Page 75 - Till the Last Breath . . .

‘What okay? My daughter is such a nice girl and she has to … and he

will live. It’s so unfair,’ he heard the exasperated mother say. Would his
death make it any better for the woman?
‘Maa, can you keep your volume down?’ Pihu begged. ‘He can hear us.’

‘I don’t care,’ her mother said angrily.
He tried not to move and concentrate on what they said about him.

Getting fucked up has its own advantages. It’s as if people assume you are
deaf when you’re not. But they had shut up. Soon, he was in wonderland.

Darkness. Clouds. Flying. Kajal.

The ground beneath him shook, then his bed and then he. He woke up with

a start and saw a familiar face staring at him. It was the offensive doctor
with a rod jammed up his behind.
‘Good morning. Though it’s almost noon,’ the doctor said. ‘I am Arman.

I believe we have met before. You’re the one who almost drank himself to
death. I’m the unfortunate one who has to save you so that you can do it

again.’
Dushyant felt embarrassed and angry. He could feel the girl’s and her
parents’ eyes on him, judging him, cursing him. The cocky attitude of the

doctor made it worse, and the dreadful pain in his stomach made him want
to slap the doctor across the face.

‘Can we get on with this?’
‘Yes, we can. I heard you were whining with pain this morning? Did he

cry?’ Arman asked. The nurse nodded in affirmation.
‘I wasn’t fucking crying!’ Dushyant protested.

‘Shut up and keep your voice down. This is a hospital, not your house. If
you’re not crying, the pain is not much. And for future reference, please
don’t cry. You’re a grown man, for heaven’s sake. No more sedatives for

you. We will start you on a fresh batch of antibiotics. The first ones didn’t
work like they should have,’ he said.

‘Are you even sure what’s wrong with me?’ he asked, trying to get back
at the doctor.