“It is a complicated case of Hydro-nymothorax”. My mother almost fainted hearing that from the doctor not because she knew about this sickness before (though she’s an anthropology student) but what else can we expect hearing that sort of a name!. the doc continued “It’s an illness where the diaphragm of the lung gets cracked due to heavy weight lifting or being hit by something very badly and by the continuous healing mechanism of the white blood cells, which really doesn’t work though, creates a fluid which slowly gets inside the lung filling it and thus malfunctioning the respiratory mechanism of it (now of course lung is not a water container). He should get admitted in the hospital as soon as possible or it’ll get worse” now mom fainted completely.
The cabin was quite clean though! But something made me feel much more weak, much more sick out there. I went to the veranda. The Victoria Memorial was slightly visible not because it was very far but some large trees covered my sight. But I could see it’s rear gate clearly. The velpuriwalas, balloonwalas, fucka, whistle, couple, parents, children it was a nice view!
Now what I’m going to tell you guys I’m sure you won’t believe it, except my friends who were my regular visitors out there. The same day I got admitted, two sub-doctors entered my cabin. In their hands were some instruments. Two large glass bottles, one plastic small tap like instrument, and one syringe. It was as long as a 30cm wooden scale, with its cylinder as thick as the axe deodorant, and the needle, o god ! it was as long as the 15cm scale. “WHAT THE HELL YOU ARE GOING TO DO WITH THOSE????” I almost cried out ! .
“relax! We will just insert the needle into your left lungs and fix this tap with it. Then with the help of the injection(holy shit! That was a water gun!) We’ll extract the fluid from there and put them in these bottles for testing purposes! It won’t hurt a little cause we’ll apply some local anesthetic over the place before we start”…. I fainted!
It wasn’t that painful believe me .. 10mins past they still continued their work of pumping
And I could see the tap placed into my left rib a little towards the waist from the underarm. When they were taking the things out they opened the tap and while the cylinder was out they closed it (just as the taps placed in kinley’s large crates) . I couldn’t feel anything only a little pain much like a mosquito bite.
But slowly the anesthetic dose’s power came down and I could feel a terrible suffocation as if someone blocked my respiratory system within. I explained that problem to the two love-docs(they were two young docs a boy and a girl, who had a smiling problem with each other. They used to smile once in 5secs looking at each other), they said “ok, a little is left ... we’ll continue the next day then”. They left.
It was a very busy road! Cars were rushing away as if they all had a “last warning” excuse for their late sign in (due to constipation).
But the gate of the memorial seemed always romantic least concerned about what is going on in the rest of the world. They provided me with a extra comfortable chair which I permanently placed in the balcony, I thought the beautiful greenery, I thought about the people from so many parts of the city, everyone has their own problems, happiness, relations, I thought about the jhalmuri sellers, about their lives, the difference between the ways the children wants to enjoy the Victoria and the couples, both are beautiful. but one thing which I used to think a lot is they are so unaware that from a distant a boy of 18 from the 8th floor of a white building across the road, is gazing at them with so much of interest and they don’t even know or need to know anything about that boy.. lonely he is.
How about a cigarette? (just kidding).
My treatment consisted of two tablets(much looked like bullets), inhaler(in case of emergency) and regular x-rays and scans.
The X-ray and C.T scan rooms were at the 1st floor. They used to always transport me with the help of a wheel chair(don’t know what they thought about my limbs). One day a funny incident happened. One of my friend Shambodeep came in to give a visit.
Shankar da(my wheel bearer) came right after him telling “time for your checkup”
Well I was in my comfortable throne. I really enjoyed the journey. Just sitting down looking everywhere like an arrogant king and see how people used to run, walk, getting themselves go tired and tensed and me, having a fruity in my hand slowing seeping through the drink and Shankarda pushing me through the crowd as a body guard come chariot driver saying “move, move make a way” .. through the crowds into the lift we go.
That day Shambo accompanied us. The C.t scan machine seemed like an anaconda slowly engulfing me, or some evacuating vehicle of a space craft.
While we were returning Shankarda said “ babu I need to pee, can you stay here for a moment and excuse me please”. I said “sure, have a break” . As Shankarda left Shambo rushed in and took control of the chair from behind and said “lets have a racing game”
“are you crazy?” I shouted but it was too let. My chair rushed like as if some horses were pulling it.. Shambo with his full power started to run. I started praying cause a little misbalance could throw me out of the chair and another minimum 10days had to be extended for joininf my bones! . Shambo took a round and returned to the same place where we saw Shankarda! Why you should have looked into his face. Terror striken, bewildered, shocked! .”arre patient kaha gaya! Arre ye kya ho gayare! Mera naukri chala jayga! Arre wheel chair kaha gaya” and he kept on running like nuts!.
“here we are Mr. shankar” shambo shouted! And Shankarda’s face changed like a dead flower suddenly got alive again by some miraculous power’. “You almost took the life out of me, so careless of you guys” he said. And since then he never peed again at duty hours(I think).
At night the Victoria memorial seemed like some enchanted place! dark but hallucinating. The trees,though witnessing this beauty everyday still seemed deliriously mesmerized and in the same time quite possessive as they always veiled her under their curtains. The crowds were missing at this part of an hour! Hence I got some time for myself to interact with her a little more intimately now!. Number of cars decreased from the road though the speed, much more than before. Some returning to their lonely life, some with their wives waiting, some deliberately returning late just to avoid the regular rebukes and quarrels at home. Some returning guilty about the way they cheated their love just before this return. And some with hope in their hearts of something good as every other days. The rain which had lasted for an hour by now stopped, though probably only for a time being, nevertheless adding some sweet refreshing smell into the atmosphere. The air was cool though not the one I was breathing through that oxygen tube.
The umbrellas were closed revealing the weary head of the pedestrians(though some were still over their head, probably extra precautions). The road looked like an ancient snake who took an oath of bearing the burden of us rather than living its normal life. The street lights featured as the focus that museums and galleries uses to brighten up their exhibitions (here the snake) as a sign of our very little gratitude toward this historical socially working beast. The night was going on whispering something into my ears while I relaxed apparently, in the veranda. Something about the past, present and the future. How life’s had been and will be. The darkness acted as a projector of all my thoughts and dreams to come in front of my eyes with some discrete interruptions by the horns and sounds of the road!. I cried, I smiled, I felt sleepy and went to sleep while the night kept facing at me as if asking me to wait for a little while.
The sixth day was evil. I had a breathing problem since I woke up and at night it went to some unbearable one. The nurse came in and I told her about it. A young doctor rushed in with the same equipments as before, just the bottles were missing. He looked with some shear concentration at the x-ray and scanning plates and said “Air blockage! due to the fact that the water was taken out. Air somehow got in(the tap didn’t work well). Got to take them out aye boy?!” and smiled.
Fear was not there anymore within me. Only lack of confidence. This time I laid down facing the ceiling. The doctor applied some anesthesia over The chest. And like holding a knife(much more softly though), placed the vacuum syringe straight over the chest into it. I could see the whole operation now. He took out the cylinder and placed the tap again and then the cylinder with it. Pumped out some air, closed the tap took the syringe out and pumped the air out. These steps continued for almost 15 minutes. I felt so lighter by then. I could breathe. Doc took out the syringe the long 15cm one from my chest. “aren’t you afraid?” he asked. “No, but will I be ok?” I replied with a very low voice. “of course you’ll. This’s nothing to cause death. You gotta have something larger illness than that to end up dead my boy, but don’t ever try to get one”. Doc left handing me the cylinder(syringe removed) as a “gift” just like a feudal knight used to get gifted by the same arrow that struck him in a battle, as a sign of his bravery, after by any chance he survived that. I couldn’t write anything good about this day because I don’t remember anything else.
The tenth day I returned home totally cured.
Left my well wishes for the night and the road!.
- by wreetojyoti
