Unwanted

Chapter 28

Archit

Damn, January already.

"Priyangshu!" Priyodorshini said while holding a packet of paracetamol.
Priyangshu ran away from her and out of my room.
I sat on the center of the bed while watching the chaos unfold before me.
"Priyangshu!" She ran after him.
"Priyanshu!"
"Priyangshu!"
I could hear Priyodorshini's voice becoming fainter with each call.
They must have gone downstairs.
After a few minutes Priyanshu came running back into my room again.
Priyodorshini followed him into my room.
"Shona eta kheye nawo." She said panting heavily.
[Translation: sweetheart eat it.]
Priyangshu ran up to me.
"Ma nooo." Priyangshu said while hugging me tightly.
He rubbed his face against my chest wiping his runny nose.
I'll need to wash this shirt.
Suddenly he started sobbing.
"I don't want to eat it." He said while crying.
"Archit tell Ma something." He said while sobbing.
I ruffled his hair.
My poor baby.
"Priyangshu!" Priyodorshini was panting heavily.
"Let me handle it." I whispered to her.
"She is saying it for your own good." I tried to make him understand.
"I DON'T WANT TO EAT THAT!" He said shouting while tears ran down his face.
"Look, you are feeling unwell due to your fever." I said cupping his face.
He looked up at me with teary eyes, his face was all red. Maybe from the fever or, maybe due to crying.
"You will feel better if you take the medicine." I said while running my hand through his hair.
"Really?" He asked.
"Yes." I replied.
"No!" He said making me frown.
"Priyangshu, take the medicine." Priyodorshini said while sitting down on the bed beside me.
"Yes, your mother is right." I said, still running my hand through his hair.
Priyangshu looked at me and then at Priyodorshini.
"No!" He said making both of us sigh.
I need to think of something to get him to take the medicine.
How did my Baba handle all this when I was young?
I closed my eyes.

"TUI KHABI NA KHABINA?" Baba said while holding the cough syrup.
[Translation: Will you eat it or not?
"No!" I said while coughing.
"ARCHIT!" He shouted, "DO NOT test my patience."
"I won't eat it!" I said. I coughed.
"Don't irritate me. It won't be good." Baba said.
"No. I-"
Suddenly a slap landed on my face before I could finish ny sentence.
I let out a sob at first.
And then my sobs turned into a full blown meltdown.
"Now open your mouth Archit."
I did as he said and opened my mouth.

I don't want to traumatise Priyangshu.
I'll have to think of something else.

I picked him up and made him sit on my lap.
"Priyanshu, please. Please take it." I said pleading.
"No!" He replied.
"Please."
"No."
"Please."
He didn't say anything.
"Please."
"Okay."
My eyes lit up.
"That's my good boy." I said patting his head.
I looked at Priyodorshini. She smiled upon seeing me.
Maybe for the first time.
She came towards us.
"Open your mouth Priyangshu." She said.
He did as she told him to and opened his mouth.
She poured some water and then the tablet into his mouth and he gulped it.
"Good boy." I patted his back and hugged him.
"Archit." He said looking at me.
Suddenly he signalled me to crouch down.
I crouched down.
To my surprise he kissed my cheek.
He hugged me. He lied down and burried his face in my lap.
I looked at his small frame and smiled before I started ruffling his hair.
Within no time he fell asleep.

"You're good with kids." I heard Priyodorshini say.
I looked at her and passed her a smile.
To my utter shock she smiled back.
"Thanks." I said.
"You should sit down, you are panting heavily." I said while stroking Priyangshu's head.
He snuggled up closer to me in his sleep.
"He seems to like you very much." She said sitting down beside me.
Right beside me.
"Yeah." I said.
"You are a good babysitter." She said with a smile.
"Hmm." I said, "A babysitter."

●●●●●●●

"Are tui toh puro puriye dicchis." Baba said, frustration evident in his tone.
[Translation: You are burning the whole thing.]
Right now I was struggling to prepare a cup of tea.
Well, tea was what I had originally planned on making.
But, the 'thing' infront of me was...something else, clearly not tea. Actually this is far from it.
The 'tea' was black and smelt like burnt hay.

Finally after what felt like an eternity I finished making the 'tea'.
I looked down at it. Maybe it tastes good? I mean we should never judge a book by it's cover.Oh sorry, we should never judge a tea by it's colour.
This was my first time cooking.
"Add some sugar to this and serve it to everyone." Baba said making me nod.
"Okay." I replied.
He went out of the kitchen.
Baba sat on the dinning table right beside Priyodorshini. Priyangshu was sitting on the chair beside mine.
As soon as Baba sat down, he and Priyodorshini started talking. It looked as if he was her father.
I couldn't help but feel jealous.
I looked away and focused on cooking.
I looked around and picked up the sugar container.
After adding the required amount of sugar, I started pouring the tea carefully into the cups.
Be careful.
I thought to myself while pouring it in the first cup.
Well to my absolute bad luck, the tea ended up spilling on the floor a little.
Shit!
I became even more cautious.
After repeating my mistake again I finally finished pouring it in the cups.

I lifted the tray and started walking towards the dinning table.
Careful, careful. Be careful.
I thought while balancing the tray while walking.
A little bit of tea ended up spilling on the tray.
Nevermind I guess.
"Tea for the grown ups." I said while placing the cups infront of Priyodorshini and Baba.
"And milk for my baby." I said while placing a cup of milk infront of Priyangshu. He smiled.
I looked over at Priyodorshini. She was smiling. I smiled seeing her.
My baby.

"Dekho Priyodorshini amar bachha gadha ta cha banate sikhe gelo. Koto boro hoye gelo amar cheleta." Baba said in a teasing tone making me blush.
[Translation: Priyodorshini, look my baby donkey finally learned how to prepare tea. My son has grown up so much.]
"Baba!" I said.
Baba laughed while Priyodorshini smiled.
I sat down on my seat.
Baba took the cup in his hand and raised it to his mouth.
He finally took a sip.
I hope that the tea is tasty.
Suddenly Baba spat the tea out and started coughing.
"Archit are you planning on killing your poor father." He said while coughing.
"Why what happened?" I asked.
"This tastes like dog shit!" He said.

"Wait, you have tasted dog shit before?" I asked.