"I hate hospitals."
Seriously, they make you feel more sick than you could ever imagine. Though a private hospital looks like the most cleanest place on the earth but its a fact that a hospital cradles high risk of contagious diseases. From the moment i entered the hospital that weird smile on the receptionist's face made me think over and again. As if her smile was was saying " Welcome sir. You are next. Prepare to get screwed for good."And believe it or not my toothache felt much worse than it normally did.
And what could I say about that long confusing walk along the hallway leading to the general ward. Man that place gives me creeps. People yelling, never ending visitors, smell of Dettol all over, the over efficient sweepers and the ever so uncomfortable Doctors running around. You know sometimes I look at these white apron-clad people I feel sorry for them that they visit this pain-in-the-a** place day in and day out, without any excuse, and to the problems of all those people who have some problem or the other.( I wonder if anyone comes back and thanks the doctor for their work). An here I was again with my basket of problems. Surely after paying the fat medical bills of my family, I think they owe some attention to me too.
But hang on, the worse part is the patients. Sitting in the hospital I was waiting for the long queue of patients to end. I had a few "companions" in my previous "ventures". From broken limbs to running stomachs, i felt more and more miserable as each of them explained their quandaries and how-they-landed-here stories. Whether its the Aunty, who lives three blocks away from my house, suffering form loose motions or the salesman who broke his leg after he slipped on the doorsteps of Mr.Sharma's house, everyone had a not-to-do list for me to avoid such circumstances. They smiled when they told their silly moments of success of how they landed up here. They thought they warned me but instead they made me fear more and I could do nothing more than to console them. So I mostly ended up getting bored or devastated from the boring talks.
I usually came for dental check-ups. But today something different awaited me. A small girl came from nowhere and sat next to me on the chairs. She slowly settled down with her yellow stuffed toy and she looked closely at my watch. I pretended I was not watching her as I allowed the kid to do whatever she wanted.
"Do you watch Pokemon or you like Mr.Bean" she asked me. I looked around and asked her if she was talking to me, she nodded yes.
"But you didn't answer, Mr.bean or Pokemon?"she asked again.
"Pokemon, I guess" I saw the stuffed Pickatchu toy in her hand so I was kind of influenced.
"Me and my brother like Pikatchu and Vulpix. What's your favorite one?"
"Charrizard and Onyx, I guess." I said as I couldn't remember any more names.
"You know, Ash could capture an Onyx with his Vulpix" she exclaimed as I asked " Who is Ash?"
She said as she slapped her head and went loudly and said " The one who caught pokemon, how could you forget that?" I was guilty as a crook to her that instant as she shared as sweet smile with me moments later.
And then started a quarter hour conversation about the beasts and their special powers. I failed in front of the knowledge of the little one many times but i loved how she laughed at my every failure. It was so sweet.
She told how she could sing the Captain Planet theme song or the Shaktimaan dialogues in the section called " Choti choti magar Moti Batein". She also told me about how much she dislikes the fat matron and the evening pills she is supposed to take and how they end up below her bed after her vomiting.
I asked " Why are you here, you look fine, aren't you?"
"You know these people around here are mad. I don't know why have caged me. They call me in a room and take Ghost-copies of my body(X-rays) and hang them on the white board. I asked my mother once but she is also confused. I tell you If she stays around here she would also god mad." and suddenly she asked "Are you mad Abhishek bhaiya?" and started laughing. I could barely control my laughter. This girl was a laugh riot no wonder they called her sick. Sometimes I would explain something to her and she would call me idiot or fool explaining her version of the same story and laugh by herself as I made faces to react to her sweet criticism.
Suddenly I saw a nurse calling from a distance. " Come here" she said. She waved hands at us and soon as she saw me rising she called again "Not you, the little girl".
"I have to go now." She said and i nodded to agree.
As she started to leave i asked what her name was she replied "Ananya" and waved her hands to say goodbye. I was so pleased for the time which I spent with the little friend of mine.
Later after my checkup I went around the ward to look around for her but couldn't find her. All of a sudden I saw the nurse who had called for her. She looked in a hurry as I asked the nurse about the about the girl.
"Which one..oh..Ananya...that poor girl suffers from ASD..Atrial septal defect"
"What's that?" I asked as it was a never heard term.
"A hole in the heart..the kid has hole in the heart and soon she would be operated somewhere in Delhi. Her parents came to fill up the necessary forms. She is being shifted from here to AIIMS, Delhi" She said and ran away as the doctor called for her.
I could say anything. Poor child. I wondered many times how could a child suffer from this. Even imagining the childhood of the girl gave me shivers. I looked around at people moaning and stuffed in plasters and now I could see their hope of being healthy and free. I could feel the freedom and the blessing as I was able to walk as a much more healthy person than many more around me. I was feeling a supernal blessing and I prayed for the others around me.This time as I walked away from the hospital I didn't utter a single word.
Suddenly the respect for the place had grew many-folds. As now it had become a sacred place where hope lies for the ones who need it most.
Seriously, they make you feel more sick than you could ever imagine. Though a private hospital looks like the most cleanest place on the earth but its a fact that a hospital cradles high risk of contagious diseases. From the moment i entered the hospital that weird smile on the receptionist's face made me think over and again. As if her smile was was saying " Welcome sir. You are next. Prepare to get screwed for good."And believe it or not my toothache felt much worse than it normally did.
And what could I say about that long confusing walk along the hallway leading to the general ward. Man that place gives me creeps. People yelling, never ending visitors, smell of Dettol all over, the over efficient sweepers and the ever so uncomfortable Doctors running around. You know sometimes I look at these white apron-clad people I feel sorry for them that they visit this pain-in-the-a** place day in and day out, without any excuse, and to the problems of all those people who have some problem or the other.( I wonder if anyone comes back and thanks the doctor for their work). An here I was again with my basket of problems. Surely after paying the fat medical bills of my family, I think they owe some attention to me too.
But hang on, the worse part is the patients. Sitting in the hospital I was waiting for the long queue of patients to end. I had a few "companions" in my previous "ventures". From broken limbs to running stomachs, i felt more and more miserable as each of them explained their quandaries and how-they-landed-here stories. Whether its the Aunty, who lives three blocks away from my house, suffering form loose motions or the salesman who broke his leg after he slipped on the doorsteps of Mr.Sharma's house, everyone had a not-to-do list for me to avoid such circumstances. They smiled when they told their silly moments of success of how they landed up here. They thought they warned me but instead they made me fear more and I could do nothing more than to console them. So I mostly ended up getting bored or devastated from the boring talks.
I usually came for dental check-ups. But today something different awaited me. A small girl came from nowhere and sat next to me on the chairs. She slowly settled down with her yellow stuffed toy and she looked closely at my watch. I pretended I was not watching her as I allowed the kid to do whatever she wanted.
"Do you watch Pokemon or you like Mr.Bean" she asked me. I looked around and asked her if she was talking to me, she nodded yes.
"But you didn't answer, Mr.bean or Pokemon?"she asked again.
"Pokemon, I guess" I saw the stuffed Pickatchu toy in her hand so I was kind of influenced.
"Me and my brother like Pikatchu and Vulpix. What's your favorite one?"
"Charrizard and Onyx, I guess." I said as I couldn't remember any more names.
"You know, Ash could capture an Onyx with his Vulpix" she exclaimed as I asked " Who is Ash?"
She said as she slapped her head and went loudly and said " The one who caught pokemon, how could you forget that?" I was guilty as a crook to her that instant as she shared as sweet smile with me moments later.
And then started a quarter hour conversation about the beasts and their special powers. I failed in front of the knowledge of the little one many times but i loved how she laughed at my every failure. It was so sweet.
She told how she could sing the Captain Planet theme song or the Shaktimaan dialogues in the section called " Choti choti magar Moti Batein". She also told me about how much she dislikes the fat matron and the evening pills she is supposed to take and how they end up below her bed after her vomiting.
I asked " Why are you here, you look fine, aren't you?"
"You know these people around here are mad. I don't know why have caged me. They call me in a room and take Ghost-copies of my body(X-rays) and hang them on the white board. I asked my mother once but she is also confused. I tell you If she stays around here she would also god mad." and suddenly she asked "Are you mad Abhishek bhaiya?" and started laughing. I could barely control my laughter. This girl was a laugh riot no wonder they called her sick. Sometimes I would explain something to her and she would call me idiot or fool explaining her version of the same story and laugh by herself as I made faces to react to her sweet criticism.
Suddenly I saw a nurse calling from a distance. " Come here" she said. She waved hands at us and soon as she saw me rising she called again "Not you, the little girl".
"I have to go now." She said and i nodded to agree.
As she started to leave i asked what her name was she replied "Ananya" and waved her hands to say goodbye. I was so pleased for the time which I spent with the little friend of mine.
Later after my checkup I went around the ward to look around for her but couldn't find her. All of a sudden I saw the nurse who had called for her. She looked in a hurry as I asked the nurse about the about the girl.
"Which one..oh..Ananya...that poor girl suffers from ASD..Atrial septal defect"
"What's that?" I asked as it was a never heard term.
"A hole in the heart..the kid has hole in the heart and soon she would be operated somewhere in Delhi. Her parents came to fill up the necessary forms. She is being shifted from here to AIIMS, Delhi" She said and ran away as the doctor called for her.
I could say anything. Poor child. I wondered many times how could a child suffer from this. Even imagining the childhood of the girl gave me shivers. I looked around at people moaning and stuffed in plasters and now I could see their hope of being healthy and free. I could feel the freedom and the blessing as I was able to walk as a much more healthy person than many more around me. I was feeling a supernal blessing and I prayed for the others around me.This time as I walked away from the hospital I didn't utter a single word.
Suddenly the respect for the place had grew many-folds. As now it had become a sacred place where hope lies for the ones who need it most.
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