*{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.}
The days seemed longer for us but still we managed to kill the time eloquently with our phones and internet. Aamir and Nagesh bhai were always on calls with their wife, parents, friends, siblings and their own children. While my mobile would swing from 2G to 4G network in some unanimous pattern which annoyed me but still I was connected to outside. Day one to day five was the period required for us to adapt to this new place but now we have co ordinated in such a manner as if we own this place. The electric kettle which was lend to me now has became a private property of room 1204. Nagesh bhaiya woke up early and completed his morning drill of self cleaning. Then he would drink hot water from the electric kettle and having his an apple he would complete his secret diet as an immunity booster plan against the virus. He got his supplies from Gautam bhai’s relative, he had asked for fired packed readymade fitters and a dozen of apples. Later Aamir woke up and afterwards it was my turn, till I got ready, the lukewarm breakfast gets cold which I usually would skip.
Somehow, all this made me feel that I was in a boy’s dormitory with no bullying or ragging in it. As we were here in this place as apart of system to stop others from getting vulnerable to virus infection and not to proclaim our territory like some wild beast or portray our dominance over other. I was not so thrilled to be here but wasn’t despising it either. We three were enjoying our own apples by now but it was not all enough to get back on being as healthy as a horse according to their theory. Comparing their physique I looked as weak as a twig, Nagesh bhai was tall and healthy. While Aamir because of his regular gym visits had a neat muscular torso. If those two people complained about the intake of these foods were not sufficient then I was there just to nod to their statements.
All this time I thought Nagesh bhai only had his comrades on twelfth floor as I was wrong as most of his colleagues who stayed in the barracks had contracted the virus and half of them were in these building. I thought to myself I was one heck of a bad detective in this isolation center, until no one reveals me something I don’t deduce anything on point. Those fictitious characters like Hercule, Byomkesh Bakshi, Marple, Hardy boys and Sherlock must be disappointed in me by now. Although I think I was having my peace of mind back as I wasn’t talking to me in third person much these days. Either my sanity and tranquility has returned or those meds have screwed my head pretty good but still my over thinking defect which latched in me has it’s course on me.
Everyday during morning hour minimum two doctors in their fully equipped PPE kit had their rounds on every floor, I wasn’t sure that they were full fledged doctors or nurses. Forget about their degree qualification to doubt upon we couldn’t determine their gender until they approached us with questions of our health. Usually we three would say we were completely to make things less complicated but one morning Nagesh bhai complained about having a aching on his leg muscles. One of the covid medical docs gave solution to drink boiled water and then handed a loose pill of pain killer with no cover to Nagesh bhai. Officials placed the loosely opened pill on his palm while Nagesh bhai took it with such reverence looking at it I laughed in my head, it looked as if Nagesh was receiving prasadh (Prasadh, variantly spelled as Prasādam, Prasād and Prasāda, is a material substance of vegetarian food that is a religious offering in both Hinduism and Sikhism. It is normally consumed by worshippers after worship.) from temple pujari (Pūjari is a designation given to a Hindu temple priest). Nagesh bhaiya didn’t take the pain painkiller as it was very suspicious to be taken as Gautam bhaiya had complained on his first day that the HCQ tablet he received had expired and the doctors didn’t change his medicine explaining that it’s effects will be the same. Sagar Sahab had been shifted to hospital as he had been reporting his sickness and fever for over continuously three days on record. It took three days for them to get convinced that his health was severely bad to be admitted in a hospital. Adding more humor to our situation was if anyone reported their sickness the solution provided by our medical volunteers would be to drink boiled water. I can understand us having electric kettle for boiled water but where are others going to get their boiled water from? We all, inhabitants of twelfth floor agreed that we have to look upon ourselves to get out of her.
We started to order food from online to get our vitamins. Aamir had upper hand in this situation as his own house was near this isolation center food arrived to him from his home. And because of him being our roommate we enjoyed that blessing of homely meal. Few people completed their 11 days and were allowed to leave and as soon as they left new recruits occupied their bed. Two new people who had come to our dorm worked in Security Force and Nagesh Bhaiya knew them pretty well. One named Babu was tall like Nagesh bhai, had dark brown complexion and dark circles around his eyes, if he didn’t had that constant friendly smile on his face I bet he would make a good movie villain. The other one was an inch taller than me and had a oval rounded shape type body with an unfriendly expression. There was a witty contrast between their features which I found amusing. The other wasn’t very social and was always to be found around Babu bhaiya even though they were assigned different rooms.
The atmosphere was now becoming vibrant and we all were having our backs covered by each other. Gautam was the vocal guy amongst us, whenever there was a delay in our meals he would call up the officials and gave firing on behalf for us. Me being an introvert opened up a little bit as tortoise coming out of his shell I unraveled my thoughts and opinions to them which was bottled up for a long time. I recited Hebrews 12:7 to myself, “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” Nagesh bhai, Ammir and I discussed about guns, religion, politics during our meal. Nagesh bhaiya and Aamir shared their stories of their village about the farms, cows, buffaloes they own. Aamir and I seemed like siblings who has negligible age difference so, we had a little sibling rivalry. In those perception, Nagesh bhai was the eldest brother who looked after the two younger siblings.
Once the we were going to have our meal but floor was unclean I took it upon myself to clean the floor with a broom lying in our floor. Why though, What was I thinking? – I didn’t bother to volunteer to clean my own home. I took the broom and cleaned the floor. Aamir criticized and then cleaned himself. I would have genuinely accepted the criticism of his if he had done better, I noted to myself that we had some sweet rivalry to which I won’t lose. This was all in fun and playful manner, we talked to each other and shared a lot even after that day. His wife had prepared dal tadhka and fried pomfret fish, garnished with coriander leaves and lemon squeezed on it, a Maharashtrian touch. Nagesh bhaiya had stopped eating non-vegetarian after getting married as in practicing some religious belief of having a child. He could consume meat only after he visits a particular Devi’s temple in Srinagar with his child. So far he couldn’t travel to Srinagar with his family even after having a son.
Aamir after learning this provided his share of dal to Nagesh bhaiya. Aamir turning to us asking about his wife’s culinary skill. I and Nagesh bhaiya sincerely appreciated the food. I was happy as I made some new friends but I knew this would end the day we walked out of this building. I got messages and calls from my cousins, aunt, uncle. Miraculously some old church acquaintance took their time off for me. I understood one more thing it’s because of my parents I got this calls and messages as if it for my social skills no one would care to approach me as I am an introverted guy, wanderer in my own world. I am really bad at maintaining my friendship with anyone and even if I try to maintain with putting some effort in it, it turns into some sort of enmity. Meh! Must be me just overthinking about it.
Each day we would engage into various topics during our meal hours but otherwise I would avoid moving from my bed much. Just lazily I sit on my bed attending the calls. One afternoon during our tea time, the pinkish fluid which cannot be distinguished as tea, the volunteer as they were providing us our tea. Nagesh bhaiya out of nowhere asked for biscuits, those volunteers froze for a moment and looked at each other and reluctantly gave us two packets of glucose biscuits. It was fishy and we discussed upon it for a while.
Nagesh bhaiya narrating before me to Aamir , “You know today I asked if they had any glucose biscuits with the tea and they acted weirdly.”
“Weirdly?!”
“Yeah! There was a slight hesitations to give us our biscuits. Knowing that they gave me three cups of tea, they gave me only two packets of biscuits.”
I interrupted sayin,”Yup! That’s true.”
Nagesh bhaiya continues, “Gautam had earlier asked biscuit for himself before and those volunteers hurriedly gave him his biscuit packet as if a drug was secretly passed by a dealer.”
I, who was listening to it carefully said, “So? We’re granted biscuits everyday with our tea but it’s just that we get them occasionally rather than everyday.”
Gautam bhaiya joined in our conversation, “They are taking our biscuits and disturbing it to their family.”
Nagesh bhaiya quickly disagreeing with Gautam bhaiya said, “Arrey! No! How much biscuits do you think they are going to take for themselves? They sell it in the market.”
Aamir adding to it said, “It’s a scam. We are to be given biscuits day. Each covid patients should receive one packet of their glucose biscuits. So when government assigns the funds for this program. These people in their stock record show that they provide it everyday. So, they grab money meant to buy the glucose biscuits for covid patients.
I inquiringly asked, “But some days we do get biscuits, what about …”
Aamir sharply cutting said, “They can’t misuse the whole money as it may look suspicious and draw a lot of attention. To show their work done, they would buy some biscuits and give us on some day. Meanwhile, most of the biscuits are saved in the end of the day as they won’t give it to every floor, they would sell it to the open market which gets them double profit. I work in stock’s department so I know these stuff.”
We were all bewildered hearing this from Aamir. I was thrilled as my taste for crime mystery is happening just before my eyes but it saddens to realize that I was playing the part of the fool, the guy at the receiving end rather than the solving guy. Next day we all were waiting for the tea, it wasn’t about the tea anymore but the biscuits mattered to us. Those volunteers were ahead of us. Instead of a whole packet, they tore the packet and gave five biscuits to each one of us. We didn’t protest but laughed discussing about it as we weren’t paying for any services here. Aamir was happy as his isolation days were soon going to be over and he could reunite with his child and his wife. He counted it out for us and told us that he would complete eleven days after two days. My aunt with no context messaged me via whatsapp,” Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
~J George Thomas. (a.k.a Aebin Thomas)
(to be continued…)
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