Dooms Day - My Day

Chapter - 1

AT THE HOSPITAL

December 21, 2012.

The clock on the wall just struck 9, while I was busy with my laptop checking my mails and keeping in touch with some of my college friends.
“Sanju, come lets have dinner”, shouted my wife from kitchen.
I immediately pushed the power button and kept the laptop aside and marched towards the dining hall
“How many times I told you not to wait for me”, I said.
“Even same no of times I insisted let’s eat together.” she said with a lovely smile as she covered her lap with a cloth as she shifted her hefty body in to the chair.
“Oh my favorite dish today?” I enquired washing my hands as she started serving food for both of us. We sat and started eating as she briefed me about her day, which was almost same thing I have been hearing for past three months as she was on her maternity leave. And she was all alone most of the day, even though we had a maid to assist her, maid was working in many houses in our avenue. I usually call my wife in the lunch time and whenever I was free and remind her about the medication that she has to take. Three months passed and the estimated date of delivery was a week ahead and her mother was about to arrive here the next day.
I shared my day at office regarding our boss and colleagues and chit chatted about that day “dooms day”, the world’s most awaited day. Nothing happened that day, everything went as usual and that was a great day indeed. All the theories, fiction stories faced their end that day. After a while we completed our dinner and I helped her to move out of the chair as she felt a bit heavy after dinner and I assisted her to bed room. Daily she walks for half an hour after the dinner, but that day she declared that she can’t.  After getting in to the bedroom, I helped her to slip under the covers and kissed on her forehead and wished her good night.
I went back to the dining hall to clear the table and wash our plates. As I was cleaning the plates I noticed a heavy winds blowing and storms in the sky obviously indicating a rain.
“sanju………….”, my wife moaned in pain.
I dropped the plate in hands and washed my hands and rushed to the bed room. Pains had started and she can’t take them and started screaming. For a few seconds I was out of my mind and didn’t know what to do, my heart started beating fast, Very fast. After a while, I got to my feet and ran to my neighbor sahasra to help me out. As she came over quickly and saw my wife’s condition, told me that she needs to be hospitalized immediately. I grab my cell phone and car keys and ran into the parking lot and I called our family doctor, my friend charan and told him the situation and he told me not to worry and promised me that he will be waiting for us at the hospital.  By the time I brought the car to the main door, sahasra helped my wife to walk up to the front door. Then we both managed to get her in to the car and started off for the hospital.  As I was heading towards hospital it started raining. The road was barely visible and everything was going like typical delivery scene in movies. But it happened to me that night. Some how I managed to reach the hospital quickly.
My friend charan was already at the hospital and set everything ready for us. As I rushed my car towards the causality entrance shouting at the parking in charge “it’s an emergency”, who was showing me space to park my car. As we reached the entrance 1nurse and 2 ward boys were ready with a stretcher. As soon as my car came to a halt the ward boys immediately carried my wife over to the stretcher and the nurse covered her and trying to take care of her.
“Carefully, carefully”, I shouted at the ward boys. But they ignored my words and did their duty well, as they face those situations daily, after all its first time for me.
They rushed the stretcher through the long white running corridors. My heart still beating fast and my eyes were wet. I ran along with the stretcher clutching my wife’s hand down the way to operation theater (OT).  I usually laugh at such scenes while watching a movie, hero met with an accident, heroine runs after him holding his hand through long corridors, heroine drank poison and hero did the same. I don’t understand why they ran like that. But at that moment, I realize and I felt anxiety, love ….what will happen? Will she be ok? Many questions banged around my head and for none of them I have answers at that point of time.
Finally we reached the OT and my friend who has been waiting for us came into sight with a white mask covering his nose and mouth. As the OT doors swung open, he told me that I should wait outside and I am not allowed inside and pointed a chair nearby to sit down separating our hands. I lost grip of her hand.
“Don’t worry Shruthi ,you will be alright. I will be right here outside waiting for you ……..” , I don’t remember what I spoke that night. It happened all of a sudden. OT doors closed. I stared at the door for a long time with my eyes wet and finally tears rolled down my face.
After some time wiping off my tears I took the seat on the side of OT. A gentle cold breeze diverted my attention to the heavy rain out side; I took a stroll to the window nearby and started watching the rain. My heart was retaining to normal state.
I slowly climbed down the well of my memories…….




2 years back…..
December 21, 2010.
“O hum dum soniyo ve…. O cheliya sham ki……..”
Listening to the song in my ipod, going at a great speed to catch a train, I along with my friends were going to ooty. I parked my bike and got hold my mobile, as I expected I saw messages and missed calls from my friends like “where are you” , “The train is here, we are on PF 5”,”come fast”, ”The train is about to leave in 5 min” etc, With a proud smile I kept my mobile in pocket and took my bag and rushed towards the PF 5. From my child hood I have a habit of forgetting things when I am going out. I thought that day was an exception. But my fate won again, I forgot to lock my helmet to the bike. By the time I realized that I was almost on the PF 5. I was about 9 compartments away from my friends, saw my friends waving hands at me. The train started moving. Of course being the hero of the story I can’t miss the train, I ran very fast (not a DDL type scene). I myself got in to the compartment and my friends were eagerly waiting at the door to beat me black and blue. I Got 2 rounds from them, one for coming late and the other was my birthday bumps.