Us Against the World

32. Riya's Return

"No."

"Yes."

"I said no."

"And I said yes!"

Chandini huffs, stubbornly turning her face away from the bowl that I hold in front of her. "No, I don't want to eat soup!"

I glare at her. "You're sick," I insist. "Soup will help calm your stomach and it's less likely that you'll throw up with it."

"Still no." Chandini pinches her eyes shut. "I hate soup, and I'm not going to drink it!"

"Do you want to stay sick?" I frowned. "You won't be able to go to school and meet Spencer."

To my surprise, Chandini shrugs. "I can call him," she says. "I was going to video chat with him, but I look super hideous and I don't want him to see me like this."

"You look fine," I sigh. My first manipulative tactic has failed, it seems. "Look, just eat it, okay? I spent forty-five minutes making this soup and I don't want it to go to waste." I pin her with a stern glare. "Kid, you know that they're kids in Africa who-!"

"Don't have food, I know, I know," Chandini finishes in annoyance. She grabs the bowl of soup from my hands and shoves the warm spoon into her mouth. "I don't need to hear that lecture all the time. Mum used to say it enough."

"She had reason to say that," I say. "You were such a picky eater."

"Hey, it wasn't just me!" Chandini snaps. "You just wanted to eat chicken every night."

"It's a delicacy that you simply don't know how to savor," I huff. Even though she's sick and bedridden, Chandini still manages to retain her quippy attitude and retaliate against me. "What do you want to do after lunch? Do you want to go watch TV in the living room or go to sleep?"

"I'll take a nap," Chandini replies. "Can I call Spencer and talk to him?"

"Sure, but only for a bit," I say. I lean over the pile of gray pillows on her bed and kiss her forehead. "Rest, okay? I'll be home earlier from work, but don't move around a lot. I don't want you to faint again."

"I still wonder why that happened," Chandini muses. "I'm not stressed, and the food was fresh..."

"It's winter." I shrug. "Fevers are common during the wintertime." I ruffle her dark, disheveled hair. "As long as you don't strain yourself and do what I say, you'll be fine."

Chandini rolls her eyes. "You had to add that last bit, didn't you?"

"Of course." I stand. "You're going to stay here, right? When I come back you'll still be here and not on the floor of the living room?"

She laughs. "No, I'll be here," she says. She waves her hand. "Now go, you worry-wart. You'll be late for work."

"I'm already late," I scoff. "I might as well take my time at this point." I comb some bangs behind my ear. "Besides, you're my priority. I need to make sure that you'll be okay before I leave."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine."

"You're sure? We could go to the doctor if you aren't feeling well?"

"Meera, go!" Chandini smirks. "Take a break and go meet your boyfriend or something. Stop worrying so much. You'll make yourself sick."

"I'm not the one in bed right now," I say, but relent. Kissing her quickly, I close the door to her room and scurry down the hallway and into the kitchen where my bag lies on the table. Stuffing my wallet and apartment keys into the smaller pocket, I stroll out the door with my coat on my arm.