Living In Oblivion

43

Gritting her teeth, Avanti closed her eyes, swallowing the pain as the doctor examined her ankle, pressing on different points. Removing his thick glasses, he scratched his bald head before giving her a pointed look and then smiling brightly at her. "I was right! That's not a fracture."

Pressing her lips together in a grim line, she murmured back, "Obviously... otherwise, how do you think I walked till here?"

Walking back to sit on his swivel chair, he removed the stethoscope from around his neck and took the notepad to write her prescriptions. "Anything else besides the fever? Cough? Cold? Or anything?"

"No, it's just the injuries and fever."

"The fever came because of the injuries," he looked up from the paper, wearing his glasses again. "Sometimes it happens."

Avanti stared at the freshly wrapped bandage around her arm and sat in silence as the doctor called a man to bring him a hot strip. His old swivel chair kept churning now and then, and she bit her cheeks to control her laughter. The situation felt awkward but also hilarious. As she looked up at his round face and large eyes looking at her pointedly, she burst into fits of laughter.

The doctor sat there, embarrassed, but seeing her shaking with laughter, his face broke into a smile, and he started laughing along with her. They kept laughing until there was a knock on the door, and then Divit entered panting.

Wiping the sweat away from his forehead with his thumb, he stared at them as if they were aliens. Their laughter kept ringing in his ears until they noticed his presence, and then the room stilled with deafening silence.

"Yes?" the doctor coughed, wiping the smile away before staring at him pointedly.

"Yes?!" Divit blinked.

"Yes," Avanti drew their attention towards her. Both their heads turned to her as she scratched her temple. "Er, he is with me," she smiled at the doctor pointedly.

"Oh," the doctor blinked. Gesturing for Divit to take the chair beside her, he stood up to get the brown bandage, mumbling incoherent curses about his lazy assistant who worked as a receptionist, peon, and compounder. He went out to look for the lazy lad.

"What's this place?" Scrunching his nose and furrowing his brow, Divit looked around, pulling the chair beside Avanti.

"It's Sunday! Nearly every other clinic was closed today."

"Didn't I tell you to wait for me until I came back?" he snubbed.

"The fever came back," she sighed.

"Still," he was angry at her. "And by the way, how did you manage to come here alone? You can't even walk."

"I called Kamlesh Ji."

His temper flared at the mention. "And where is he now?"

"I sent him back," she hurriedly blinked.

Pressing his lips into a mocking smile, he shifted closer to her. "So, how were you planning to go back then?"

After staring at him for a moment, she inhaled and looked away, replying in a low murmur, "I would have managed."

"Of course," he threw his hands in the air, shaking his head in disbelief.

Before she could retort to his mocking, the doctor returned with a box of hot strips. Divit stood up, giving her space, and helped her to the large recliner bench. The doctor bandaged her sprained ankle in silence, and Avanti resisted the urge to open her eyes in pain. The strain on her leg from walking continuously had increased the swelling, intensifying the pain.