More than just Feluda (Fanfic)

The room again

Sindhuja woke up to see a black sky with little, scattered stars out of the familiar window of the familiar room she had spent so many years of her life sleeping in. She felt a strange, sad peace on being there again; like everything had again returned to where it was, and nothing had ever happened. Yet, the attack still haunted over her memories again now that she had come back to the house.

She didn't notice him coming in with Kaaki until they walked upto the bed. He had a plate with khichuri (rice meal) in his hand and kept a typical neutral face, but Kaaki was looking at her with utter grief. She remembered everyone was quite happier when they came home, but this time it something was off. Kaaki seemed like she wanted to say something, but couldn't.

To cover up Kaaki's struggle he stepped ahead and asked her, "How are you feeling?"

"Not bad." She gave a short answer.

"It's past dinner time, so Kaaki's come herself to give the khichuri that she prepared for you." He said looking at Kaaki expectantly, as if signalling her.

Kaaki understood it. "Yes-yes... Sindhu-" Kaaki's eyes had tears now as she stroked Sindhuja's hair.

She just looked from Kaaki to him puzzled. What the hell was going on?
He was about to say something, when Kaaki almost whispered, "Finish the food while it's warm..." And left the room.

He kept a straight face with visible effort and sat by her side on the bed. Taking some khichuri in the spoon and blowing over it, he held it to her mouth. "Here."

But she stopped his hand and took hold of the spoon. "I'll have it."

Disappointment flickered across his eyes for a moment, before he handed her the plate too.

When she was finished eating, he brought a new box with bandages in it and placed it on the bed. "We need to change that." He said pointing at the off-white band covering her forehead.
"Sit straight and look here."

He carefully bent over and removed the bandage as she sat in place, giving a better sight of the wound. He held her face and furrowed his brows eyeing the wound before taking a fresh boll of white cotton dipped in antiseptic and dabbing lightly on the spot. She winced as the cooling liquid pricked on her still-forming skin and he quickly removed it, blowing on the place where it hurt.

She looked up at him, his face so close to hers, eyes narrowed in concentration as he bandaged the wound back carefully. Noticing her watching, he looked down too, locking his eyes with hers.

She found her heart skipping a beat as she looked back into his dark brown, observant eyes, once again getting lost in the strange warmth they gave despite their usual coldness. He gave a little smile into her softened eyes hanging between keeping her apathy to him or giving way to her feelings.

Swiftly taking a peck at her bandaged forehead, he got up watching the cold anger return to her face as a reaction.

Next, bringing in the medicines, he handed her each pill himself.

The next day went similar, except for the fact that he saw her in the afternoon with the medicine-box opened in front, eyeing the packet of sleeping pills. Walking behind her he asked, "What are you doing?"

She looked back at him jumped out, but quickly said. "Looking at the pills. Which ones they are. Besides, it was time to take one-"

"It wasn't time to take this one. It's this." He showed her a packet of smaller pills. "And I'll be taking care of your pills, don't worry. That's what I was coming here for."

She took the pills but he kept looking at her suspiciously. The way Sindhuja was shocked on finding him behind, the way she had specifically chosen to pick the sleeping pills, the way her hands were shaky and slightly sweaty holding them, her unusually cracking voice... She had something else in mind; he knew it was something else. And he knew what the something might have been.

Brows furrowed, he tipped her chin up with his finger. "Sindhu, is everything okay?"

"Yes." He voice seemed certain but she avoided eye-contact with him, removing his hand from her face.

"Alright, I trust you." He said still trying to look into her eyes which she avoided again.