Gopi lay in the ICU, her body hooked up to the various machines measuring her heart rate, breathing, brain trace and how to make upma. Worried faces looked through the small window, tear streaked and willing their Gopi bahu to pull through. There was another tayhaar around the corner and who was going to organise that?
Ahem looked on in silent pain. He could not believe that his own daughter would do this to Gopi. He looked at her and shook his head sadly. Tears welled in his eyes as he watched his wife struggle to stay alive.
Gopi opened her eyes and blinked against the bright light until her eyes became accustomed. Before her sat a young man, with a harassed look but nonetheless he smiled at her. His white teeth showing up brightly against the blue hue of his skin.
"Here again? How many times is that?" He asked, picking up some notes and scrutinising them, "hmmm, let's see. First time was when the ceiling came down on you on that construction site, then there was the altercation with the auto ricksha and you banged your head and there was the time when your sister beat you to a pulp and threw you in the lake." He threw away the notes. "We must stop meeting like this. I know you love me but this is becoming quite a habit. You can't come and go as you please. Go back."
Again Gopi opened her eyes and found herself this time in the ICU room. She spied the family realising that she had opened her eyes and they came rushing in only to be chased back out by the harridan nurse who viewed her ICU as her territory. Gopi reached out for Ahem. He rushed to her side, nostrils flaring,
"Gopi. Thank God. I thought I had lost you .. Can you forgive me? ." He started babbling. Gopi motioned for him to come in closer, her voice not strong enough. He bent down, his face close to her.
"Ahemji ..." She struggled with words, her mouth dry and breathing becoming laboured, "Ahemji ..."
"Yes, yes Gopi. What is it? What do you want? Tell me?" Gopi sighed deeply.
"Did you just fart? You stink!" The machines laughed for a while and then fell silent.
😛 😳 😆