This was Day 4 after Diksha's return....... 25th March.
Very much in 'home quarantine'......and even before we could fully settle into the self isolation drill ......it looked like life had more in store for us.
It started that evening, with Diksha sniffling....... we attributed it to journey fatigue.
Next morning she started to cough......... we hoped it was a common cold.
By evening she was running a fever. I searched for a thermometer I haven't used in years. I found one. She checked and it read 100.5.
I said, "no deech, can't trust these digital ones, may be a battery malfunction...let me find another". I actually found one... the old fashioned mercury one. I prefer the old ones. So we checked again. It also showed 100.3.
It could still be a common cold (flu) we thought.
She did a lot of steam inhalation and salt water gargling. Put her on wikoryl and dolo.
She did a lot of steam inhalation and salt water gargling. Put her on wikoryl and dolo.
We monitored with bated breath and fingers crossed.....for two days.....the fever was going down in the morning, and coming back at night. The cough was getting worse. Her cold was bad. The symptoms were ominous.
It was time to sit up.
We spoke to doctors.... doctors in the family, doctors among friends...... and the opinion was unanimous and clear; she needed to be taken to the government hospital for a covid test.
There was a phase where I was indecisive. Guess I was looking for excuses. I'd read about waiting for seven days before getting worried, treating it at home till it gets severe... stuff like that was interfering with thought process.
There was a phase where I was indecisive. Guess I was looking for excuses. I'd read about waiting for seven days before getting worried, treating it at home till it gets severe... stuff like that was interfering with thought process.
The stress was like the proverbial elephant in the room. We were both fluctuating. The thought of exposing her to a crowd during the test..... the thought of 14 days quarantine in Gandhi hospital...they were making our thinking nebulous.
While 27th evening I went to sleep with the decision of waiting two more days, 28th morning I got up with complete clarity.
Be it good sense, be it our sense of responsibility, be it fear, be it collective consciousness........whatever.....we knew we needed to do it.
Decision made, we were ill equipped in even knowing what to expect. I was like "pack a bag deech, you may not be allowed to come back if you test positive....and I'm not sure you'll have charging points and the like...so best you take a couple of books too...it's fourteen days after all"
She browses my book shelf, rejects all my suggestions....and picks what?
'For One More Day' by Mitch Albom......a philosophical book that explores mortality as central theme
and
'Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind' by Yuvah Noal Harari
I could only stand and look on....with a cauldron of emotions within.......with anxiety, with fear.... with admiration, with respect.......... and most of all with tenderness and love ...........overflowing yet invisible ......and all from five feet away.
Her emotions we can only imagine. If anything, her choice of books spoke volumes.
What was visible on surface, for both of us, was a pragmatic, no nonsense air......and we left, backpack, sanitizer and masks in tow.
While 27th evening I went to sleep with the decision of waiting two more days, 28th morning I got up with complete clarity.
Be it good sense, be it our sense of responsibility, be it fear, be it collective consciousness........whatever.....we knew we needed to do it.
Decision made, we were ill equipped in even knowing what to expect. I was like "pack a bag deech, you may not be allowed to come back if you test positive....and I'm not sure you'll have charging points and the like...so best you take a couple of books too...it's fourteen days after all"
She browses my book shelf, rejects all my suggestions....and picks what?
'For One More Day' by Mitch Albom......a philosophical book that explores mortality as central theme
and
'Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind' by Yuvah Noal Harari
I could only stand and look on....with a cauldron of emotions within.......with anxiety, with fear.... with admiration, with respect.......... and most of all with tenderness and love ...........overflowing yet invisible ......and all from five feet away.
Her emotions we can only imagine. If anything, her choice of books spoke volumes.
What was visible on surface, for both of us, was a pragmatic, no nonsense air......and we left, backpack, sanitizer and masks in tow.
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