*{This literature work contains mostly fiction induced with some of my own experiences. I wrote this just for fun. The characters are fictional, if any character or incidents are similar to anyone. It is pure coincidental. It’s just a piece of literature. Hope you like it}
It was now late in the afternoon and we both were standing opposite to the door of room no.1204. My sapped brain was just reanalyzing and computing the circumstances which led me till here.
Recounting my events I thought, I reached the hospital on 10 am only to collect my Covid positive medical report and also to get some prescribed medicines. But all I received was a shock treatment from the doctor to get admitted in an isolation center. Neither getting hold onto my medical report nor getting any meds. I just had a half filled water bottle wrapped in a plastic polythene bag to contain any leakage and my documents proving my identity. All of these were in a jute bag which I carried over my shoulders, my only possession for this trip. Travelling in an ambulance to an isolation center with five fellow covid patients. The unknown destination and the company with me were a complete mystery to me. Meanwhile, reciting my anecdote in the same ambulance before others to my folks and keeping track of my route at the same time was really tiresome. Standing in an isolation center building on an empty stomach and to be greeted by two stern female covid medical staff who were incharge of this isolation center was no thrill either. They handed me my medicines with my covid medical report and also broke the news to me that my lung x-ray copy had been misplaced. I kept my cool, got in the lift, walked to my allotted room silently with a 6 ft tall guy and now all I am doing was thinking.
The rhythmic gentle knock has now turned into noise and at each interval the amplitude of the noise would increase a bit. Nagesh bhaiya and I, both were knocking asynchronously now. As if we were trying our luck out or proving each other after every consecutive knock that the intensity of the previous sound wasn’t enough. Nagesh bhaiya was closer to the door and I was behind him making a to and fro motion to tap the door.
My head reassured me with a bible verse – Knock and the door shall be opened for you. Amongst that noise, the door of the opposite room opened wide and a person in a shaggy look, wearing a dark loose t-shirt and a black three fourth, approached us. He was looking rather amused. He told us in Marathi that the room was occupied and he must have fallen sleep. Those words with a single blow from that stranger was all the magic phrase needed for the entrance door to be opened. Now it was just the matter of time, the guardian of the hidden treasures behind the magical door would be revealed to us. Who will it be, a thief or the woodcutter as per the Arabian Night tale?
A lean fair complexioned guy in his mid twenties with a greasy black hair, wearing a green mask and dressed in a perfectly fitted orange polyester jersey opened up the door. He had a confusion in his look which quickly faded away and he apologised immediately explaining his delay to open the door was because he was asleep. Nagesh bhaiya softly yet steadily charged inside while I followed his lead. The lean guy headed inside to his room inside and stood there while I and Nagesh bhaiya stood in the hall reassessing our situation.
The room had one bedroom which was occupied by our roommate while hall is to be shared by two of us. Now the only problem was that there was only one bed visible in my sight in the hall. Both of our heads turned around the room to find the other hidden bed which was later brought into my attention by my lean roomie that there was no bed but a mattress folded and safely kept on the kitchen top. I felt lucky to find that it was farther away from the sink. My Hercule Poirot was acting up but before investigating the crime scene I needed the some brief details, just to check upon my informant’s identity and with my new case partner.
“Hi! Myself Peter….. I’m Peter George. “
“Namaste! My name is Nagesh Yadav.”
Turning to my right I asked,” Hi! What’s your sweet name?
“Hello! My name is Aamir Sheikh. “
I noticed that two beds had a cardboard bed frame along with mattress while only one mattress was rolled over. Aamir narrated to us that when he had come here, there were two completely fine beds and one loose mattress was already been placed on the kitchen top.
“What should we do now?”, I asked with sincerity like an innocent child. My head taunting me asked in which universe was I enacting like Hercule Poirot or imitating his persona. This was all I needed to get humbled.
Aamir suggested to call and seek help from the isolation medical incharge whom we all had met before getting to our room. I agreed, only to realise that to call the lady incharge I need her mobile number which I didn’t acquire. Aamir took out his phone and shared her number. He said that they provided a mobile number incase of emergency to everyone who were admitted to the isolation center with him. All my head could comment was those lady staffs, covid medical isolation incharge, must have received a lot of these complaint or inquiry calls for which they have stopped giving out the mobile numbers to anyone. The call got connected and a sweet feminine voice responded my call.
“Hello! Madam I am from room no.1204 of this isolation center. Myself George.”
“Yes?!”
“Madam in room 1204 there are only two beds and one mattress.”
“So?”
“Madam I…. I wanted to know if I can get a bed?”
I heard a slight chuckle “Bed? We don’t provide beds.”
“Madam, I know that. I am talking about the cardboard bed frame. The bed frame which holds the mattress and which helps people to sleep above ground level. I don’t want a new bed I want the cardboard frame.”
“Just borrow those frames from nearby rooms.”
“Oh!?” Not waiting for my response she cut the call from her side.
I sighed and whispered to myself, “So two beds and one mattress, it is.” The lady’s solution to my problem was implausible and typical Indian thing to say. It isn’t like I was borrowing some sugar from my neighbours or anything. Nagesh bhaiya and I stood there discussing about it while Aamir went back to his room to complete his slumber.
“Peter, You take the bed and I will take the mattress and sleep on the floor.”
“No! It’s ok I will take the mattress. Nagesh Bhaiya you take the bed I am comfortable sleeping down. “
This went for couple of rounds till it was settled that I would sleep on the ground and he take the bed. I fought it for it like I loved sleeping down. All my head could say that since when did I become so noble? Nagesh bhaiya put his bag on the bed which was adjoined to the side of the wall and he settled down quickly. I took the mattress from the kitchen top, unfolded it near to the window parallel to his bed. The distance between my mattress and his bed created a sufficient passage way from the door to the bedroom where our sleepy head was. The aisle connecting hall room and the bedroom had a small kitchen onto it’s right while onto it’s left after walking four or five steps away was bathroom and a small eastern toilet adjacent to it which created a 90 degree angle to the bathroom.
Taking my seat after placing my jute bag at the foot of my mattress gave my shaky legs some relief. Nagesh bhaiya handed his extra thin pink mattress, his heart must have melted a bit before my nobility, I guess. I didn’t hesitate a bit or made a fuss rejecting the extra supply, I am not that stupid. I took it instantly while thanking him. We both were total strangers but we were naturally behaving like we were some siblings and were having some kind of understanding between us. I realised that the cardboard bed frame didn’t look so safe or sturdy, the mattress was on a cardboard hollow cuboid piece which was again on four rectangular hallow cuboid. Two hollow cuboid cardboard at the end and two hollow cuboid at the center, each has an equal space between them. It was using some kind of honey comb structure technique. Aamir like a ghost appeared out of nowhere to warn Nagesh that the bed might give him some discomfort in his spine. My head, “Okay! For the first time ever your nobility has yielded some good fruits.” Nagesh beamed saying it was fine and he can adjust his pillows to make himself comfortable.
“So Nagesh bhaiya? What do you do? “
“I’m working in Industrial Security Force controlled by the central government.”
No wonder, a 6ft guy with short trimmed hair and well build body was working in an armed force of the Union established under an Act of Parliament which is somewhat like policemen but both having different purposes. I asked him about his companion and upon which I learnt that he knew both of them, the other guys who accompanied us to the isolation center. Gautam and Nagesh bhaiya shared a lot in common, they are of same age and they are both from north state of India but from two different states. The companion of Nagesh was little senior but was in his barrack and Nagesh referred to him as “Sahab”, a title given in hindi to call him sir.
After learning about the Sahab and his companions, Aamir introduces himself once again and shared his occupation with us. He is currently working in as a stock accountant in a factory which produces plastic combs. His employment status pricked my heart cause he might be little older than me, I was completely broke both mentally and financially. All I could tell them was that I was still a student.
My cell phone rang and it covered up my awkwardness. My aunt was on the line, she had called me earlier and was weeping on the call when I had passed down the information about my whereabouts. Now she seemed very calm and composed. I send a soft copy of my medical report and a pic of my medicines. She checked both and said my report stated that my x-ray of lungs was normal within limits, also my heart rate was normal too. I was happy to know that my condition was not extremely bad and my aunt is talking to me normally. Her sobbing and blaming was not really helping me very much. This was better. She instructed me that my prescribed medicines contained HCQ tablet which is used in case of malaria. Though those medicine is not very effective, it had showed some sign to help human body recover corona in it’s early stage. Over the course of time the coronavirus is genetically mutating itself and is becoming potentially stable. Those aren’t a complete answer to covid but something was better than nothing, right? She also warned me about the side effects of this medicine as this medicine can cause hyperglycemic effect and my blood sugar level would decrease. After my conversation with my aunt ended smoothly my cousin pinged me on whatsapp. I told him how they moved me to an isolation center reasoning that my parents and I, we three, living in a 1bhk room sharing a common toilet for three was unwise but here in this isolation center everything was the same. So what was the logic of sending me here then? My head interrupted me with – ‘The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.’ -(Proverbs 16:1 KJV) This means, we may make our plans, but God has the last word. My cousin then replied…
~J George Thomas
(to be continued…)
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