Go for it IF YOU LIKE GOOD STORIES 😄

 ‘One cappuccino, extra hot, 2 brown sugar with chilli cheese toast and oat meal cookies’, I placed my order and took my last usual table. Waiting for my order, when void made its appearance, yet again. 

‘Hey Savi, being in present too much lately, huh?’, that’s how I portray it must be saying and smirking while making its way to me.

I leaped out to the past. A white room with big white roof at lengths, four lights on top fitted in a circular thing, four green aprons with 2 eyes and two white hands covered with mask and shower cap. 

‘She has to be at least 50kgs’, said one of them.

‘I guess around 52’, said the other. 

‘47 kgs’, I said with all my capacity but barely any voice coming out while they gave me anaesthesia. 

Woke up in an ICU with recall of no memory post that. Well, atleast I had the last word. Never guess a girls’s weight irrespective the setting. 

Coming to the senses, the presence of injury rushed me and I screamed in pain. I just had a surgery for an on and off infection of 12 days. 

12 days before:

I was having a regular day in my first month of Master’s college in Mumbai, when I faced trouble sitting. It was bearable at first but grew within next 2 days. I consulted the nearest physician followed by another as suggested by my aunt who was local there. Unable to feel okay still, I moved to her home near Haji Ali for a few days. Only if I knew it was going to end within few days. 

A week passed by, and first week of October approached. The pain was still there with only more intensity. Unable to sit, sleep, eat or breathe. It was okay only during the course of effects of medicines and that’s when I got to know it only lasts for 6 hours. I would eat those painkillers as popcorns every 5.5 hours, arguing with auntie that half hour doesn’t count. 

We changed another doctor just to find no luck. Grasping the intensity of the situation, she decided to call my parents to take me home in Nagpur for better opinion and treatment as we have better network there. 

Dad booked tickets, and in the evening they all were here. Mom, Dad and my biggest cheerleader, my Nani.

‘What have you done to yourself Savi’, Mom said.

‘I will get better Mumma’, I replied in my tiny voice. 

Followed by other questions and what to do next, discussion started. But there she was my nani, most talkative person now the most silent one with tears in her eyes and prayers in her mind. While every body else was being practically at that moment which was correct, she was there to be with me emotionally. 

It was week 2, the pain was just increasing even after checking with other doctors, after which Dad decided to take me back home.

Day 11:

Coming back home, we went to a well established doc in Nagpur who in the afternoon suggested a surgery to happen the next day based on the internal infection reported in the graphics.

Few hours went by, as I was admitted in his hospital, I started getting these visuals of me lying on a bed in my aunt’s Mumbai home and all people around me checking on me. As I opened my eyes, I realised I’m in a different place. My eyes rolled up, apparently reflecting my fever has reached my head.

After that all I could hear was people around me screaming, doctor being helpless with his next move, and black out. 

Post that I could register the scenes that happened next, in flashes. 

I getting placed in a wheelchair, Dad carrying me to the car followed by waking up in a parking of some different hospital.

As the door opened, a man in blue comes to help me sit in a wheelchair, followed by another similar looking man, followed by another. 

My brain,’Wait a minute! When have the hospital people started looking so perfect. Tall, fair! And going the gym. When do they get time for that? I am still alive, right? This is not what heaven looks like, right?’

Also my brain,’Focus babe, your body fever is reaching me and that’s not a good sign’.

During the rare occurrences, when I was conscious, I was still but my brain was wandering places. ‘Savi, your career’s over! What if this healing takes time and you miss on exams and then a year. Come on, let’s think about alternate career options.’

‘Well, how about being a baker. We can learn baking, do a course or something and open our own chain.’

‘How about becoming a teacher, you like teaching and preaching’,(imagine a brain smirk)

‘Stock market? No?’

No breaks, I tell you! It’s a full time job.

Hours passed by and I fully woke up only after my surgery, in the ICU. 

After the surgery, doctor confirmed for two more minor surgeries, as the infection was too much to be taken care of in the first go. 

The whole episode lasted for bad 13 days. 

I was stable post 1st surgery, which gave a green flag for my relatives to come visit. 

It was the 11th day in the hospital, and Rohit, my brother came in. 

‘There’s a surprise for you!’, he said and I knew what was coming.

There he was, my best friend, Tahir visiting along with my other friend Gargi.

He said hello to Dad who was present in the room at that time. This was the first time they were having a direct conversation for the first time. I was curious as where this was gonna go. 

Dad left the room for me to talk with my friends and that’s when I asked what they all talked about.

‘We were discussing the job offer that I got in my dream hotel.’, he said

‘Oh you made, yay! How long have I been in here.’, I sulked.’Kudos to you!’

‘Thank you!’, he said.

We all had a good talk and then they left.

I got a bail after 13 days. And I remember, the first time I stepped out of that depressing place which even though saved my life, I cried like a baby.

To be able to breathe the fresh evening winter air, hear people and traffic, witness the festive lights up and cheerfulness everywhere, made me sentimental. It was difficult to break down its meaning then but maybe I cried out of gratitude for this chance at life that was given to me.

We reached home, and as soon as I entered the living room, I could see my nani. Seeing her made me cry even more. For some reason her flight ticket got incorrectly booked and she could not travel with us back. She was not informed anything about the surgery while she was in Mumbai. I thank God that she could not travel with us as somehow she got spared from witnessing me in so much pain.

I took good 2 months rest only to resume college again in December 2018 making me take the exams directly.

Exams went well, thanks to the roomies I got. There were 5 of us sharing a 2 BHK space in a area as costly as Bandra West. I had one roommate and other 3 shared the other room.

You must be thinking how long can a void be and how long does a coffee takes to be brewed. Well, I picked on this void long back cause now we are onto a story and about coffee, it’s half way done. Your Savi is fast.

———see you soon in the next one