WILL YOU DO ME A FAVOUR

56. A TRANQUILITY ATTACK

MISHTI'S POINT OF VIEW:-

Two days of nausea, vomiting, cramps, muscle aches, and what not went by. Moreover even against my wishes, he had a doctor come visit who asserted that I didn't need to be hospitalized, Abir hovered around me like I was on my deathbed.

I one second found him annoyed while the other minute curled up in his arms like he was the last ray of hope in my darkness. He insisted on working from home, as if leaving me would somehow worsen the stomach bug. In fact, he hardly left my side. I wouldn't say he was sweet or sympathetic. He was gruff and bossy and curt, seeming a little out of his depth.

He kept flicking from one website to another, comparing lists of symptoms to be sure there was nothing he was missing. He felt positive it was food poisoning and was ready to call up the Italian restaurant until he read again, on a website, that symptoms of food poisoning could take weeks to come on, so I could have caught it from any number of places. The doctor who came to visit had confirmed that.

Although the symptoms passed after two days, I was still groggy and felt like shit. I worked from home for the next few days. Abir, being a humble person, did the same.

"I can come to the office, today." I said, looking at him, make the darkest coffee in the kitchen.

"No,"

Fluffy was also being so good to him, growled while I was about to talk and that pissed me.

"You.... Stay quiet." I for the very first time got angry at her and within a second I carried her in my arms, "I'm sorry, Fluffy. I didn't mean it." I kissed her fur.

"You are still not fine, Sweetheart."

"I was sick, Abir, not terminally ill. I'm fine now. There's no reason why I can't go back to work."

"You're not at one-hundred percent yet," he insisted.

"No? I feel it." I crossed to him, touched by his concern but also a little exasperated. "The doctor told you there was no reason I couldn't go back to work." Which I knew had pissed Abir off. He'd been relying on the doctor to back him up.

"You can keep working from home."

"No, I can't. Nor do I want to. You've put off countless meetings, and many people are eager to reschedule and especially some guy named Blake James, who called three times today. Stop clucking like a mother hen, I'm fine." I wish I wasn't a chick here.

"You had food poisoning, Mishti. That's not always simple to recover from."

I let out a huff sound. "I had a stomach bug."

"Even the doctor said it could have been food poisoning."

"Yes, could have been. But he couldn't be sure without a fecal sample. And I'm quite certain you'll remember that I hadn't been able to provide him with one. I'd been fresh out of shit. Literally. My body had purged itself in a major way."

He sighed and shook his head. "Do what you want."

That was so rude. "Even if it was food poisoning, that wouldn't mean I have to work from home any longer."

A muscle in his cheek ticked. "You have to promise to tell me if you get too tired or need to go home."

I almost rolled my eyes. "I promise."

He sighed. "Then we go back to work tomorrow."

"TODAY." I walked back to the room to dress after looking at Ryan and Ketki having fun in the lawn.

I didn't realize Abir was following me till the door behind me locked.

"Abir..."

"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning. "You don't feel sick again, do you?" He actually felt my forehead to check my temperature.