The Bestseller She Wrote (24 page)

‘Can I meet her?’ Aditya asked Dr Krishnan.

‘No,’ Dr Krishnan’s reply was firm. Aditya held his head in his hands and started sobbing.

56

D
R
K
RISHNAN WAITED
for some time, letting Aditya calm down, after his outbreak.

‘It is a bit risky, Mr Kapoor. We are under strict instructions not to allow anyone but the designated medical professional to meet the patient. It is in your own interest.’

‘I really don’t care about myself. I need to meet her.’

‘We care, Mr Kapoor. Not only about you, but about others you might infect in case you contract the disease. We do understand the sentiment, but we don’t have a choice.’

‘Can I at least speak to her?’ Aditya was desperate. Maya’s parents were sitting in one corner just listening to the conversation, stupefied.

‘She is extremely weak and under sedation. Let her condition stabilise. Once she improves, you will be able to speak with her.’

They spoke for a few minutes, after which the Medical Superintendent got up and walked towards the door. ‘I have to make a statement to the press on this. I will send you a copy of my release. Please stick to it when you speak to the press.’

Later that night, a request did come for Aditya to meet the press. He turned it down saying that he was not in the right frame of mind.

Shreya called him that night. Aditya hadn’t called her the whole day.

‘Hi Aditya. How are things there?’

‘She is in a bad state, Shreya, a really bad state. She has been sedated, and injected with fluids all day. She hasn’t spoken a word to anyone. I don’t know what’s going on. How am I going to get through all this?’

‘You want me to come over and be with you?’

‘No, Shreya. It’s okay. There are enough people here. There isn’t even a proper place to sit.’

‘You are there. If you can be there, how difficult will it be for me?’

‘Maya’s parents are also here. It will be embarrassing in front of them.’

‘Are you cutting me off, Aditya?’

‘Come on, Shreya. Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I do that?’

‘Do you love me?’

‘Is it necessary to answer that right now?’ he countered. The timing of the question bothered him.

‘Maybe it is?’

Aditya was not in a frame of mind to respond to Shreya. ‘I will talk to you tomorrow.’ He was about to hang up when Shreya squealed, ‘Wait, wait. Don’t hang up. Sunaina is coming tomorrow. Is it okay if I come and see you with her?’

‘Okay,’ Aditya gave in. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Shreya. The fact that just as she got felled by Ebola, Maya got to know of Shreya, was killing him. He was worried that just in case something happened to Maya, her last impression of him would be one of an infidel and cheat. Shreya was the first dalliance in his life. He was worried that he would never get a chance to clear the air with Maya or make up with her. Guilt was killing his spirit the way pain and suffering was killing his wife. Nothing in life is more wretched than the mind of a man conscious of his guilt.

Shreya realised that Aditya didn’t want to talk about Maya or her illness. She changed the topic. ‘By the way, Aditya, Vaishali has finished editing my manuscript. She has sent it to me—the final manuscript.’

‘Great,’ Aditya didn’t encourage the conversation. He wanted to be by himself.

‘Would you want to read it while you are waiting in the hospital? And maybe tomorrow when I see you, you can quickly tell me if it is good to go?’

‘What?’ He was shocked. ‘Really?’ he yelled into the phone, ‘Really, Shreya?’

‘It’s okay if you can’t,’ Shreya beat a hasty retreat. ‘I just asked. I thought it would help divert your mind.’

Aditya was disgusted at Shreya’s demand. He maintained his cool. ‘Later, Shreya. Not right now. I’m not in the proper frame of mind.’

‘No problem, Aditya. We’ll talk tomorrow.’ When she sensed silence from the other end, she added, ‘I love you,’ and hung up.

Aditya was furious as he disconnected the phone. How on earth did Shreya even expect him to read the manuscript, sitting in the hospital? How insensitive was she?

As it is he was confused about the state of their relationship. He was now beginning to see that Shreya was with him to further her writing career. She wanted to break into the clique of top authors in the country, be known in the industry and be talked about. For her, the easiest way to get there was to be in bed with him, to be his muse. She was using him for his influence. Why else would she have even brought up this topic today, especially when he was grieving over Maya’s plight? He started questioning his own judgment. But the more he thought about it, the more the truth stared at him. Every time he and Shreya had engaged in a romantic conversation, or kissed, or had sex, she had invariably brought up her book. As if she was waiting for the right opportunity to strike. But there was a small part of him which refused to believe that his assessment was true.

That night Maya’s condition deteriorated.

57

S
HREYA AND
S
UNAINA
came over to visit Aditya at the hospital, the next morning. They had brought him some food from home. They walked to the small room at the end of the corridor. Dr Krishnan had allowed them to use it.

‘Can we see her?’ Sunaina asked, probably out of courtesy.

‘No one can go into her room. But just outside her room is a small anteroom—a transition area for healthcare workers. There is a glass wall, which overlooks Maya’s room. You can see her from there. Only one person is allowed at a time and that too after the Medical Superintendent’s approval. To go beyond that there is a strict procedure regarding the protective suits, gloves and masks that one has to wear. Let me check with the Superintendent and come,’ Aditya got up and left.

‘Poor guy,’ Sunaina said the moment he left the room.

‘I know,’ Shreya added.

‘Do you know only 10 to 15 per cent of Ebola patients survive? I read up a lot on Ebola. There is hardly any hope left. It’s better to be pragmatic. But it is very difficult to expect pragmatism from him at this stage. He loves her a lot.’

‘He loves me too,’ Shreya swiftly responded.

‘I know.’

‘But he is very guilty about it. He was distraught that Maya got to know about us and he did not get an opportunity to sort it out with her.’

‘He will struggle a lot when she is gone.’

‘I will not let him struggle. I will be with him. I am there for him, Sunaina. Perhaps all this is for the best. He will be happier with me. See, we have similar interests. We can feed off each other. The world will adore this author couple—Mrs and Mr Kapoor. It will be awesome.’

‘Are you crazy, Shreya? You are in the hospital visiting someone on their deathbed and you are dreaming of the pleasant things life has in store for you once she is gone? Come on, Shreya. So much for compassion . . .’

‘I am just being practical.’

‘Fuck!’ Sunaina looked away. ‘Forget it,’ she said, waving her hand in an exasperated manner. ‘Let’s not talk about it.’ Whether she was frustrated at the direction the conversation was taking or whether she saw Aditya walk back into the room, no one could tell.

‘The Superintendent wants to meet with you before you go in,’ Aditya said as he entered the room.

The two girls got up. ‘His office is down the corridor. I have to meet with their office staff and validate the press update. You guys go ahead. I will see you here in a while.’ Aditya walked off.

Shreya and Sunaina walked out of the room to Dr Krishnan’s office. He gave them some basic instructions and led them out to the anteroom.

From the huge glass wall in the anteroom, they could look inside to where Maya was lying on the bed. They could see that she was awake. Her eyelids were blinking slowly. Her eyes were blood red. She seemed normal, except for her skin, which had become pale and wrinkled. Her face seemed at least twenty years older. Shreya noticed the blisters all over her hand. They were bleeding. She remembered reading that the Ebola virus pierces blood vessels causing bleeding from the eyes, ears, mouth and other orifices. The whites of the eyes turn red and blood blisters form under the skin.

Sunaina couldn’t bear it anymore and turned back and ran out of the room, in tears. Shreya followed a few minutes later. Figuring out that Shreya might want some time alone with Aditya, Sunaina told her that she had to head out and that she would meet her back at home, and left.

‘Don’t worry, Aditya. Everything will be all right,’ Shreya said the moment Sunaina left.

‘I am not hopeful. It’s got worse since last night. The blisters on her skin have started bleeding badly. The doctors are having a tough time controlling that. I want her to live, Shreya, I want her to live.’

‘She will be back, Aditya, don’t you worry.’ She hugged him. Aditya began to sob. She hugged him even tighter. ‘I love you, Aditya. Don’t worry. God will make sure everything is all right,’ she consoled him. The two of them walked into the hospital coffee shop.

On the way she stopped, pulled some printouts out of her bag and gave it to him. ‘This is the final manuscript with all the changes. I have to send it to Vaishali day after. She will wait for a week or so is the sense I got. Read it whenever you get some time and let me know if it meets your standards.’

Aditya who had controlled himself till then, let go, ‘Are you seriously out of your mind?’

‘Adit . . .’

‘No, tell me,’ he shook his head furiously while struggling to find words, ‘tell me what the fuck is wrong with you, Shreya? I am sitting here in the hospital. My wife is dying. I don’t know what course my life will take and you want me to read your fucking manuscript?’

‘I just thought you might be feeling bored sitting all alone, so I brought this along.’

‘Damn your manuscript, Shreya. Damn you becoming an author. At this point in time, I care two hoots about it. The way you care for Maya, is how I care for your book. This is the only thing important to you, right?’ Aditya waved his hands in the air furiously. ‘My feelings and emotions be damned, but the book is important. You don’t care if Maya dies. Actually why would you?’ He furiously sniffed and moved ahead, only to stop and look back.

‘Come on, Aditya, you know it is not like that.’

‘Of course it is like that. You schemed. Right from the beginning, Maya, you have been scheming. I thought you loved me. I thought we had a nice thing going. I thought we liked being in each other’s company.’

‘That is the way it has always been, Aditya. I never schemed.’

‘From the first time you got in touch with me to save yourself from the Director, to right now, when you are using me to get published, you have been lying, Maya.’

‘That’s unfair, Aditya. You are accusing me of being something which I am not. I love you.’

‘Cut the crap, Maya.’

‘Shreya. I am Shreya, not Maya. This is the third time you called me Maya.’

‘Yes, yes, that’s what I meant. I loved the woman in you, the person in you. But you always loved the author in me. Take the author out of me, and I am a nobody as far as you are concerned. Accept it. That’s the fact.’

‘No, Aditya. Please don’t say that. Yes, I started loving you because of your books but now the books have nothing to do with it. Maybe I am very desperate about getting published, and that’s because I am not as successful as you. But it’s not just about the books any more. It’s about you, Aditya. It is about us. How do I make you believe that you mean everything to me?’ She had tears in her eyes.

Aditya retracted. He looked at Shreya and apologised. ‘I am sorry. I am going through hell right now. I can’t even think straight.’ He led her to the main gate of the hospital. In front of Aditya, Shreya held back her tears, but the moment she was out of his sight, she broke down.

That night the Medical Superintendent released an update to the media.

Maya Kapoor, the first Ebola patient in India, continues her struggle with the virus. Her condition has further deteriorated over the last twelve hours. The blood vessels in her lower calves have ruptured, leading to sustained bleeding. Medical professionals are trying their best to stabilise her.

The Health Ministry, Government of India, has approved use of VSV-EBOV, an experimental Ebola vaccine, manufactured by the National Medical Laboratories of Canada in association with Merck. Five doses of the vaccine have been hand-shipped to India and are expected to reach late tonight. The patient’s family has given its consent to the use of the vaccine. It is worth mentioning that neither is the efficacy of the vaccine known nor are the side effects. WHO had recently approved the use of clinically untested vaccines for Ebola cure. The Health Ministry too has concurred with the WHO view.

It is going to be a difficult night. We are keeping a constant watch and will update you in case of a material change in condition. We request you all to report cautiously and respect the patient and her family’s privacy.

Thank you