Marriage Under Construction

5. CONVERSATIONS

"Ummmm, you feel better?" Supreeth finally asked her adjusting himself on the chair.

"Hmm" Avya replied unaware what to reply. It was the first time he had asked her something. He cared. Her heart cluttered at this thought. Her delusional self had started imagining things very much beyond the particular incident.

"The pa... pain is there?" Supreeth asked yet again gently.

"Wh...what pain" Avya asked back, hesitant and surprised, equally.

"The stomach and back one. The one you get. Always. Like everytime. I mean I have seen. I mean you struggle to sit. You lean. The back pain must be very bad na?" Supreeth asked stealing glances for the whole time and looking at her straight in the eye during the last question.

"The stomach ache is worse" Avya muttered. Oh so he even notices.

"Oh! Actually they will shift you to a ward now. Like until tomorrow. I booked a single bed ward. I mean it maybe uncomfortable for you in this dress to lie down infront of others I mean other patients right" Supreeth informed his own analysis.

"The other patients wear the same dress too. There are always curtains between the beds for privacy" Avya informed.

"Oh! I didn't know that. I can book a general one if you want to" Supreeth says waking up from his chair.

"I'm fine with whatever you are providing me. I'm happy. Thank you" Avya said trying to sit up.

"Let me help you. Don't pressurize the hand. You have a needle in there going to the nerve. You can move your wrist as it is a plastic one but if the blood clots then they will puncture your vein somewhere else" Supreeth told while moving his hand on her nape. This time she was concious. Pushing her nape forward, he supported her back with the other hand making her sit. Weird, it felt.

"Can I really ask you something?" Supreeth asked sitting right next to her legs on her bed while she hummed.

"How are you now? You want to eat something? Shall I order? When I came home you were just lying there. I mean I'm sorry. I wasn't there for you. Okay, this is getting really awkward. We will have this conversation once we go home tomorrow. You are fine right? Should I call your parents here?" Supreeth voiced out his concerns.

"Appa Amma? Why? No. I'm totally fine. I can come home right now. I'm perfectly alright. If you don't want to, please don't take care of me. But please don't call my parents here. I beg you.  You don't want me to do your chores, I'll not. You don't want me to cook for you, I'll not. I'll not pack your tiffin like today. I'll not trouble you with it too. But please don't let my parents know anything" Avya said in a single breath while Supreeth tried processing the whole thing.

"Why? You don't like your parents? I can call Amma. I mean my Amma. She will not tell them. She will take care of you also. I can't leave you home alone in this state. If you don't want Amma coming home too, then..... I'll install CCTV cameras all over the house. Is that fine? I will try to do the work from home as much as possible......" Supreeth asked.

"Are you serious? Why are you like caring so much today? It's not like I'm on my deathbed. I remember you telling me on the very first day of me entering to your house that you don't care about my presence. All of sudden what has happened to you" Avya lashed thus Supreeth's face fell. He had expected this question. It was very right on her end to ask this question. He was a dumbass and he had realised it very late.