Tuesday 31 December 2013

Living Day-to-Day

Shailesh’s mother was suffering from a disease, about which I didn’t know much. The doctors had given a strange name to it. The family was one of the reputed families but the sufferings inside the family were persistent to not disappear. Shailesh has always tried to be nice and hopeful. He was one of the very calm and peaceful personalities I ever knew.
“It has been almost eleven years.” Shailesh said.
“We have been visiting doctors. There has been regular medication.” his father added. His voice was cracked, with some weariness and exhaustion dissolved in it. “I long to sit in the sunshine on the terrace. But I can’t climb the stairs. I’m too weak for that.” said the lady encircled by the quilt. There were short sentences, partially broken followed by long uninterrupted moments of complete quietude.
“The doctor of FORTIS hospital, Dr. Amish, says that she will be better soon.”
“The previous doctors had been claiming the same.”, replied his father.
During the conversation, Shailesh’s sister entered the room with the tray in her hand. Her striking eyes spoke of high ambitions she had. After serving me some snacks and tea, she went to the other room to study. Barely a few minutes had passed when the old man in the house called her.
“Make me a cup of tea, your dadi says she is not feeling well.”
“Okay dadaji,” was the obedient reply.
I realised how different chores in the house swallowed the few hours she wanted to devote to the books. But, was there any choice?Life rarely comes with alternatives.
Their father is a small businessman. The expenses of the treatment of the lady forces him to toil more. The fatigue surfaces on his face when he speaks. Shailesh himself is pursuing graduation from Panjab University. It was after his first year that he realised her mother’s health had worsened. Now he spends most of his days at home and misses the routine life at the University. The illness,
she said, was affecting the other parts of the body too.
The walls of the room had a number of sea landscapes and few happy photographs of the family. There were smiling, bright faces in the frames, which now had vanished. Endless dullness had saturated the surroundings. It was quite apparent that the complete focus of the family had shifted to her health.
I remembered the time when my mother was in a similar condition. It was one of the hardest times for the family. We would help her in every chore of the house. Sometimes, we had to do all the work. There was helplessness, but there was hope. Mummy would weep sometimes in the middle of the night. She did not want to bother us for every little thing but, was there any choice? There were clouds of sadness.
There were rains as well.During the little time I spent there, I spoke very less. With a heavy heart and wishing her a soon recovery, I walked out of the room, followed by Shailesh. There was an atmosphere of complete silence. I could not find any words to suit
the moment.
“See you soon.” I nodded, smiled and started walking outside the house. The fog had become very dense and the visibility had decreased in the same proportion. Nothing, beyond a few yards, was visible.
Take a step forward and you’ll see what life has in stores for you.The freezing temperature made me shiver. I tried not to stop, for one may not find sources of heat in this chilling cold. It just goes on.