"Hello!"

"Is this Ramesh ji?"

"Yes, this is Ramesh speaking."

"Sir, your blood report has arrived. You have tested positive for dengue virus. Please come to the clinic to collect your report."

Ramesh rushed to the clinic. When he looked at the report, he still could not believe his eyes. He had always worn long-sleeved shirts, trousers, and shoes. He had also applied mosquito-repellent cream all over his body. At night, he slept inside a mosquito net. He had taken all the precautions to stay safe from mosquitoes.

The receptionist said, "Sir, please take your report and see the doctor."

"Sure," said Ramesh.

The waiting room was serene except for the hypnotic tick of the imported metal clock hanging on the wall. The white-washed walls in the waiting room were squeaky clean. The only thing adding some colour to the room were the plants on the windowsill.

"Sir, it is your turn. The doctor is free now," said the receptionist.

Ramesh walked in.

Necessary greetings were exchanged. Studying the worried look on Ramesh's face, the doctor told him that the report was normal except for the fact that he had tested positive for dengue virus. The doctor advised Ramesh to consume as much liquids as possible and get a blood test report daily to ensure that his WBC and platelets were in the normal range. The doctor asked him if he had any questions. He said yes and said, "I have taken every precaution possible to stay safe from mosquito bites, and yet I still got dengue. Whereas some of my neighbours are least bothered about it, and they haven't yet gotten dengue. This doesn't make sense. Why don't those negligent people get bitten by dengue mosquitoes instead?"

The doctor smiled and said they would also get bitten someday. The doctor told him to come to see him after a few days with a new blood report. With a heavy heart, Ramesh left the clinic and headed to his rented room.

That night, Ramesh's fever reached 1030 F. His wife placed a cool and damp washcloth on his forehead to bring his fever down. When that didn't do the job, he took two tablets of paracetamol. This helped to some extent. The next day, Ramesh's wife started showing dengue symptoms. By the end of the day, Ramesh and his wife were both bedridden. But as parents of a seven-year-old school-going girl, Ramesh and his wife couldn't afford to rest. So they continued to cook meals and drop and pick up their daughter from school. They used every bit of strength they had in their bodies.

"I wish we lived in an extended family," said Ramesh's wife.

"Do not forget the possible challenges of living in an extended family. When there are more family members, there are more issues. I am sure you are well aware of this," said Ramesh.

Ramesh's mother used to live with them. Unfortunately, she passed away a few years ago due to a brain haemorrhage. Talking about his extended family made Ramesh think about his late mother, and this made him emotional.

"Let's forget about it. We need to look forward to overcoming this problem. I do not want to ask my relatives for help," said Ramesh.

Ramesh's relatives knew about his testing positive to dengue, yet none of them had called him or his wife to check on them. This hurt Ramesh's wife a lot.

With her eyes moist, his wife said, "Since we started living in Koteshwor, we have offered many relatives and friends shelter and helped them book flight and bus tickets. We have even collected and delivered parcels on their behalf. But when we need them, they are nowhere to be seen."

The couple remained silent for some time. It was raining heavily. It looked like that area would endure an entire night of incessant rain. That night, his wife, with great difficulty, prepared a simple vegetable soup and bread for dinner. Even though their doctor advised them to have mutton and chicken soup, the couple didn't have the money to spend on such food.

The couple finally went to bed at 10 pm. Before falling asleep, Ramesh told his wife that they would try their best to recover as soon as possible for their daughter's sake. They had heard about many dengue patients getting hospitalised for not being able to eat food. It was not possible for them to stay at a hospital, for their daughter was too young to fend for herself.

When Ramesh woke up the following morning, he checked his watch and realised that he had slept almost nine hours. His tiny room was awash with bright sunlight, and his wife was still asleep. It took him a while to realise that his fever was gone and so was the body pain. He held his wife's forehead to check her fever, and much to his delight, he found that her fever was gone too. When his wife woke up, she told him that she, too, was feeling much better. They had both heard that it takes atleast ten days to recover from dengue, but it surprised them it had taken them just three days. They thanked God for watching over them, got up from their bed, and started doing everyday household chores. Life had to go on. They could not go on to think about those selfish people around them. At that moment, they were simply too happy to have overcome dengue in just a few days.