After another demanding day at office I boarded a bus to my aunt's house where I parked ma buLL the previous weekend, Just to ride him back home. It should be late 7 when I reached there and I got lucky that the Newly Wed Couple had come there(My cousin Sis and her Hubby, A "Made for each other" pair [touch wood] ) We were chatting there for almost an hour about his Job, B'lore, San Jose, IT Field , politics and what not..! My Aunt's family is like a joint family with her Dad 'n Mom, her Brother his wife and their Son and loadsa people. A Sweet Home where you literally feel 24 hours is a scanty number !!
The clock ticked for 10 pm, We got a call from upstairs where the Granny and others live. It was an emergency call, the granny has gone serious and no one was there except for the other aunt there. They wanted someone from from here to help them. In a spur of moment, me my cousin and the new bro rushed upstairs to find the granny struggling to respire, she was almost sniffing every single breathe and was bustling hard ! We were amateurish, but a moment to act matured, coz itz just us who has to manage the situation. We shifted her from her bed to a chair and then brought her down, by that time one of the uncle has got his Car ready. With great efforts we managed to bring her down and shift her to the Cars Rear seat. The car roared approaching the Multi-speciality Hospitals thats couple of Kilo meters off the house. Al-through the way Granny was mumbling words of uncertainty. Finally managed to reach the hospital in not more than 10 minutes dodging the peak traffic.
As we reached the hospital, the Grandpa just turned up from his Shop to the hospital. We rushed to get a stretcher and with the help of attendants there we placed her in the stretcher. As they took her in. a doctor rushed towards her running along checking her pulse and in a moment he ordered the attendant to take her to the emergency ward as the situation sounded to be complex. The Stretcher was propelled to the ICU in a moment. Grandpa who is almost 80 managed to walk fast following the stretcher but he was almost crawling. With our assistance he managed to come along.
The doctors rushed into the ICU examining her, We just had a transparent circle on the glazed glass which gave us a minor view of whats happening inside. She was placed a ventilator immediately to support her breathing. Grandpa was totally restless, he spoke not a word to us but kept uttering words to himself saying papa ll be alright (Papa : thats how he calls her) He came to us and consoles us saying "Granny ll be alright, don worry" , but as he says I could feel his voice trembling, his body shivering. It took almost an hour. All we can see he she was totally wired and doctors having discussions now 'n then. Also a doctor from Apollo was called since it was critical. We took the seat in the corridor, but the old man never stepped back from gazing through the transparent circle in the glass door and he never stopped mumbling too. We were almost uncertain about it, she became totally lost, and breathed like it were her ultimatum. An hour later, it was about late eleven, the doctor came out to say, "Her Lungs has contracted, this is kind of Extreme, but yes, we are trying our best, hopefully she will be alright" But we felt a sense of Script in the doctors way of saying that. Almost all of us were daunted but now, not the old man. He smiled with great spirit saying "Papa will be alright, I know, She'll be fine 'n she'll come back home with me ! " A sentence he uttered almost made us melt "Indha marundhu, machine lam pathadhu. Avaluku enna patha podhum, dhairiyam vandhudum , Doctor naa avala pakanum" (Neither the medicines, nor those instruments alone will be enough to cure her, she needs to see me, see me and she'll sure get stronger to overcome all this, Doctor I need to see her) Thats something the Grandpa uttered and waited for no permission and started proceeding in to the ICU. The doctor neither stopped him, who knows it, even he believes what the old man jus said. As we looked through the window he went near granny who was totally wired, with all the daunting machines connected to her, he sat near her, we could jus see him speaking to her as if she is listening, he spoke 'n spoke 'n spoke and smiled and laughed as a part of it. Some moments later he came out vibrantly and said "Papa ll be alright". We din know what to say but appreciated his confidence for doctor never said that. Again the treatment resumed. It was almost half past 12. Doctor came out with a smile saying "Things are under control, her breathing has become regular close to 96% from the initial dreadful 68%. This is more than just Medical efforts" , he shuddered Grandpa's shoulder with a brim in his face saying "Shez got a decent dose of Love, she would be alright" A smile bloomed up at all our face. Grand pa was proud, proud to have his love alright (for him, she already is).
As I stepped down the hospital stairs, I kept smiling for no reason. Its not a one year or two year affair. Its a 50+ year relationship, how powerful will that love be. They've grown old and they struggle to carry themselves, but they stay so young to carry their better half in their heart.
What a wonderful Love Story I've witnessed that night !! Hats off Old Man, Oh I'm sorry young man !! :)
p.s : Engrave in your heart, There is nothing that could match true Love, Dedication and Devotion, Not the money, power or any sorta material possession . Relationship is something so divine, never ever take a chance of it or play it, knowingly or unknowingly.
I wish you too are blessed with such a noble life like theirs,
and certainly a living worthwhile !! :) :)
