Mallika: Paagal, lunatic
1976
She had to hide it until it went away.
It was mid-April now. In early January, after Mahima’s wedding, she’d had the concussion and lost three days of her memory, and everyone was dragged into it. This time, she’d manage it on her own. No choice – Prabha was in Poona, Mahima in Chandigarh, Gauri far away in the JNU hostel where the phone rarely worked. No one to talk to, to ask, What’s happening?
Had it been any other time, she’d have told Ma and Shantamama. But now the date for Shantamama’s operation had been fixed. The days were consumed going to AIIMS, meeting doctors, having various tests done. The commute to the hospital and back took a lot of time. Ma was still teaching, and Mallika was going to college, but one of them always accompanied Shantamam
