Sunday, early morning, I was in dead in my dreams as it was still a midnight for me. Many of us have that tendency to dream one common dream very often. Like I see the same old dream, where I am late for an exam, it’s already 9:45 in my watch and I am still struggling to find my pad and pen and bag, and have to travel a mile for my exam center and the paper starts at 10. Every time I see this dream a strange feeling ‘freaking I am late, if I miss this paper, I am gonna be wasting a year of my life, spending it in the same class’. As I started out of the house, juggling and running the walk, listening to my brother’s comments and pretending that I dint hear anything. I start walking faster, just then, one thing running in my mind – I have to make it for this exam or I am royally-screwed man; And then I hear the sound of a heavy thing falling right besides me. I keep on looking all around the road wondering what the heck on earth was that ! I find nothing. Coming out of the dream back to reality – I was still surprised what the heck just fell? I took a look around and I see Aji who just crashed on the floor.
Aji, Mrs. Malalti Vishnu Joshi, 83, my land-lady, who’s got one leg operated 4 years back, an excellent cook, deaf till mute, was suffering with high fever when I saw her the day before. The only person I have seen who keeps on having medicines until it reacts on the pain.
The day before, I saw her taking a Crocin since she thought it would work on the fever she had, then she took another Crocin, then tried a Metacin right after some-time she had a dose of Brufen followed by her blood-pressure tablets. Until nothing worked for her, when she tried to walk down till the bathroom in morning but before reaching there, she had fainted right besides me. Coming back – I woke-up and was completely shocked, thinking what on earth should I do now! As all my roommates had gone to Pune and I was all alone; just feeling helpless wondering what’s-next. I kept my hand on her forehead, seemed she had no clue that she just had a nice slam on the floor. She opened her eyes slowly, looked at me and asked “Did I fell on the floor, did I..?”. I kept thinking for a while, it sounded just like an elephant slipped and fell right on his back, but since aji had fainted she might not have noticed it. I said “hmmm, I think you did…”. She said “What…” and I replied “You fell…”. She kept looking at me and said “Say loudly, cannot hear” and I went “Youuuu fellll on the florrrrr”. I could feel the fever she had, she was all shivering and warm. Somehow I managed to call her relatives who stayed in Mumbai. Everyone rushed, from the bread-wala, to kaam-wali bai’s, her friends, the entire building, everyone!!
She managed to talk, but the same story to almost every one who visited the house. It was like a cassette which played “I woke-up, started walking and I fell…. Bla ..” Our neighbor Mrs. Joshi, 78, who stays all alone, has a tendency to forget things. She visited our house thrice asking the same question and every time she came to know about Aji falling, she was full of surprise. Later, after the doctor’s visit, Aji was taken to hospital and got admitted, as she had injured her leg, exactly like the other leg she got injured and operated 4 years back.
I see a strong will power in Aji, she has always been prepared for anything and everything. Most important, she is not afraid of death. She has a very strong and sharp conscious mind.
Next day I visited the hospital to see her, she was admitted in the ICU ward where she was all the way yelling at the wardens and nurses, about the food & the AC. She knew about her last experience in the hospital was. I remember last time, when she was admitted in ICU and on the next bed was laying none other than Lakshmikant Berde, famous Marathi actor. And she said in my ears that - she got a chance to see his X-ray report and all she could see was black colour everywhere in it. And she started laughing loudly – ‘why do men drink so much that they cant sustain, doctor cannot see any blood in him, its all daru. Hehh hehh ehh’
She got her leg operated and now she’s back home. Still eager to watch her Marathi serials, doesn’t like to miss any, but Aji hates being in ICU ward.
I reached home after office while entering house met our neighbor Mrs. Joshi who asked me if she gave me her flat-keys. She had forgotten it. Later she was again surprised know Aji fell, got injured, got her leg operated and now she is back with complete surprise. I have given-up this time. I went asleep and dreamt the same – I was already late for my exam – it was 9:45 and my paper begins at 10.
