10.30 pm

I'm back at the staff room to brew two cups of coffee. I'm surprised to see that the styrofoam disposable cups have been replaced with paper ones. I absently pick one up and twirl it between my fingers. Whoever decided to make the switch was definitely thinking in the right direction.

Ever since I started spending more time with Rohit at the hospital, I've made an effort to educate myself on the everyday use things that are actually harmful to health. Styrofoam is one of them. You would assume it was safe because it is practically everywhere - in our food packaging and in our takeaways. It couldn't be further away from the truth. Styrofoam is one of the worst packagings to hold and store your food, as it leeches into your food and drink. Styrene, the material styrofoam is made from, is a carcinogen, a silent killer. Ever since I found out, I've been meaning to talk about this to Rohit. I'm glad someone else took the initiative to eliminate this toxic substance from the hospital environment.

The machine beeps, breaking my chain of thought. I'm about to place the empty cup back with the others. Instead, as an afterthought, I throw it in the trash.

I pick up the two brewed cups of coffee and make my way back to Rohit's cabin. The cabin is empty. I place his cup on his desk and take my place on the couch. I fish my phone out of my back pocket and am about to begin playing this new game I downloaded when a gentle knock distracts me. I look up to see Dr. Pulkit. He seems preoccupied.

"Dr. Pulkit?"

"Sonakshi Ma'am."

"Hello," I respond. He's looking tense and a tad bit nervous.

"Is everything alright Dr. Pulkit?"

He doesn't answer my question but asks one of his own instead. "Where is Dr. Rohit?"

Dr. Pulkit's attitude worries me. Still, I respond to his query. "Rohit must be on his rounds. Anything urgent? You can tell me. I'll pass on the message."

He looks at me, unsure, and then apparently decides against it. "Please ask someone to page for me when Dr. Rohit is back."

I get up and make my way up to him. "Is everything okay?"

He nods.

Before I have an opportunity to ask him any more, he leaves.

******

10.50 pm

Rohit is back from his rounds. His coffee has turned cold. I offer to make him another one and he looks at me gratefully. As I'm making my way out of his cabin, I tell him about Dr. Pulkit's preoccupied visit. He seems mildly perplexed.

Ten minutes later, I'm back with a fresh cup of coffee. As soon as I enter the cabin the first thing I notice is the look of horror on Rohit's face. In my two years of knowing Rohit, I've seen a calm Rohit, I've seen a sad Rohit, I've seen an angry Rohit, I've seen a nervous Rohit, I've even seen a disheartened Rohit, but I've never seen a scared Rohit. He's staring at his computer screen, but I'm confident none of the information on the screen is registering in his head.

I hurriedly walk towards his desk, place the cup I'm carrying and make my way towards him. I turn his chair towards me. The motion shakes him out of his thoughts. He looks at me. At that moment I feel an emotion I never believed I could associate with this bold and confident man I'd come to love and respect; I feel pity.

"Sona," he whispers. I encircle his head and place it against my chest. He brings his arms around and brings me closer.

"Rohit." I gently thread my hands through his hair. He further presses his head into me.

"It's okay," I tell him. Although I don't know what I'm consoling him for. If there's anything I've learnt in the last few months about Rohit, its that he will reveal what is bothering him only when he is ready.

We stay like that, for I don't how long, me consoling, he drawing strength from my presence. I smile at that thought. My Mom was right. Things can be mended with intention.

Our solitude is broken by the arrival of Sister Tulsi. She walks into the cabin perplexed and stops. I gently disentangle Rohit from my form, coaxing him to address Sister Tulsi's concerns. She looks at me and gently makes her way out, giving Rohit and me the much-needed space to address the phantom in the room.

I look at him and then walk up to the cabin door to close it. I then proceed to pull another chair in front of him to sit down. Gently clasping his hands with mine, I ask.

"Rohit, what's bothering you." I don't wait for his response. I know I will get none.

"I know something is bothering you. And I've sort of come to understand when I can leave you alone to deal with your emotions and when I can't."

He looks at me, with the same look of horror evident in his eyes, that I observed a few minutes ago. I grab his hands and bring them closer. I notice they are shivering. I sandwich them between mine, trying to infuse some heat.

"What's wrong Rohit? Your hands are shivering." I know he doesn't understand my chain of thought, so I spell it out. "You're a surgeon. Even in the worst of circumstances, your hands are always rock steady. What's happened today that's shaken you to the core."

"Badi Ma."

A whisper. Yet I hear loud and clear.

I turn my head to his desk and notice a file that has Sukhmani Sippy neatly imprinted on it. How did I miss this while putting the coffee cup away? Perhaps because my focus was on Rohit.

I free my hands from his and pick up the file. It has a single page report inserted in it. The lab results of Badi Ma's COVID test.

The report reads: POSITIVE.

*****

11.45 pm

Rohit has managed to pick himself up. Today, I have a little more respect for this man I've married. He is going through so much personal trauma, and yet his focus is everyone else around him. Compared to him, I feel small and selfish. I force myself away from the negative direction my thoughts are taking.

Twenty minutes after I figured out Badi Ma had COVID, Rohit and I have managed to list the names of every staff, servant, and family member who was living and or working at the Sippy Mansion for fourteen days before the lockdown began.

Rohit is discussing his thoughts one after another, while I'm trying my best to keep pace with him. 

"We will have to start with the immediate family members and stay at home staff. They are at the highest risk. We don't know who all have been exposed. Our next step should be to track down all the other staff members who were at the Sippy Mansion for up to fourteen days before the lockdown began. I have some of their names but we can always cross-verify with Ma. She maintains a pretty good record of everyone, when they worked, for how many hours, etc."

I'm scribbling notes on a pad as he speaks. While he continues to chalk out a plan to save the city from the attack of the deadly virus, I am once again amazed at his strength. I'm proud of this man and proud of his mother for raising such a strong son. I would like to have a son like that, someone I knew I could depend on with my eyes closed.

Rohit notices I've stopped taking notes. He snaps his fingers in front of me to bring me back to reality.

"Sona?" I smile. He looks at me quizzically. "Everything alright?" I nod my head. He looks unsure but accepts my answer anyway and continues firing instructions, while I once again pick up the pen and start jotting down crucial information.

Twenty minutes later, I snap the pen shut and place it on the couch, along with the notepad, and weave my fingers together to stretch them. While stretching my hands next, I casually remark, "Shouldn't you inform people at the Sippy Mansion about Badi Ma's test result?"

He looks at me, deliberating for a moment before he picks up his phone. He places it on the speaker so I can hear the entire conversation.

Three rings later, his Dad answers the phone. There is no hello. Instead, Papa says: "Rohit, its past midnight. Is everything alright?"

"Dad, Badi Ma's blood test reports have just arrived."

There is a pause and then Papa exclaims: "Oh my God!"

"Yes," Rohit responds sombrely.

"What should we do next?"

"Sona will be there first thing tomorrow morning with a whole bunch of test kits. Not only do we need to test everyone at home, but we will also have to trace staff who worked at Sippy Mansion up to two weeks before the lockdown was announced."

"But Rohit, if any of them are symptomatic, it would've shown by now. The maximum incubation period for this virus is 21 days."

"True Dad, but what if they are asymptomatic?"

Papa stays quiet, so Rohit continues. "I've spoken to a local lab here. They are willing to give us up to 50 analysis reports within the next 24 hours provided I get the samples to them before 9 am tomorrow. Make sure everyone is up at the Sippy Mansion by 5 am. And ask Mom if she has a list of all the staff. Sona and I will be out all night if required to ensure all the samples go in for testing first thing in the morning."

"You don't need to do that Rohit. The hospital needs you. I'm sitting at home anyway. I'll assist Sona. Ask her if she can come here right away. In the meanwhile, I'll let everyone at the Sippy Mansion know of the development."

Rohit looks at me and I nod my head to signal agreement.

"Sona will be there in the next 45 minutes Dad. Thank you."

As soon as he places the phone down, he rings for Dr. Pulkit and asks for 50 COVID test kits to be brought to his cabin. The kits along with ample rolls of bleach wipes, surgical masks, gloves to spare, and a bunch of protective aprons are all placed in my car.

As I sit on the driver's seat, bidding goodbye to Rohit, he places his hands on the window trim. "Take care. The last time I sent you to Sippy Mansion, I didn't think I was asking you to do something dangerous. Today, I know I'm asking you to do something dangerous. If anything  were to happen to you, I could never forgive myself for putting you at risk."

I extend my hand to gently hold his. "How can I ever be at risk knowing you've got my back?"

He smiles at that and I smile too. "Don't do something stupid. Stay away and let Dad do most of the work. As a doctor, he's intuitively precautious."

I smile and salute. "Yes Sir."

"And come back quick. I'll be waiting for you."

As I make the drive out of the hospital driveway, I can't help but wonder. Since when did Rohit and I become allies? Perhaps, love does that to you. Then shouldn't we have more love in this world? That's the only emotion that could actually lead to our salvation. Otherwise, mankind is doomed.