She kept the pen and notebook away and looked at him.

“Mr. Sehgal. Problem aapka khaana nhi hai. Aapka schedule hai. You’ve been stressing yourself too much. I think we first need to start with correcting your schedule.”

(The problem is not your food. It’s your schedule.)

“What nonsense! Agar maine kaam krna band kr dia toh company apne aap nhi chalegi, Ms. Priya.”

(The company will not run on its own if I stop working.)

Priya smiled and explained.

“I’m not asking you to stop working completely. But ye jo aap itna jyada kaam krte hai, usse manage krna padega and we have to make time for you to relax in between.”

(But the way you work too much, we need to manage that and we have to make time for you to relax in between.)

Atharva poked his tongue against his cheek in annoyance. He didn’t like people toying with his schedule.

“And what do you suggest we do?”

His words were sarcastic. Priya understood but didn’t comment.

“I’ll tell you. Hmmm! Let’s see! Wake up time thik hai but we can manage an extra hour of sleep. Wake up at 5 AM. But, uthne ke baad no work, uthne ke baad we exercise. Yoga-”

(Wake up time is fine but we can manage an extra hour of sleep. Wake up at 5 AM. But after waking, no work, we exercise. Yoga-)

“Aur din ki meetings ke liye prepare kaun krega?”

(And who will prepare for my meetings for the day?)

He cut off in exasperation and she looked at him.

“We’re coming to that. We do yoga for about an hour. Shuru mai itna hi rakhenge. I’ll free you by 6:30 maximum. Uske baad se ready hone tak, you can do whatever work you want to. And yes! Breakfast skip nhi hoga.”

(We’ll keep it light in the beginning….After that until you get ready, you can do whatever you want to. And yes! Breakfast will not be skipped.)

Atharva groaned.

“I don’t like to have breakfast.”

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the entire day. Aapka breakfast chart mai prepare krke dungi and you will have it without fail.”

(I will prepare your breakfast chart and you will have it without fail.)

She spoke like a strict mother and Atharva started questioning his life’s decisions.

“Moving on! Aap apne time pr office jaa skte hai and work as per your schedule. But you will not have lunch like you used to. Lunch ke time pr, you’ll have fruits and other vegetables which can be eaten raw. Wo bhi mai bata dungi.”

(You can go to your office on its time and work as per your schedule….During lunch time, you’ll have fruits and other vegetables which can be eaten raw. I will tell you that too.)

Atharva had a blank look on his face now.

“And no coming back late from work. You should be back home by 8 PM maximum.”

“Sure! Mera baaki kaam tum kr lena!”

(You do the rest of my work!)

He quipped but she threw him a stern glare, making him look away in annoyance.

“You need to lower down the stress you’ve been inflicting on your body. Aapko pura din kaam krne se nhi rok rhi mai. Work as much as you want. But you also have to take care of your body and health. Anyway! Dinner by 7 PM at the latest. Aapka dinner mai office bhijwa dungi. You should always have it before sunset. No heavy meals. Dinner hamesha light hona chahiye. Because the body heals itself at night. Agar hum usse khaana pachane ka heavy kaam de denge toh wo healing process start hi nhi kr paayegi.”

(I am not stopping you from working all day….I will send your dinner in the office….Dinner should always be light…If we give it the heavy work of digestion, it will not be able to start the healing process.)

Atharva nodded, finally understanding her words. They made sense. But he wasn’t going to accept it before her.

“So you’ll be back home by 8. We will meditate for some time. Shuru mai half an hour se start krenge. And then you’ll be into bed by 9. You need a proper sleep of 8 hours. Ye hoga aapke working day ka schedule.”

(We will start with half an hour in the beginning….This will be the schedule of your working days.)

“I work on Sundays also.”

He said and she shook her head.

“You worked on Sundays. Not anymore. Sunday ko hum koi activity plan krenge. Aap beech beech mai work breaks le skte hai.”

(We will plan activities on Sunday. You can take work breaks in between.)

“The hell!”

He grumbled but knew better than to argue. The chest pains he had felt some time earlier scared him. He felt it again and rubbed the spot softly. Priya’s expressions changed and she looked at him in concern.

“Mr. Sehgal! Let’s start with some breathing exercises.”

“Now?”

“Now!”

She said and illustrated how to do it. She asked him to follow. Atharva did and slowly felt the pain subside. After 10 minutes, he felt better and looked at her gratitude.

“Thanks. That worked.”

“Don’t worry! Aap 6 mahine ke andar bilkul fit and fine ho jaayenge.”

(You will be absolutely fit and fine in another 6 months.)

She boasted and Atharva shook his head, focusing back on his work. Priya excused herself and started preparing his diet charts after asking about his allergies from the cook.

She gave the food chart to the cook and explained everything to him. It was almost an hour since she had sent the fruits to Atharva but the plate wasn’t back yet.

Priya went to check and glared at the man in front of her when she saw the plate kept untouched and him working on his desktop with utmost concentration.

“Mr. Sehgal!”

Atharva jumped a little startled. 

“What?”

“Ek ghante pehle fruits bhijwaye the maine. You’ve not even touched the plate.”

(I sent fruits an hour back.)

Atharva noticed the plate and gulped. He hadn’t even seen it before now.

“Mai…mai khaane hi wala tha bas.”

(I…I was about to eat.)

Priya narrowed her eyes and sighed.

“Mai aise kaam nhi kr paaungi. You need to cooperate Mr. Sehgal. When I send something for you to eat or do, you do it then and there. Aap 10 minute kaam chhod denge toh company doob nhi jaayegi.”

(I will not be able to work like this….The company will not end if you take a 10 minutes break.)

Priya took the plate to the couch and table placed in the room.

“Aaiye yaha aur khatam kriye isse. Right now!”

(Come here and finish this.)

She ordered and Atharva got out of his chair reluctantly. He started eating and Priya sat there attending her calls with other patients.

“Khud toh kaam kr rhi hai. Mujhe yaha baitha dia.”

(She herself is working. And she’s made me sit here.)

Atharva grumbled under his breath but continued to eat the fruits. He finished them in 10 quick minutes and sprang up from the couch, still chewing. Priya sighed but did not comment and left him to work in peace.

A week passed by. Priya had been ordering Atharva around for his health. He got too annoyed at times but then he would recall the relief he felt when she did those breathing exercises with him. He knew he needed her for his health.

Their morning yoga sessions were going well. Priya took his sessions over video calls since coming to his place so early in the morning wasn’t possible for her.

It was a Sunday again and Atharva was yet again doing his office work while at home. Priya entered his office and frowned seeing him attend the call.