HIS LOST BELOVED

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE :- Hypertension

Abhay

"Is it true?"

I hear Mumma's soft quivering voice in the painfully silent hall of our mansion.

I nod my head, too tired to speak anything.

My head buries into both of my palms. A physical expression at times of my mental distress.

"We need to take precautions....my god she is too young for this", comes Papa's worried voice. "Don't worry okay, we all are into this together."

He pats my back.

"It's nothing. You all are worrying too much....it's pretty common these days", and then I hear the most irritating person at this time, Neitra.

Irritating not because of her voice, but because of her words.

"Oh please just shut up!" I say it out loud. "Do you have any idea what these reports say?"

"Abhay calm down", I hear my parents say but I'm already exasperated after a long hectic day.

"Yes I do", she says sitting in the front sofa beside my mother, who is worriedly clutching Neitra's hand. "It says I have hypertension."

All of us are scared for her.

In the sky blue hospital scrub a doctor speaks so casually about her having hypertension.

After a week since we returned to Delhi, I have had her blood pressure monitored regularly which (139/88) ofcourse wasn't appearing normal.

And after running blood tests and having a detailed discussion with one of my cardiologist friend, she has been diagnosed with stage one hypertension!

"Then stop taking it so casually!" I sigh.

"What do I do then? The thing can't be reversed, can it?" She is standing now.

And we both are fighting.

"I am just saying it isn't that precarious. You're over reacting for no particular reason and worrying our parents too!"

"So I am overreacting?" I stand up too. Both of us dangerously close to each other.

"Abhay...Neitra ....stop", Papa says trying to pull me back on the sofa.

I don't budge.

"Do you know, this disease put you at a higher risk for heart attack, organ failures and strokes?" I raise the blue hospital file high up in the air to demonstrate.

"I'm a doctor!"

"Then act like one!"

I see Mumma slap her forehead in frustration. A silence prevails with just two of us staring at each other annoyingly.

"Mai khana lgau?" The housekeeper interjects breaking the last thread of my sanity.

(Shall I serve the dinner?)

"Tu pehle namak ka dabba Ghar ke bahar fek!" I say pointing towards him making him flinch with my loud tone.

(Throw the bottle of salt out the home first.)