11. ANXIOUS OLD COUPLE

Every time I got back home; Pihu was already with her set of questions. It increased a lot after the story of Covid story.
“Were people wearing masks forever? Did Covid not disappear from the world?”
Pihu as any ordinary kid of her age would ask and ponder with hundreds of doubts.
Once she questioned me with sparkling eyes in search of a positive response, she asked –
“Why do some children abandon their parents?
Don’t youngsters remember the sacrifices parents do in order to see their kids in a higher standard and fulfil the dreams they ever had of them?
Once the kids start to stand strong on their own, why do they neglect them and run behind success which is so arbitrary and unpredictable?”
Such were the questions which my little angel was hovered with and looked at me with puzzled face.
A ten-year-old was too small to be questioning such things.
It was way past her age!
But that did bring back the daunting memories of the bad phase of 2020.
It was a matter of 10 long years ago when things had changed.
As I told before, my sister was back there in our motherland, India. She was the same curious kid as Pihu as a ten-year-old kid.
Her mind was always filled with questions about nature, environment and every single thing around her.
A lovely kid I would say!
Well, this sounds as bizzare as it could, when a brother praises his little one.
Yes, I am a very good brother and she would definitely agree with. Is it not Putta?
Little did I realise that tears were rolling down already my cheeks bringing along some memories of lockdown.
(scene shifts to past during 2020)
“Nín hǎo Golu,
Wondering what that meant?
What is the recent place you have been hearing often?
Yes, it is China.
In Chinese language which means hello.
So, saying hello in our style, can’t wait until we meet again for that biggest and warmest and longest hug.
As truly as anyone said brother – sister bond the best.
And why don’t people value things when they have.
Few instances during the clinical postings for COVID duty opened my eyes wide to the actual, bitter world.
The pain without having parents holding hands while failures, that soothing hug when success embraces us.
Also, their absence has yielded us at various facets of life.
I miss Amma and Appa so much! It would be so great to have them beside us, Ain’t it Golu?
But seeing kids these days abandon their parents and run behind success troubles and infuriate me at different levels.
Few instances I came across in recent past shook me at humanitarian levels and make me think twice in several regards.
One of those firsts is about Mr. Natraj.
He is about 65 years and works in our hospital since about 45 years. He has almost been working since ages relentlessly and tirelessly without any returns.
Once during pre- COVID, a causal conversation happened between us when I had stepped to the store room to collect some emergency medicines.
He lost his wife recently about 3 years to devastating cancer, a menace to the community which is still on the rummage and quest for medications.
On probing deep into the banter, he got comfortable and continued the narration of his excruciating tale.
He told –
“I was born to parents in a poor family with toil and struggle for even two square meal a day.
As a kid I wanted to study and serve society for betterment.
But due to circumstances hailing in the family and domestic ecosystem and hence had to work in earlier days itself to pay bills of his family
My father was a dipsomaniac, in simpler terms an alcoholic, and hence had to support his mother.
I used to see kids of his age going to college and gaining knowledge.
With engagements with them made me introduce himself to little things like communicating in English, familiarised with literature, and many other things.
I later joined our hospital as Group D worker, after 5 years and toiled day and night so that I could shape his children and make them independent, well educated, settled citizen.
I had been working overtime to fulfil his children’s demands.
I wanted them to hold good positions in the society and also take care of me and my beloved wife.
But destiny has its own way of taking turns. I had two kids, one boy and a girl.
They have gone to achieve greater heights in life.
The girl did her graduation and moved to Germany in search of career opportunities.
The young man grew up to become MBA graduate.
This pandemic showed my son’s true colours.”
By this while his words got choked in his throat and he could not complete his sentence.
(scene shifts to conversation between brother and sister)
“Alas Golu!
Mr. Natraj was abandoned and deserted by his own son as he was in command and mindful of giving his services to humanity during the testing times of COVID.
Yes, that’s true!
He was thwarted and disappointed that his sacrifices did not bear fruits and was discarded away from kith and kin.
However, his determination and grit for service to mankind was never shaken and quivered.
Sanitation and hygiene have been important since ancient times, but has taken a prime place in our lives after the pandemic has set in.
He, being a Group D worker was definitely one of the pillars we required to hold on in this phase.
He was a dear one and dawned PPE along with us and encouraged us to remain sane and resume functioning.
Amidst breaking within into pieces, yet he took his bits and joined the jigsaw pieces of himself.
He used to dress up like clown and walk around in general ward and encourage the patients who were anxious and wondering about future.
Entertaining them and reassuring them with positivity was his motto along with floor cleaning, washing dishes and many others included which play a pivotal role in maintaining hygiene.
We have been careful that he doesn’t contract the microbe and keeping him in quarantine shifts even though he pressed on the fact that he would be careful and wanted to work round the clock.
His age was also a concern, older as he was.
But we required to be careful as we could be as he was in the high-risk group with systemic complications in diabetes and hypertension.
Persuading him to stay in four walls was the difficult amongst all after 14 days of occupied into help.
With no offense to people who are thinking twice and deliberate the decision to work or not, here is a person who is putting his whole and soul of himself into selfless service during pandemic.
He can be picturised as an epitome of role model which shows us that others welfare comes first in a sphere of the occupation we have chosen.
Mr. Natraj also told me that he had encountered with an old couple and how he stringed with them in relation to problems they are also were juggling.
This was like two ends of a puzzle finally figuring out its way to each other.
The old couple, Mr. Satya and Mrs. Madhavi were living unaccompanied yet in high spirits.
They were also helped by good Samaritans who made sure that the senior citizen was supplied with essentials like groceries, medicines for survival as they were immunocompromised.
The apartment neighbours along with few volunteers catered to their needs and took status of their children.
Well, it is for sure to ensure protection to the weaker and prone sectors of community during this phase of difficult.
Isn’t it Anna?
Hope the older are taken care of in America as according to my knowledge things are on a verge of bad circle there and people get help when required.
However, coming back to old yet sweet couple, it was disappointing that they had contracted the virus even with utmost safety and caution.
They did not develop any higher end symptoms of the disease.
However, were soon shifted to the hospital to be taken care of under supervision keeping in mind the age factor.
The old man was of 70 years and old and beautiful woman of 65 years.
The bonding between Mr, Natraj and the couple
(disclaimer – with necessary COVID precautions) increased gradually on common grounds.
The couple had a great time with positivity immediate vicinity in hospital with continuous attendance of doctors, nurses and others round the clock.
Hope they get well soon, go back safe and lead merry life ahead of them.
Will keep updating on the developments seen around.
Please take care of yourself and Bhabhi as it is so dishearting to lose a dear one during this time as they are not allowed to see them for the last time.
See you soon on the other end. Keep working and take rest intermittently.”
It was already mid-September and cases were still at the rise. I was worrying about it and told Mishti to take care too and got back to work.
(Back to 2030)
Pihu tried waking me up from my trance where I had drifted back to past, telling me –
“Hello, en yochne maadthidya, kelsakke hogodillawa?
(that’s kannada which means what are you doing, don’t you want to go to work?).”
I smiled at her, showing my teeth and divulged her saying
“Yeah, yes. Heading to hospital right away. See you soon little one.”
She has been my comeback person in distraught and pillar of strength when I would feel vulnerable, only at times.