More than just Feluda (Fanfic)

Food for recovery

She found herself awake right the next morning, headache better but the cramps still persisting. Opening her eyes she saw him on her bedside and realised that he had actually been waking her up all this while. He caressed her hair again, worry written all over his face. Tapesh was standing with a plate and glass of water peeking from behind him, looking somewhat relieved when she woke up.

She looked at both of them and then reached out to him. She slowly sat up with his help, ignoring her paining womb. 

"How are you feeling now?" He asked.

She didn't know what to say, inside, she was completely numb despite the physical pain. Too downhearted to say she was better, too exhausted to say she was worse and lament again. 

She tried to say something, but couldn't. He still waited for her to try again. 

But she just closed her eyes.

Tapesh now came in front. "Boudi, Maa sent some food. She's gone to the temple to pray for you."

She opened her eyes back but didn't respond more.

He took her hand in his. "Sindhu. I understand you, but you need to have food to recover right?"

She managed to speak this time. "I don't want it."

"Don't punish yourself like this, your body needs the food. Just some of it, for your health's sake..."

"I said I don't want it."

He now cupped her face with his other hand. "Please, darling.... Listen to me once..."

Tapesh looked down for a moment, but everything around was so serious that he chose not to mind it.

She looked away. "I really don't want to eat. Please."

"But you need to eat. I promise, just some of it, I won't force you to finish everything."

She sighed. "Mitter Babu-"

Tapesh decided to interrupt this time. "Boudi, come on... Just some of it..... What about a deal? I'll give you a chocolate for every spoon that you eat like a good girl, or maybe the new edition of Tintin!.."

He broke into a soft smile, the one which always melted her heart. Both of them were now looking at her with such pleading puppy-eyes that she couldn't dare to say no.

"Alright." 

Tapesh immediately handed him the plate and he lifted a spoonful of Khichuri (rice meal). Blowing on it, he brought the spoon to her mouth. She ate it with teary eyes. 

"Ohho..." He wiped the tears off her face and held another spoonful to her mouth, which she ate again. Tapesh was now loudly counting every spoon for recording the number of chocolates needed.

"By the way Boudi; you've been lectured on having food right now, but even Feluda didn't have dinner yesterday because you didn't."

She looked at him. "So you really aren't going to take any care of yourself if I'm not there."

He just pinched his ear saying sorry.

He brought the next spoonful to her mouth, but she took it from his hands and held it to his mouth instead. He ate that and took the spoon again.

Tapesh looked at this for a few minutes and then intervened. "Well, I'm very hungry too if anyone cares."