31st of December, 2021 - the night I shall never forget. While the world was gearing up to usher in a new year, here I was in a ICU ambulance along with my wife, shifting my mother to a multi-specialty hospital with the hope she will get cured.
To give a background, my mother was diagnosed with COVID -19 on 27th December. She was admitted in a renowned hospital but in-spite of the best of efforts from doctors, her condition kept on worsening.
After many recommendations, we decided to move her under a renowned doctor in a different hospital. My mother was on ventilator by the time we decided to shift her but I decided to take the plunge and give one last shot at saving her life.
With prayers on my lips, the ambulance was wading through the huge crowd who came out of their homes on 31st night to welcome the new year. And here I was completely oblivious to all these and anxiously waiting to reach the hospital. After all, I had my mother's life on stake. The person who loved me selflessly, the person who would not eat until I have eaten is now on deathbed and I couldn't think of anything else.
The ambulance finally reached it's destination. The emergency officials hurriedly came to scene and quickly shifted her from the ambulance to the emergency of the hospital from where they would eventually shift her to ICU.
I could see my mother opening her eyes and looking out to the sky the moment she was moved out of ambulance. I kept on shouting - MOM, MOM, MOM. Look at me. I am here. But to no avail. She was rushed in to COVID ward and I was not allowed in there.
Little did I knew that it would be the last time she shall be seeing open skies. Well coming to where the time was, I submitted her case history and then she was moved to COVID ward ICU.
Then, me and my wife went to pick my elder sister from airport. My elder sister, the dearest of among us to my father, the kindest of us and quite obviously the quietest of us. I always considered her to be the lucky charm, especially in situations like this. Always believed that when she is there, nothing bad can happen to my mom and dad. And here she was from Pune. What a sight of relief!
Well, we picked her up, arrived home at around 10:30 PM, had dinner with my dad. My dad was not feeling well but we ignored it saying it might be stress related with my mom being in hospital. But it will haunt us later for the rest of life as well in the very very near future.
Coming back to moment, after dinner we were all positive, now that we have admitted my mother under a doctor who have waved his magic wand earlier to revive people from similar positions.
It was 11:30 in the night when we received the first call from hospital. To everyone's horror, the attending doctor informed us that my mother is not responding and that they are not finding her heartbeat. The next one hour was like being on edge of a cliff where I was somehow balancing with the fear always tending to push me over.
And the dreaded time of 12:30 AM on 1st night, our world fell apart. The phone rang and I literally cold and shivering, not having the courage to pick up the phone. My wife picked it up and we were informed that she is no more.
Someone who has been with me for 37 years is no more. Someone who has shaped me all these years, helped me become what I am today is no more. The feeling that I could not never touch her again, never talk to her again, never ever call someone "MA" from my heart engulfed me and I went into shock.
And after a few moments, I was crying madly not able to come to terms with the loss. And the next day followed.
Never imagined a year end would turn out to be such a horrible day and may be it was the harbinger of the most ominous and painful days till date, to come in my life.
And as the sun rose and we prepared to perform the last rites, rolled in the next day, 1st of January, 2022.
