A FEW FUNNY AND EMOTIONAL ANECDOTES (IV)

Who is the patient?

Suffering from this disease, but I was hale and hearty as any other person. Rather the previous day before my doctor gave this news I attended the office as any other normal working day. In fact one month before this I also gave my dance performance. At that time though little pain was there I never thought in my dreams that I was carrying something like this in my leg.     

Well, it was the day of my surgery. I went to the reception at the "booking counter" to book my room. There was this young smart lady, newly married ( I guessed from the red and white bangles which she was wearing). I asked her about the room details, room fare etc.  and told her to book a room. She took out a form and a booking register from the drawer. As she was doing something on her computer (which I couldn't see, probably filling the details) she asked me my name and age. I thought that the formalities were over and she would hand over the room keys to me now. She then asked me the name and age of the patient and my relation to him. I just laughed and told her that the patient was me. For 5 seconds she was in shock, and then she smiled at me and wrote “self” in the relation column and handed over the keys of the room to me. 

Contentment

My radio therapy sessions were going on and I used to go to the hospital directly from my office (yes I resumed office after 1 and a half month of surgery). As I could not drive during that time my driver used to pick and drop me. That day while coming back from hospital he told me that he was going on leave. Frankly, I never used to like him as he was always so rude and loud. But when I asked him the reason for his leave, a shine came in his eyes. His voice became soft and polite and his words enthusiastic. He told me that he was going to Allahabad to collect holy water and then he would walk till Varanasi, some 115 kms to pour that water on holy Shivling. He does this every year. With his countryside accent it was little difficult for me to decipher everything, but he was engrossed in his own words speaking continuously and in between, at red lights, he used to turn behind and give me a smile. And then he said 'Nancy tumhe bhi jana chahiye. Mummy ko bhi bolna jaane ke liye.' (Nancy you should also go there. Tell this to your mom also) He then told that he was also planning to go to Kashmir to take a leisure trip. I just kept sitting, listening him, mesmerized by his faith, commitment and his simple, complete  and content life.

Emotions

Everyday I had to go to the hospital for the radiotherapy sessions and there were strict instructions from the doctor to reach atleast 1 hour before the session time. It was during this one hour waiting of everyday that I realised that though that place, the hospital  was considered as depressing but one could actually see and feel love there, one could actually feel the true emotions, the actual affection and care for beloveds. It was just one day before when I was thinking about  that Sikh couple who everyday bring their son/daughter,I was still not able to decipher,to hospital. He was a small cute child of probably 6-7 years. The child always had a smile on his face and keep hugging his dad. The bonding which was seen between the couple during this time was unimaginable.

And then that day there was a man-thin, bald, mask on his face, bandage in his hand sitting on wheel chair. His wife (probably), simple lady, seemed tired, with water in her eyes, was pressing his head continuously,caressing him, standing behind him. The sight was so touching that I had to control the water from flowing out of my eyes.