumo is about to correct the doctor.
The two of them leave the clinic and walk to the
adjacent pharmacy to pick up medications for Sumo who looks a bit better since
she has had the opportunity to regain her balance. "Why didn't you let me
correct her?" Sumo asks curiously as they wait for her medications, although
happy that he was so willing to pretend to be her caring husband. This was the third time they were supposedly married.
"She would have been confused and then went on for
another five minutes trying to figure it out." He shrugs. "Plus, I thought we
were married Pushpa." He teased. In
reality, he liked the idea a lot, which was scary considering that a few weeks
ago he hated the idea of marriage. But the past few weeks had shown him that
his parents' marriage wasn't the only way marriages worked and that his mother
wasn't really wrong in what she did. So he didn't bother correcting Dr. Khan,
and a little part of his mind thought that she would ask if her was her brother
next and he would have probably denied that really loudly.
"You
okay to walk to the car?" He asks when he notices that she's closing her eyes
again but she nods. She starts to take another step but stops midway,
scrunching her eyes shut. "I think the heat is making it worse." She mumbles,
she feels really uncomfortable all of a sudden as the shop spins around her.
Shravan hands her the medications and picks her up again, gently, making sure
not to jostle her. She wraps her arms around his neck and smiles up at him in a
silent thank you. He somehow manages
to open the door even with her in his arms and places her in the seat gently
before buckling her in, her eyes open and meet his concerned eyes. He doesn't
know what makes him go through with it, but he places a kiss on her forehead,
his lips lingering for a second too long. The feel of his soft warm lips
against her skin makes her heart flutter. "You're so warm." He murmurs before
sighing and closing the door.
The
ride home feels shorter than the ride there, and in no time, Shravan is
navigating her back into the Tiwari Villa, she takes a seat on the couch and he
disappears into the kitchen only to reappear with a glass of water, a banana
and her medication.
"I
don't feel like eating." She says when he hands her the banana.
"You
need to take the medication with food." He says causing her to sigh, she knows
that he's not going to back down so she complies before taking her pills. "You
should do the exercises once." He says taking his phone out of his pocket and
opening up the YouTube app before searching for the exercises. They both watch
the video and Sumo groans.
"That
is definitely going to make me dizzy." She pouts.
"It'll
help in the long run." He says and gets off the couch and stands in front of it
as she moves to the middle.
Sumo
is fascinated by how caring he is, he
had shown up at her house and had taken care of her all day, taken her to the doctor,
fed her...and now he was hovering over her worriedly as she did the exercises.
"What
do you want to do now?" He asks sitting beside her once they had gone through
the exercises.
"Nap."
She says leaning against him like she was before when they were watching the
movie, his arm automatically wraps around her this time, pulling her closer.
"But I can't lay down, I can't not
change sides every fifteen minutes." She sighs.
"Hmmm."
Shravan thinks. "I have an idea."
The
two of them end up back in her room, Sumo is laying on the bed surrounded by
pillows on both sides. "This is not going to help, I'll just roll on top of the
pillows, trust me. I'll try to nap sitting up."
Shravan
sighs and shakes his head before taking off his own shoes and laying on her bed
on the other side of the pillows, he turns to his side and he can tell that
she's taken aback by her wide eyes. His own heart is hammering away in his
chest but he shakes himself out of it and places his arm across the pillows and
lets his hand rest on her stomach. He waits for a few seconds, asking her if
it's okay without saying a word, he speaks when he feels her relax under his
touch. "I'll stop you from turning, go to sleep." He murmurs.
She
nods and closes her eyes but sleep is the last thing on her mind right then.
His touch and the weight of his hand on her stomach is sending flares of
awareness through her whole body. She doesn't really know what to make of this
but she's tired and dozes off after a few minutes with thoughts of their relationship plaguing her mind.
He
relaxes when he can hear her breathing steadily and feels her heart beat slow
down under his hand. He looks at her closely and wonders when he should tell her
of his feelings, he has a feeling that she already knows. He crossed a lot of
lines today, but he didn't feel bad about it because she was so accepting, but
there was confusion in her eyes that had nothing to do with her current
predicament and he promises himself that he'll tell her soon.
But
for now, he watches her intently and sighs contently observing her sleep. She
looks absolutely beautiful and peaceful, and his heart feels light at the sight. He traces her face
with his eyes, trying to memorize every millimeter, but he feels like he
doesn't have to try hard because he's been doing it unconsciously since his
return.
And that's it, I have two more works in progress at the moment, yay being sick and not being allowed to go to work because you're sick! Anywho, keep a lookout for them! :) Until then, don't forget to lemme know what you think, bye bye my lovelies!
Edit: Check out another new OS here --> Fees
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