The next morning, Sid woke up in bed, his body still aching from the pain that seemed to be his constant companion these days. He felt a sharp sting in his back and called out, “Rey! Rey, beta, idhar aana zara!” His voice was weak, but it carried enough urgency to wake Vansh, who had bunked with Rey and Miu in the gaming room.
Vansh, still groggy from sleep, shook Rey gently. “Rey, Mamu bula rahe hain,” he said, trying to rouse his cousin.
Rey rubbed his eyes, slowly waking up. “Haan, Vansh, main jaa raha hoon,” he replied, his voice still heavy with sleep. He glanced at Miu, who was still fast asleep, and then got up to check on his dad.
Entering Sid’s room, Rey saw his father struggling to get comfortable. “Dad, kya hua? Aap theek ho?” he asked, his concern evident.
Sid sighed, wincing from the pain. “Beta, mujhe uthne mein madad kar. Bahut dard ho raha hai,” he said, his voice strained.
Rey quickly moved to his father’s side, slipping one arm beneath Sid’s upper back and using his other hand to hold Sid’s arm. With a bit of effort, he helped Sid sit up on the edge of the bed. As Sid moved, he groaned, the pain evident in every movement. “Aah... kitna dard ho raha hai...,” Sid muttered, his voice filled with discomfort.
Once Sid was sitting on the edge of the bed, Rey fetched his slippers and gently placed them on Sid’s feet. “Dad, aap uthne ka soch rahe hain? Thoda rest kar lo,” Rey suggested, his voice full of concern.
Sid nodded wearily. “Haan, bas pehle painkillers de de. Bahut dard ho raha hai, Rey.”
Rey frowned, worried about his dad. “Dad, pehle kuch kha lijiye, fir painkillers le lena.”
But Sid shook his head. “Nahi, abhi de do, Rey. Itna dard hai, sehna mushkil ho raha hai.”
Rey hesitated but eventually gave in. He handed Sid the painkillers with a glass of water. As Sid took the medicine, Rey touched his father’s forehead to check for a fever. The warmth was still there, but it had reduced slightly.
At that moment, Miu entered the room, rubbing her eyes as she approached her dad. “Dad, aapka bukhar kam hua?” she asked, sitting beside Sid and giving him a gentle hug from the side.
Sid nodded slightly, managing a small smile. “Haan, beta, thoda kam hua hai.”
Just then, Vansh entered the room, having finally woken up. He walked over to Sid and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. “Mamu, aap kaise ho? Ab dard kaisa hai?”
Sid, though still in pain, couldn’t help but return the hug, however weakly. “Beta, dard toh hai, lekin kal se thoda better,” he replied softly, trying to reassure his nephew.
Vansh smiled, though concern lingered in his eyes. He had always been fond of Sid, spending most of his holidays with Miu and Rey, and Sid had always treated him like his own child.
Rey, noticing that his dad was still not entirely comfortable, asked, “Dad, aap fresh hona chahte ho?”
Sid nodded slightly. “Haan, Rey. Madad kar de, beta.”
Rey and Miu each took one of Sid’s arms and carefully helped him stand up. Rey then guided Sid to the washroom, making sure he didn’t lose his balance or strain himself further. While Rey helped Sid freshen up, Miu and Vansh headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
After freshening up, Rey asked his dad if he wanted to lie down again, but Sid shook his head. “Nahi, Rey. Bas mujhe living room le chal. Wahaan recliner pe baith jaata hoon.”
Rey carefully helped his dad walk to the living room, every step taken with caution. Once they reached the recliner, Rey gently settled Sid onto it. He propped some pillows behind his dad’s upper back and lower back, lifting Sid’s legs onto the footrest of the recliner. Sid winced and groaned in pain, “Ahh... bas, thoda aur theek se adjust kar...,” his voice trembling slightly.
Rey made sure his dad was comfortable, then went to freshen up himself. A few minutes later, Vansh entered the living room carrying a cup of coffee. “Mamu, aapke liye coffee. Dard thoda kam ho raha hai?” Vansh asked, handing the cup to Sid.
Sid took the cup with a grateful smile. “Thoda theek lag raha hai, Vansh. Abhi painkillers kaam kar rahe hain,” he replied, the warmth of the coffee soothing him a little more.
Now that the pain was somewhat bearable, Sid felt a bit more like himself. He looked at Vansh with a soft smile. “Sab ghar pe kaise hain? Aur tere padhai kaise chal rahi hai?”
Vansh grinned, “Sab theek hai, Mamu. Padhai bhi theek hi chal rahi hai, bas holidays ka intezaar tha, jo ab shuru ho gaya.”
Sid nodded, happy to hear that. “Kab tak rukega tu yahan? Miu aur Rey toh tere bina bore ho jaate hain.”
Vansh chuckled, “Mamu, main abhi poore holidays yahi rukunga. Inke bina holidays kaise enjoy karunga?”
Sid’s smile widened a bit, despite the pain. He was genuinely glad to have Vansh around, knowing how much joy and energy he brought into the house.
Just then, Miu and Rey entered the living room, carrying a tray with breakfast. Miu handed Sid his plate, which had a simple yet nutritious meal. “Dad, yeh aapka breakfast. Aap araam se khao, okay?” she said, her voice filled with care.
Vansh, noticing the pain in Sid’s expression as he moved slightly, asked, “Mamu, aapko doctor ko dikhana chahiye. Itna dard ho raha hai, kuch karna padega.”
Sid took a deep breath before answering. “Vansh, doctor se baat hui thi pehle. Yeh pain toh chalta rahega thode din. Injection bhi lena hai, lekin rest karna zaroori hai. Tum log mere liye chinta mat karo. Mujhe bas thoda sa time lagega theek hone main.”
Vansh nodded, though he couldn’t help but worry. Seeing Sid in so much pain wasn’t easy for him, or for anyone else in the house. But they all knew that Sid was strong and that they needed to support him as much as possible.
The family settled down to have breakfast together, the kids quietly enjoying their meal, mindful of not making too much noise. They knew Sid needed peace, and they were determined to give him that, even if it meant holding back on their usual holiday excitement. They also knew that as soon as their dad started feeling better, the house would once again be filled with their laughter and fun, just like always.
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