Chapter 10: The Fall

Rhea saw Dev standing behind Mira and her face crumpled completely.

"Bhaiya. You're here too. Thank God."

"What happened to Papa?" Dev asked.

"He fell in the bathroom. He's awake, but he keeps calling for Mira."

Rhea pressed the end of her sari to her mouth. "Please. Whatever we said to each other, please. He's seventy."

Mira looked at Dev.

He gave her a small nod.

She picked up her bag and her phone.

"I'll come," she said.

They drove through Delhi in the dark.

Dev was at the wheel, Rhea wept quietly in the back seat, and Mira kept her hands in her lap.

Mira watched the streetlights slide past and counted what she knew.

Rhea had taken the autorickshaw to Nandini's. She had not called first. She had known where Mira was.

The house in Vasant Vihar had every light on.

There were cars in the drive. Mira counted six of them before Dev parked.

In the front room, Harish lay on the sofa under a blanket.

His eyes were shut and a wet cloth lay on his forehead.

Around him stood the aunt who counted fish bones, two uncles, a cousin and the family doctor.

All of them turned when Mira walked in.

Nobody looked sorry to see her.

"Papa," Dev said, crossing the room. "What happened?"

Harish opened his eyes slowly.

"I fell," he said. "My head. A little dizzy. It's nothing."

"It's not nothing," the aunt said. She was looking at Mira. "A man of his age."

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