An Arranged Affair

Untitled Part 60

We spent each waking moment by Papa's bedside, talking to him as if he could hear us reading the newspaper to him and keeping him updated with the news, laughing at each others jokes, and for a small period of time, being a family again, even if Papa was unable to yell at us for talking to loudly. Trying as much as possible to be normal even though every time an alarm beeped we would hold our breaths, hearts racing, fearing the worst.

Phillip had gone back to work that afternoon. I felt guilty. He had take so much time out and I was reminded even more that I was unemployed , soon to be an unemployed graduate and the irony didn't escape me.

A few months ago I had promised myself that I wouldn't let myself get into this position.

And that's exactly where I found myself.

An unemployed kept woman dependent on her rich husband.

But as guilty as I was, I was also grateful that I was in the position where I could look after Papa.

Phillip stayed at the office that night, catching up on missed work. I was sad but at the same time glad. I was still a bit sore from out last encounter and it was nice to spend some time with Mumma and Bhaiya again.

It had been ages since it had just been the 4 of us. Even if Papa was a silent observer. Bhaiya had gone so far away to study and having him back, even if only for a few days, reminded me of how much I had missed him and talking to him over dinner was like talking to a long-lost friend.

He talked about how hard it had been to leave home, how it had been so lonely and how hard it was getting used to hostel life and how he missed Mumma's cooking. He told me how he struggled to fit in and how he had doubted himself so many times and had almost quit on more than one occasion.

Suddenly I didn't envy his life. He certainly wasn't 'living it up the way I thought he had. In fact, he sounded almost miserable.

But even as he spoke, I couldn't help feeling that there was something missing. Some vital key of his puzzle he was leaving out.

Mumma had taken vow to fast for Papa's health. 7 days without food. Just some fruit, milk and water. She had spent her day by Papa's bedside, chanting over and over again, her fingers passing over th beads of her Rudra mala. As much as i tried to convince her to eat something, she insisted. Her first meal after her fast would be with Papa. And he would be the one to break her fast.

Or break her heart.

I could only nod and accept her decision, only just starting to understand the bond she and Papa shared so I packed her a fruit salad with unsweetened Yoghurt after dinner.

That night the three of us shared the double bed at the hospital.

Mumma in the middle and Bhaiya and I on either side.

I can't remember the last time we had slept like this, probably not since our childhood.

I didn't expect Phillip to be back that night, expecting him to finish work and go back to the mansion, but I woke in the early hours of the morning from the sound of Bhaiya's snoring to find Phillip asleep on the couch, under the disapproving stare of the nurse.

The steady beat of the machines monitoring Papa's vitals were a comforting symphony as the dawn slowly broke.

" it's only one person overnight." the nurse chided me as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. " it's a good thing your father is in a coma, your brother just about kept the whole ward up. It's a good thing the walls here almost soundproof."

' I'm sorry, I didn't know.' i said apologetically, deeply sorry that my brother had disturbed so many people. "how did he do overnight?"

" slow and steady. The Dr's will be around to check up on him about 8 and if all goes well today then we will start weaning him off some his medication. Once we see that his heart can function on its own without the meds, then we will bring him out of his coma."