The one that kindles

“Clueless innocent eyes , pink nose and cottony skin “ The nurse described my nephew and pointed towards the bed where he lay undisturbed and unaware of his 1 day old critical mother in the ICU , his sleep deprived father for over weeks now and his mother’s sister , his aunt , me coping between hospital home and cities. I disliked and envied him.

It was 10^th march 2014 .My sister complained of restlessness and was admitted to Nanavati hospital where she was diagnosed with fatal high blood pressure. I came down to Mumbai and stayed with her at the hospital. After 9 days of critical care and monitoring she was stable and I flew back home. As soon as I landed my phone rang .My brother in law had called me to tell that my sister was critical and had to be operated the following morning. I went home unpacked and packed, booked tickets for the next available flight and was back in Mumbai again.

We were waiting for the operation to get over. I heard a shrill cry and within minutes the nurse rushed the baby to NICU which is the ICU for kids. It was a 7 months premature baby boy.

We could not touch him, feel him or take him in arms. All we could do is ask the nurse how he looked and watch him from a distance wrapped in numerous tubes and monitoring machines. From feeding milk to changing clothes, the nurse was the in charge .We were not allowed to be near him since his immunity was weak and he was vulnerable to infections.

My day began with cooking food, packing tiffin and travelling to the hospital.

When I came, my brother in law went back home. We worked in shifts like call Centre executives.

My days passed by strolling in the hospital lobby witnessing patients alongside their attendants. Ailing women, disabled men, crying relatives and friends surrounded me.

For a diversion I went to the NICU wing where the nurse handed me over a list of medicines for my nephew and occasionally offered me a sneak peak in the baby’s room. I had been around him for a month now and I did not know what he looked like. I would see other babies in the area around admitted for various afflictions and imagined how he would look like.

I was away from the outside perfect world I belonged to. No choosing of dresses in morning, no presentations, no meetings, no team lunches and family dinners .I woke up, dressed to comfort and came into this world daily for about a month every single day. In few days, the sobbing the pain the sudden rush of people around became a habit .If I didn’t see a crying face, I knew the day was not over yet.

There are a lot of things one learns in such situations and at such places.

The very obvious and omnipresent process of birth

You come to terms with the fact that birth and death are the only absolute truths. Rest all is relative and life is what is between these two absolutes .Life is fragile and so are the moments. A single inconspicuous looking moment has the ability to bring a mammoth change in your life. We must realize that relationships, people, family, friends and love all of which we often take for granted come with a limited validity in your life. We of course do not have control on the tenure of their stay and presence in our lives but all we can do is be thankful for every single thing sans which your living might just turn into a survival.

My nephew is now 9 months old and I live at his house. We click selfies, go for walks, watch cartoons together, sleep together, cuddle up and I pamper and spoil him with all my might. Today as I see him recognize faces, utter his first set of meaningful words, take the first step ………… I am nothing less than a proud parent who endures all the troubles and pain to witness a life grow.