Chapter 33: chapter 33

Raghav informed us that the newspaper vendor still inserts the daily newspaper under the iron shutter of my father-in-law's shop. When asked to stop furnishing the daily news he retorted nervously, "No, no uncle had asked me to carry on with the supply throughout despite the lockdown. He will reprimand me if stop coming."Raghav retorted, "Don't you know your uncle died three months ago." Many people enquired him in the shop about my father-in-law. His death had been like a secret affair out of the town. My mother-in-law got pictures of her husband framed and hung them in both shops to avoid repeating the same thing again and again. My househelp and other staff had returned after enjoying a hiatus of two months. Lakshmi sensed the presence of my father-in-law in the house. She communicated to me, "Sister when I went upstairs to hang the clothes I sensed somebody following my footsteps. I am damn sure his soul is roaming around in the house. I heard the noise of his slippers while I was washing clothes in the bathroom."My husband came up with more excuses. He told," I am becoming forgetful. I am not able to hear my voice. I am not getting words to talk. My mind is whirling in a haze. I am not able to concentrate. Somebody is spreading the fake news of my death, check with my so-and-so encounters."I was tired of his insane talk. I realised it was high time I should speak to defend my husband from the clutches of long covid. I hurried toward my mother-in-law and spoke authoritatively, " If you are done with your antics let him see to a doctor. I will manage to take him to Jamshedpur. Your fake baba had done everything in his power and I have noticed the results."She was shaken by my attitude and tone. She might have also known that the situation was not going to control without a doctor's intervention. She mumbled politely," Yes baba also wants him to see a doctor. I will call my daughter, she will escort him. You are required to run the house as I have to manage both the shops."I agreed to her solution. In the first week of  June, he was seen by a good psychiatrist. He was an experienced practitioner. He scrutinised him for a moment and asked him," Did you get covid? "" Yes, me, my wife and my sons had covid. My father died due to covid", he replied. This was the usual line he was uttering to everybody on a call or in person."Tell me about your sleep pattern", the doctor enquired from behind his shield of the transparent plastic curtain. He appeared like an alien from the other planet as he was wearing a PPE kit."I am hardly able to sleep. I wake up at the start of little noise. I remain awake at night. I am troubled by the thoughts of my school and shop.", he confessed."What is your problem?", came the next question. "I get a stomach ache suddenly. I feel a lot of gas has accumulated in my system", he concealed. The doctor made sure nobody answered on his behalf. After examining him for some minutes, he advised the relatives," Just like we get wounded when we get hurt, he has got a wound in his internal mind. It will require time to heal. The illness and the death in the family is the root cause of the mental injury. I am prescribing very light medicines. If required increase the dose on my examination. Stay in contact with me through WhatsApp or call if need arises. Visit me again after a month."My husband took the picture of the doctor's clinic from outside as evidence to show me on his exit from the hospital.