It was about 5 hours too long for Ali's bladder to handle. He had to pee. But the mere thought of going to the official hub of two-faced snakes aka the washroom was absolutely terrifying and totally worth getting a UTI. But his bladder disagreed. His bladder had now started to act like a stubborn teenager that would totally sneak out in the middle of the night when grounded. And according to this teenage bladder, it was time to sneak out. And like a feeble parent, he had to find a way to let him go.
"Mama, I have to go pee. But I don't want to get attacked by snakes." He gave a little look to Asia who was sleeping under the influence of pain medication. He shuddered a little as the image of a vivid green mamba with bright gold eyes bore a hole in his skull.
"Okay. I will stand outside the washroom while you go pee inside."
"But I will still be alone inside the washroom. What if the snakes attack me?"
"Don't think about it. I went to the washroom today. Several times. Nobody ate me. Look I am right here."
"Why weren't you scared?"
"Honestly I forgot about the snake situation. I just found that there was a thing called HIFU facial and it reduces the appearance of wrinkles. I can also get this double chin of my fixed. No wonder rich people don't age."
"BUT I have to pee. What about me? I can't seem to forget about this whole situation. I think I should also get a urinary catheter and a urine bag for me."
"I don't think the doctors will do that considering you are not even remotely sick."
Ali was pacing around the hospital room to mess with the bladders brain. But no it had Had enough.
"Mama, can you please come and stand by the washroom door. And talk to me the whole time and if I falter or stop answering come inside and check for snakes. Okay?" He started to combat the intense pressure of his furious bladder. "but do ask me if I am alive before coming inside."
"Go to the washroom don't pee here. The hospital staff will kill you."
Ali went to the washroom with the door half open and Mama standing by the door with her back to it.
"What should I talk about?" said Ali as he peed.
"Anything." Said Mrs Chohan in a bored tone.
"Tell me about the HIFU thingy you were talking about."
"Oh, yeah!" said Mrs Chohan, excitedly.
"It will make my face look smaller. I'll become like one of those really rich actresses of Hollywood."
"Mama you are already beautiful. You are absolutely gorgeous from your head to your toes. I love you, mama."
"I love you too, sweetheart. If I would've asked Asia she would've suggested more things. But you, my son, have a heart of gold."
"Thanks, Mama," Ali smiled to himself. "but Asia would've totally said the same. Both of us love you." Ali knew that Asia wouldn't have said anything like that. She was cold, brutal.
"I'll prove it to you that she wouldn't say anything close to that."
Ali came out smiling and silently hoping that she wouldn't actually ask that.
"So, the snakes didn't eat you?" said Mrs Chohan.
Ali smiled contentedly.
Asia's painful condition had Mrs Chohan in twists. Day after day she was getting weaker. Her complexion got dull and dead. Her beautiful almond eyes were tired and sunken. She was basically just taking a liquid diet because she couldn't chew because her rib fractures hurt.
Mrs Chohan's suffering seemed never-ending. So Rani hesitantly decided to tell Mrs Chohan about her amulet.
"Bari baji I want to give my amulet to Asia baji. The pain she is in is spiritual, not physical. The doctors won't be able to help her."
"How will a pendant my poor girl's bruises and wounds?"
"Baji, the snakes of Tabasha release poison through their skin. They paralyze and numb the mind of their prey even before they sink their teeth into their flesh."
"I don't understand or believe any of this."
"Baji, I understand your apprehension. If you think the pendant can't help then it surely can't hurt. Just put this on her. I can't see her in so much knowing that I can help her heal faster."
Mama looked at Asia who was lying motionless on the hospital bed and she realised that there is no harm in just putting a mere amulet on her. What harm can a piece of jewellery do?
Asia now had Rani's amulet resting on her chest. She was lying peacefully on her hospital bed in a drug-induced deep slumber. Mama looked at her worriedly as she rubbed her sweaty palms. It had been 3 long days of absolutely no improvement. Her rib fractures had rendered her helpless, a basic thing like breathing was now difficult for her, laughing was literally out of question. The hospital bill was rising but the condition was staying pretty weak. They had never been able to afford such expensive healthcare. Their usual resort used to be taking Tylenol or maybe rubbing a bit of Vicks and drinking warm water before they got rich. Such big hospital bills were totally unheard of. And now as the bills were piling up Asia's pain seemed to be getting worse. All of these thoughts made Mama laureate Asia with the esteemed amulet of Rani.
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Rani was sitting at the vet's reception. She didn't know why she was there. She didn't have any pet that she cared for. But, she could feel the tension in the whole clinic as her own. A dozen people were cradling their ailing, beloved pets. A cat had some viral flu, a rabbit had eaten a piece of his plastic toy and now couldn't defecate, another cat was dehydrated and so on. But there was this one dog inside the vet's surgery room that had got hit by a car. She had lost a lot of blood and was slowly progressing towards brain death. The vet had sadly informed the owner that the dog had to be put to eternal sleep because there is no way to save her since the required surgical equipment was unavailable and taking the dog to another vet was going to bring them no benefit because there was no veterinary clinic near enough. It was a sad situation for the owner since he had had his dog since her birth and it had only been a month to his 3rd birthday. Tears were slowly dripping off his cheeks and soaking up his shirt as the small cute memories were clouding his senses. The dog, Tony, on the other hand, was whimpering and trying to convince the vet not to kill her. She was going to be a mother the first time. She knew that she had 8 little puppies growing inside her. Asia could feel the pain of that dying mother inside her chest. She could hear the frantic yet weak wailing of that dog as the vet was filling up the syringe with poison.
Tony was saying, "My little kids are talking to me from the inside of my belly that they are willing to die to save me. But I want to live for them. I want to tell them that the salmon fillets cans are all behind the kitchen cabinet. Also, the dental sticks make it easy for Arif to be licked by me. My breath doesn't smell bad then. I love that he gives me food all the time our neighbours' dogs all have a fixed time to eat. I always boast of Arif's qualities when I go to the dog park. I don't want to die. We just bought my favourite treats I want to eat them."
The clinic smelt and tasted of death and blood. Forced death and cold blood. Tony's words leeched at her heart. Sadness was flowing through her veins, poisoning her brain and her thoughts as it flowed. The feeling that was gnawing at her chest was so strange yet so familiar. Maybe the strangeness lied in the fact that she had never felt sad for somebody else. Her feelings and wishes revolved around her own self.
Tony's spirit had left her body alongside her firstborns which sadly weren't ever going to be born.