The fever was high, coming down only by the periodic doses of Paracetamol. Even a strong person like Ashok seemed highly weakened and almost unconscious. Knowing well that it was just viral fever it was not a good idea to leave Ashok isolated at the health centre. So he brought some ice water from one of the married research fellow's suit and tried to control the fever at night. Ashok finally had some peaceful sleep and he slept half reclining on Ashok's bed too tired to weigh if he was doing the right thing. It was around 4 o'clock in the morning when he was woken up by the grunts of unease coming from Ashok. He checked the fever. It was not too high but keeping in mind the restlessness, he tried the time tested method to control uneasiness due to pain-rubbing Vicks on the chest and back. It worked. The next morning he went to his room just for the wash and change. With the mess now operating for a very small number of students, he had to make sure he was there in time to order the preparation of the special light food supplements for Ashok, which was not prepared during the semester break. Ashok was feeling much better that day and by night he in fact was laughing his heart out the way he always used to do. The laughter that he dreaded as much he loved-for the laughter made Ashok look so much at peace with himself and enhanced his masculine innocence (how many women say they see a child in their man, and that is why they often end up nurturing their lover). As Ashok was laughing while narrating some incident, he looked longingly into his eyes, little realizing the implications. It was a gaze Ashok could not miss. And it was a gaze that forced Ashok to grown quiet suddenly. One of those awkward moments when speech is lost and so is the nature of outcome for the communicators. But the actual outcome was not something either had envisaged.
Ashok moved forward and caressed his face with his feverish warm hand...