Woke up with the phone ringing and it was papa calling from
Delhi. It was 6 am in the morning and I was dead sleep. He was visiting Delhi
for some conference and was due to be back in 2 days. I picked up the phone
reluctantly, his voice was really weak and this washed away all my sleep. Somebody
from mamma’s gym had called him saying that she has fainted while on running on
treadmill. Ya, mama papa and my brother are regularly gymers and do not miss
the workout for anything in the world.
I had to rush to her gym; it was close by but since I have
never visited any gym, took me time to sort out my way there. The call had
worried us both; I was dreading all worst things possible, guess human tendency
to always imagine the worst first.
Well, there she was, lying on floor, conscious.... “Thank
god..bhagwanji she is ok” was my first thought. I woke her up, she struggled to
speak and puked all of a sudden. With the help of her trainer, somehow managed
to bring her to my car. I had never ever ever ever seen mama so blank, in so much
pain that she could not speak up. I called up papa and he said to take her to
the hospital. N believe me I am so scared of hospitals........its smell, its
view makes me sicker than patients admitted there...
Well, both my parents are doctors, so is my brother, so is
everyone in my family. Except for me and my nanaji, we are just not doctor material.
Till the time I reached, every big shot of Chandigarh was at
the hospital, so papa had called everybody declaring an emergency. Mama was diagnosed
with a heart attack and immediately had to be operated. She got two blockages
in her heart and need urgent help. Now this was a blow in my face. Neither papa
nor my brother was there, I did not understand alien doctor language, was felling
completely uneducated among all these surgeons. Signing papers I did not
understand, listening to surgeons explaining me the process and on top of all I
was asked to audience her operation. Now how did I end up here? No clue. But it was my mother, I love her and
there was no fear big than the one of losing her. With no known face in the
crowd I entered the theatre all dressed up like I was going to cut open someone
myself. It was like those filmy moments when you enter a temple and there are
drums playing welcoming you. Her operation went successful and I met her after
the dressing. She seemed so much better, out of all pain. Phew... I love you
mama...
All of a sudden I saw Ashu, my brother, walking towards me (well
I called him after I picked mama from gym and he immediately started for Chandigarh)
and I just remember him hugging me. That’s when it hit both of us, our parents
have gone old!!!! It is a scary feeling, seeing your papa mama unwell in front
of you, especially when they themselves are doctors.
Well papa reached by evening and mama was much better then. It
took her a week to get discharged and three months to be up and running.
It’s been three years now since that long day visited me and
still I get goose bumps if anyone from my family develops pain, fever or even
cold.
Guess time is not going to wait for anything to happen, so
just get up, hug your loved ones, say now whatever you want to, do now whatever
you want to.... may there is no tomorrow. But this should not stop you from
pursing your happiness....cause as they said, it is now or never...god bless u
all....
