Farhad left, worried about Pallavi.
Raghav grabbed some juice from the fridge, a glass, and some crappy biscuits from the pantry. He rushed upstairs, ordering some food from a restaurant on the phone as he ran upstairs. Pallavi was still passed out, her pallu no longer hiding the bandaid on her arm, Raghav noticed that there wasn't just one needle stick, but four or five, forming small bruises.
"God damn nurses, can't even draw blood correctly," he muttered.
Pallavi woke up, groaning and clutching her head with her left arm, trying to get up with her right.
"Carefully, you fainted because—"
"I didn't eat anything, I got so stressed after Amma collapsed, and at the hospital...that's why. I'm fine now." She pulled her pallu over her left elbow quickly, trying to hide her bandaid and bruise, not knowing that Raghav already knew. Why tell him, he'll just find some reason to blame her for Amma's health, she was too tired to fight with him, she's fought with him for the past three months, ever since he burned her raw materials on that dark fateful night. Enough fighting for a lifetime. She never wanted a husband after Mandar, she was happy with her family, and now she had a new family, Keerthi and Amma she could love and be happy with. She couldn't fight anymore.
Raghav was surprised, why doesn't she want anyone to know that she donated the blood?
"I'm fine, Raghav, I'm just going to get some water from downstairs—"
"No."
"No? I can't even drink water in your house now?"
"No, I mean...drink this juice, and these biscuits, I've ordered food."
"No need for food, cancel the order, I don't eat restaurant food, I'm not hungry."
"Drink this juice, NOW." Raghav said firmly, "Or I'll stress Amma out with news of you fainting," he added, smiling a little.
"Teek hai, I'll drink it, don't overreact," Pallavi took the glass and downed it, and then ate three biscuits at once. Her mouth full, she said "Ok I'm fine, did Keerthi call?"
"What?" - Raghav said, "Why are you talking with your mouth full, what you don't take your own advice, no talking when eating?"
Pallavi swallowed and smiled, "I said I'm fine, did Keerthi call, how is Amma?"
"Amma is fine, now go to sleep, or let the food come and then eat something—"
"No, no I'm fine." And with that Pallavi moved further away from the center of the bed and turned off the lamp on her side of the bed.
She didn't even say good night, Raghav thought, but why do I care.
Raghav went to the restroom to shower and he was thinking of Pallavi the whole time, shampooing his hair twice lost in her thoughts. Why did she lie to him about donating the blood? Why didn't she let Amma or Keerthi tell me? Had she donated the blood last time too? If someone can do that for a stranger, and then Amma, could she really have done all those horrible things he accused her of?
