Mayank Bhatt

Call from Bandra. I ran down to take the call.

She in pain, I’m taking her to a nursing home next door. She’s asking for you, Nupur’s dad said. He sounded annoyed, desperate.

I’ll be there soon.

She’s on pain killers and sedatives, he told me when he saw me.

I told him about her recurring fever in the evenings in Surat. He didn’t hide his irritation.

You should’ve told me you were together, he said.

There was no time for recriminations. When I told the doctor on duty about her evening fever and Dr. Kapadia’s treatment, he advised Nupur should be moved to a hospital. I called Cyrus. I had forgotten how late it was. He sounded gruff, but eager to help.

Take her to Breach Candy, I’ll make arrangements, he said.

The ambulance sped through the empty roads. Nupur’s pain had subsided thanks to painkillers and sedatives. I held her hand. Cyrus had left instructions at the hospital and Nupur was admitted without any delays or fuss.

Dr. Umang Pathak was on duty. He examined her and wanted to wait for the blood report.

Is it serious? I asked.

He looked at me impassively. These are classic symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis, he said. It’s a rare ailment. The body’s immune system attacks the liver cells and that causes the liver to inflame. It’s genetic and inflicts women between the ages of 15 and 40, and it gets worse swiftly if not treated in time. It may have caused cirrhosis of the liver.

So, it is serious, Nupur’s dad said.

I hope not, Dr. Pathak said.

Nupur must have had these symptoms for some time, but she only complained of stomach ache, her dad said, his voice a whisper.

It’s not her stomach; it’s liver inflammation that’s the cause of pain, Dr. Pathak said.

That’s what Dr. Kapadia had also said, I said.

But aren’t these disease related to alcohol, Nupur’s dad asked.

We waited outside intensive care, exchanging worried glances. A long time later, a nurse came out of the room. She went to Nupur’s dad.

She’s still critical, the nurse said.

Finally, Dr. Pathak came out. He was candid.

Nupur’s liver has failed, he said. Unlike the usual cases of liver failure that occur over a long period, this was the rare form where the failure occurs within 48 hours.  There could be multiple causes. The most common cause is the hepatitis virus infection. She’s being treated for viral infection. We’re hoping that the infection will run its course.

Will she be okay? Nupur’s dad asked.

Dr. Pathak put his hand on his shoulder. I wish I could say yes. We’ve tried everything. She’s not responding to the treatment, he said.

Nupur’s dad staggered. I had to hold him by his arm. Then, I sat down on the couch, pulled my legs up and began to cry loudly. The intensive care room remained closed. In the middle of the night, a nurse came to me and said the doctor wanted to see us.  We ran. The doctor quietly led us to Nupur’s bed.

Her eyes were shut. She was breathing heavily and with difficulty. There were tubes in her nose, her mouth, her wrists and her stomach. Her dad went and sat beside her. She didn’t respond to his touch. I held her hand. She stirred and opened her eyes. She tried to smile, but the effort was painful and she gasped.

I love you, I whispered.

She tried to speak, and moved her lips, but she couldn’t. Tears rolled down her face. She gripped my hand. Her eyes stayed on me. We looked at each other for a long time. Her heavy breathing turned normal and then slowed. Then it stopped. I didn’t realise when.

The nurse closed Nupur’s eyes.

Pages: 1 2 3