‘I never had it, did I?’ ‘Don’t think so,’ said Mrs Rajora cautiously. ‘TB is hardly a disease that goes unnoticed.’ ‘Beta, as a child you were ill for a long time. But then you grew out of it.’ ‘Maybe I am damaged goods after all.’ ‘Don’t be silly, and if you had TB, so what? It affects lots of people.’ ‘So,’ said Ishita slowly, ‘that’s the story.’ The mother was silent. ‘How am I supposed to keep this information from my in-laws? My husband? I don’t keep secrets from him.’ The strain of keeping her voice down so that nothing reached the driver’s alert listening ears drove tears into Ishita’s eyes. ‘And the test? It’s invasive after all.’ ‘Am I saying you should not tell? But let’s find out first. What is the point of worrying other people for nothing?’ When his anxious wife related the details of the visit, Mr Rajora declared the doctor had to be told about Ishita’s TB. Otherwise there was no point consulting an expert.
