Chapter 18: chapter 18

I was surprised to see the man without a mask. I reflected, "How could he be so lenient that he will not catch the infection? He might be having his family and loved ones. God bless them all." I wanted to ask him the reason behind but I was not capable to put forth my speculation. I watched him silently performing his operation. He pulled an empty syringe from his medical bag, removed the protective cover and pierced the needle into the middle of my hand to draw blood from my veins. I turned my face in a different direction ignoring the pain. After pulling out the pointed needle he placed little cotton on the punctured area and folded my hand intentionally directing me not to rub the cotton and to keep it intact for around ten minutes. He drained the collected blood sample in the syringe into an empty bottle and kept it inside his bag after labelling it with his marker.We were all on empty stomachs and had not yet taken our first dose of medicine too. Unknowingly, I heard myself saying, "Ooo so much blood has been withdrawn". My younger son who had just woken up from his sleep sat down to rub his eyes awaiting his turn. He had cast a cursory glance at the blood-filled syringe. When the man clutched his fingers and inserted the pointed needle of the syringe onto his skin, he cried, "Papa, papa....." and was about to fall into a swoon. My husband rushed to save him from any mishap. He hugged him tightly forgetting that he was contaminated while the man did his job assuring that it was normal, he is weak. The high dose of medicines and the sudden extraction of blood from his body made him weak. The virus had made him so weak that he was unable to bear the sight of the blood. The elder one encountered the man boldly. He was the second one to readily offer his blood sample. I asked my husband," How is papa Ji"" He gave his blood willing. He is moving and talking but not eating", he replied.Looking at my condition, an uncertain fear engulfs my mind that I will not be able to see my father-in-law again. Sometimes, I was split into jitters doubting my survival. The ailing faces of my kids offered me a ray of hope, "This too shall pass". Pondering upon it, I silenced my turbulent mind.We took our medicines and ate bread and butter. Our hands started aching but I had to wash our soiled utensils and wash our clothes otherwise we would not have anything to eat or wear. All the disposals were utilised giving rise to a heap of garbage emitting a foul odour. So, I thought of using steel plates. My younger son felt better after his breakfast. He managed to clean the room and prepare maggie for the induction. As days passed we became weaker and weaker and lost our appetite. The phone calls kept pouring in from my paternal family and friends. Everybody was tense. Gradually, I was unable to attend calls. My father and brother had to consult my husband regarding our health. Our front-door neighbours maintained a safe distance from us. They kept their doors and windows closed lest the virus enters their house. Nobody enquired about our health. Our milkman continued providing us with milk despite knowing the intensity of our condition. I will always remain indebted towards his attitude. I had dismissed my house help from the day our reports were confirmed. Tbe entire staff of my school was confined to their dwellings. However teachers were providing online classes from the comfort of their houses.