"What are you saying? How can it be?"
Saina saw her mother flinch - she repeated the words over and over again. That had not surprised her. It had been the story since past 1 week. Corona had reawakened like a demon bidding his time waiting for the right opportunity .All her plans of staying in Bangalore had dissolved in thin air. There was fear , chaos everywhere. News of close relatives , friends getting corona kept floating around. The lack of oxygen cylinders had added fuel to the fire.
"Who was it ,mom ?What is it?"
Her mother went back a few steps , reacted as if she saw a ghost in Saina." You are positive."
Saina 's clutch on the water bottle hardened - she stood where she was. Her brother , Vaman came from the other room ,sat on the bed close to the door near their mother and asked his mother to leave the room along with him. Saina was still in shock .They both left the room and closed the door behind them.
Saina was not able to feel a thing. She sat on the bed not knowing what to do next. She lied down on the bed and pulled a blanket to her face .She closed her eyes , tried to sleep. Will this be the end of myself? She heard noises coming from outside the door. Her mother was shouting at someone on the phone.
"Beta , ghabrao matt . देख रहे हैं क्या करना है. " She picked her mother' s call. Words had dried in her mouth. She put the phone down with a meek ok.
I am yet to do so many things - have not married , have not visited any foreign country except Nepal , have never been on a ship .I am yet to clear BPSC - I had a bright future laid out in front of me. Everything is now gone. I can not meet my boyfriend now. Nobody would even light up my body. I would be dumped in some corner of Patna.
She slept off the next two hours. As she woke up, she felt the same burden coming to the fore. Who will take care of her parents - Vaman would have to take the responsibility . Being so young now, it would be a great loss for him. It would make him stronger.
Her mother knocked on the door, "There is food outside. Open the door and take it inside."
There was a plate of Aloo Brinjal with 3 rotis and rabri. She felt no excitement on seeing the food. "There is no taste. Rabri looks okay. Can I have one more katori ?"
After 5 mins, she asked for one more.
Her mom asked, " What is your temperature ?"
"101-102"
"When did you check?"
"No Need to check. I can feel it."
"What the hell! Can you check now?" Her mother screamed on hearing such callousness from her daughter. This is one of those times where no-one messes up with mother - what she says is done - without questions asked.
The temperature was 98 F - which is usual. She rechecked it 2-3 times but the reading was the same.
"Am i asymptomatic? I have a normal reading. Or will it settle later - I will gradually lose my touch/smell and would be under high fever? Will you guys leave me to die? My friend Shiela was also like at the start - then , fever cough , sneezing all came in sequence."
She heard her mom get on a few calls.
Her mother entered the room. Saina was taken aback ," Mom, what are you doing ?You are older - I can handle on my own. Mom, go Away. Please ."
Tears trickled down her mother 's eyes. She sat on the bed, "I can not be away from u , baccha . Let us both suffer together. You know which what difficulty we had got you . So many hardships had come when you were to be born."
"Mom , I really appreciate that. But I am young - I can handle this disease much better than you , mom. Mom , I love u." Tears trickled down her eyes, " Mom , please go. I really love you. Nothing would happen to me."
Her mother instead of listening came closer and hugged her ," I called your father and he called the PathLabs. Your sample was re-examined - you are not positive."
Her mom had a pretty good laugh and she joined in as well.
Covid has become a name synonymous with the devil. Its name only is enough is put fears in the hearts of men.