"Anu, what condition was the doctor talking about? What am I missing?"

Rakesh and Anupriya waited outside the dingy private examination room. The stench of the human excreta and fluids made Rakesh wrinkle his eyebrows and cover his nose to stop the nausea from wreaking havoc on his senses. Anupriya, being an experienced nurse, appeared unperturbed and unaffected by the pervasive smell.

Anupriya shook her head in disdain as her jaw clenched. She leaned closer to her brother's ear because of the sensitive nature of the diagnosis.

"That scumbag husband of hers contracted STDs from his mistresses and gave it to her," she said, with an undercurrent of enraged despair.

Rakesh turned to her with his jaw dropping and fear stretching his eyes wide. His tremulous eyes had worry swirling in their depths, and the stormy eyes darted to his trembling hands. His breaths came out as staggered gasps, and the response startled Anupriya.

She placed her hand over his shoulder. "Bhaiyya? Are you okay?"

"A-Anu! No! I touched her, Anu! What if... What if I contract those?" he asked, leaning against the wall for support lest his knees gave way.

Anupriya almost rolled her eyes in disbelief. She retracted her hand from his shoulder and clenched her hand into a fist. She shook her head and took a deep inhale to stabilize herself before replying to her brother. His paranoia was not uncommon in the patient parties who frequented the hospital she worked in. But she had not expected them from him.

Her brother? The one who had loved Madhuri for the most of their adult life? The one with a postgraduate degree? She had expected better. "You cannot contract those diseases from casual contact, Bhaiyya. You are fine."

Rakesh heaved a sigh of relief whilst continuing to pant as he struggled to control his breathing rate and rhythm. "Oh..."

Anupriya's eyes darted to the closed doors of the examination room. She knew the examination was an excuse to convince Madhuri to file a case. The kind doctor, who consulted at the government hospital once a week free of cost, had taken it upon herself to push Madhuri to fight for justice.

However, it was easier said than done.

****

Location: Examination Room.

"If you don't file for divorce, you'll remain married to him, Madhuri. Do you want that? Linked to him forever?" asked Vartika, discarding her examination gloves into the dustbin beside the table.

"Amma, Shanti Jiji asked me to come to her home near the temple from tomorrow. So, I no longer need to wake up at 4:30 AM. I can wake up at 5:00 AM!" said a nine-year-old Madhuri, placing her books on the table before rushing into the kitchen to help her mother prepare breakfast.

Sangeeta stopped stirring the watery gravy in the pan and turned towards her overjoyed daughter. The tantalizing aroma of her favorite dish made the little Madhuri jump with joy.

"Chhole! Wow!" said Madhuri, clapping her hands together in glee.

Sangeeta's lips twisted in disgust. "Listen, Madhuri. No need to go to Shanti for tuitions from tomorrow. We will find someone else!"

Madhuri's grin morphed into a crestfallen frown. Her arms dropped to her side, and she looked at her mother in the edges of her eyes tightening. "But why, Amma? She's so sweet and doesn't mind explaining things even if I ask several times. I like her!" she said, clutching her mother's saree between her fingers.

Sangeeta shook her head and turned the stove off lest the curry burned. She drooped to Madhuri's level and held her smaller and softer hands between her larger and scarred hands.

"Shanti is not a good influence on young girls like you, Madhuri. Your Sunil Jijaji, her husband, is leaving her. Do you ever leave things you like or the things that make you happy?" she asked, looking into Madhuri's inquisitive eyes.

"No. But Shanti Jiji is so kind..."

"All that glitters is not gold, Madhuri. If she was so kind, why does she have to offend him by doing things he doesn't like? She's self-centered, and she'll brainwash you if you remain in her company. You know what will happen then?"

Madhuri bobbed her sideways as her eyes filled with fearful tears. "Your Prince Charming will run away from you like hers ran away. Do you want that to happen?" asked Sangeeta, training her scrutinizing gaze upon her shook daughter.

Madhuri pouted and shook her head in negative. "Good! Anyway, what's the point of these tuitions? Go wake your brother up! He's still sleeping. Looks like yesterday's cricket match went on till midnight!" said the older woman, turning to the stove.

"Madhuri. Is everything alright?" asked Vartika, jolting Madhuri out of her reverie. The moldy odor of the examination room bore uncanny resemblance to her ill ventilated childhood home. Except, the woman next to her showed her the path to turn her deepest desire into reality.

Her mother's silence and orders to unite with her husband rushed into her tumultuous mind. She had already disappointed and displeased her parents. What would another disappointment do?

"I'm ready to file for divorce, doctor!" she said, staring at the ceiling with a blank look hovering over her features.

Vartika let a smile stretch itself upon her lips. "That's a brilliant decision, Madhuri! I'm with you. I'll call my brother and let him know!" she said. She helped Madhuri rise from her supine position and asked the nurse to wheel her to the ward. Madhuri had lost herself in the thoughts of her own when Vartika dug her phone out of her pocket and dialled her brother's number.

Arjun answered the call after multiple rings. "Please tell me you are not asking me for any help with your practice again! I'm a criminal lawyer, remember?" asked Arjun.

Vartika could hear her brother chuckle, anticipating her reply. "Arjun! I need you to handle a case. Pro bono."

"Is everything alright, Di? And what's this case about?" asked Arjun, his smile fading into a serious look of consternation.

"Remember the woman I told you about? She's thrown out by her in-laws, and she attempted suicide. She wants to file for divorce, and I assured her you would fight her case free of cost."

Vartika could hear him sigh on the other end. "Di, you know what I feel about this..."

Vartika rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I'm telling you I don't care, Arjun! Our mother is organizing free legal camps throughout the country for those who cannot afford lawyers and you are crushing the lives of such ill-fated people every day by siding with your corporate clients. That's your call! But please, take this case!"

His staggered breaths were audible to her, and she prayed he would not make it any more difficult. "Why don't you ask Mom to send a lawyer here?"

"Because I want you to see the other side for once. You love challenges, right? Take this case as a challenge and win it." She knew this would get his attention. "I'm sure you are tired of listening to Mom complain about your choice of clients, so this will stop her. So, will you take it?" she asked.

Arjun pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. His sister had made it about his zeal for challenges and the added benefit of his mother stopping berating his choice of clients sweetened the deal. "Fine. I'll take it."

I'm sure there are many with Rakesh's ideas that STDs, especially HIV, can spread through casual contact. I enjoyed writing the scene with Madhuri and Sangeeta as I have heard such conversations from aunties several times. So Arjun took the case reluctantly. What do you think will happen next? Please VOTE and COMMENT!