The Bias

Chapter 65(b)

"Shehnaaz aaj bhi ghar nahi aai hai?" Rita spoke walking to Sidharth.  He was sitting in the hall, downstairs with Nirmal sleeping in the cot and Shula drawing with crayons.

"Nahi mom, I don't think so. She's busy baat nahi hui" he answred back. Shehnaaz had been in Delhi for a weekend and when she had returned, she had kept the girls with Rita and left for work. Thereafter it had been over twenty four hours and they hadn't seen her.

"Itna bhi kya pagal pan hai uska. Bacche hai, tu hai. Ghar pe.  Aur woh kaam se fursat nahi. Pehle toh delivery k chaar mahine me uth k office chali gyi, aur ab dikhne ko nahi aati. Kuch toh realization ho usko, baccho ka..."

Sidharth looked up from the tab, his mother was annoyed.  "Aa jae gi mom. She's working . Kya kare ghar pe rahe. Woh nahi reh sakti hai. Usne apni life k 30 saal diye hai is career ko. Woh nahi aaegi ghar. Shes paying two nanies, mai hu, aap ho, dekh le ge na. Abhi ek do saal ki problem, them the girls would go to school. Fir it'll be okay."

"Thats not what I meant,  baccho ko maa ki zarooart hoti hai.They would need her. And shes absent. "

"This does not look good. Do we the histopathology reports? " Shehnaaz spoke looking at the resident doctor.

"Yes ma'am?", Dania answered back, taking the tab back from Shehnaaz's hand.

"And ?" Shehnaaz asked. "Nephrotic syndrome ?"

"We don't have the reports ma'am. We will have them by morning!", she spoke as Shehnaaz looked at her.

"Set up a meet with parents, and pediatrics,  the girl is up for CKD." Shehnaaz spoke looking at the case report of another patient.

"Yes ma'am!" The resident moved out to the door and Shehnaaz spoke again.

"Call Dr Patil,  find an appropriate time for the meet and patch me in!", she spoke not looking up from the file, sure that the junior would be listening. "I don't want any fuck ups!"

Shehnaaz had been in hospital for over  twenty four hours. Her senior in nephrology was on leave,leaving her with all the responsibilities.  Infact it had been this week that she was in Delhi as a member of board for Mediwall.

"Are you free?", she knocked at Vishaal's room.

"No, not exactly, but tu bol?", he spoke looking up from the laptop.

"Can I walk inside?", she spoke again still standing at the door.

"Yes please!" He answered getting up and opening the door wide enough for her.

As soon as sat on the sofa placed inside, she slid herself down, curling into a fetal position.

"You look so fucking bad, kya hua hai?", he asked looking at her as she pulled a cushion under head.

"Kuch nahi yarr, I am just tired. "

"Ghar chali ja!"

"No...I mmvg....", she mumbled something into the cushion

"Kya hua hai bol? You fought with Sidharth? "

She turned around,.looking at him. "I dont know. Do.din se soi nahi hu. I had taken the girls to Delhi with me, Monday ko. They won't let me have a moment of peace.Back in Mumbai I dropped them at home,  and then I haven't been there in last two.days. Morning I pumped milk for Nirmal, aur bheja. Abhi free hu, but I don't want to go home. " she spoke looking at the ceiling, while her fingers turned her phone off. "Do you think I am scared of them. As if I am trying to avoid them."

"Kya bakwaas kar rahi hai? Tu aur avoid karegi. You are just tired. Its not easy to raise kids,especially when you are a working woman. "

"Nirmal is four months old and I have left her alone. Do you think usko meri Shakal bhi bhul jaegi? Do you think i am a bad mother?"