Various flavors of Support

Balaji started jogging slowly that day. A few weeks ago, he did not think of jogging. He felt he was never going to see open skies also. His mind started whimpering when reminded of the days in the hospital. He started thinking about what made him come out of the gloom. A hand fell on his back, and which gave him a mild fright. 

Balaji turned around, and it was Johnson. Johnson was a client and jogging friend. Johnson started conversing with Balaji.

"I told you, you will come back and join me jogging soon."

Balaji had only a smile as a reply.

"Okay, It is late for me already. I will run now. By the way, are you coming to the office today? Having some problem, can you come for a little while?" said Johnson and ran away, not waiting for Balaji's response.

Balaji wanted to say no. He wanted to go to the office but wanted an option open. After all, he did not know his body can take it. The morning pat on the back meant Balaji was with no options but to head to the office.

Balaji tried to remember what conversation Johnson had when he came to see him in hospital. 

"Balaji, Balaji, wake up", Johnson was shouting at the video call monitor in the hospital. 

Balaji had no energy and hardly could open his eyes. Johnson started to talk to the nurse, "Why is he sleeping. Do something, wake him up."

"I told you he needs rest. You promised you were not going to disturb him." replied the nurse, with anger in tone, and left from there.

Johnson kept talking to the monitor, "Balaji, they are saying you are very critical. Our project was not moving very well. Employees of yours are worried about you and not my work. I spoke to your lawyer. Your insurance should cover the project. Don't worry about them. I will take care."

Balaji started to laugh inwardly. This man almost confirmed I am dying. He had the guts to go and meet my lawyer before I died. Today he comes and tells me he gave me confidence when I was in office. He almost thought he was not going to the office just for that. But the bills he had to pay and the future of his company and employees changed his mind soon.

A little further down the track, he met this uncle he knew from childhood. 

"Happy to see you back, Balaji."

"You too, sir."

"I told your wife, you will recover." The uncle kept talking, Balaji recollected what the uncle actually said to Balaji's wife.

"Don't spend too much money. I know you don't have a problem with money. But my friend's son had the better oxygen levels, 88, but he passed away. You will need the money in case something goes wrong." 

When Balaji's wife pointed to his husband in the camera, he said he cannot hear anything and continued.

"The pandemic is bad now. You cannot take any risks, everyone losing jobs and money."

The uncle, continuing to talk, "I gave your wife advice too. That was why you are back this soon."

Balaji smiled, but inside his mind, he was telling the uncle, "I am here despite your advice. "

"Your wife is her own woman. She listens to all but does things in her way." 

I know what you mean uncle, She ignored whatever you said, thought Balaji. But replied, "Yes, Sir". Then bid the uncle goodbye and left from there.

Balaji jogging further found Sagar. As soon as Sagar saw Balaji, he wanted to hug him hard. Balaji too, but they did not. Balaji was worried Sagar might get what he did. Even when doctors said there was no chance of that. Sagar, on the other hand, saw his friend losing more than half of his weight. Hugging him might hurt him further, he felt. They both smiled at each other, and both started jogging side by side, Sagar pacing slowly, to not tire his friend. Balaji was happy when he saw Sagar jog next to him. Sagar almost lost his best friend a few weeks ago. When he saw Balaji that day, emotion took control over him. Turning his face away, he wiped that one drop of the tear.

Balaji said, Sagar all his crazy encounters from the morning. They both kept laughing at how people were so dishonest. 

Sagar said one of his own. One of Sagar's distant relative had the best reaction when they heard of Balaji.

"Oh, your friend Balaji got it. It will only be a few days before you get it. I suggest you start using the medicines right away. His friend's son was a doctor so he asked me to find an oxygen supply and stock it. Then he sent a prescription with a crazy amount of tablets. He later called me to tell me how to get access to see you when you passed away."

Sagar had emotion take over him when he said the last line. He turned his face away from Balaji. Balaji did not notice, but he knew very well what was going on with his friend. 

Balaji decided to lighten up the mood. He asked Sagar who was the reason he was back on his two feet. Sagar kept thinking who it was. 

Was it, "Internet history which motivated you?" asked Sagar.

"I cleared it and using incognito. WFH and all". 

"WFH, OMG, what a pain. I don't get a few seconds to browse TOI galleries.", said Sagar.

"You tell me?"

"Then it should be Karenjit Kaur Vohra", said Sagar as they reached Balaji's home, and he did not want to be caught by Balaji's wife. 

"Why are you taking that name?"

"Well, your wife."

"She is not ar.." 

Before he could complete it, Balaji's wife came and asked, "Who are you talking about."

Sagar, the great liar, "It is Amma Jayalalitha. If she is around, we would have handled the pandemic better."

A feminist and great Jayalalitha fan, she accepted the answer and left.

"Wow, we got away with that", said Balaji.

"Tell me now, who is it," asked Sagar

"Sunny Leone."

"Idiot, not that who made you wake up and walk."

"It was that scary lady who just came here."

"Your wife?"

"Yes. After all, these guys gave her bad news. One fine morning she came to meet me. Asked the nurse to leave the room."

"Stop it. If it has to do with some personal stuff, I don't want to hear. I have to face your wife tomorrow. With any information into your personal life will be tough", said Sagar.

"Nothing like that, you stupid, listen first. My wife turned to me and said, in a tone, only I can register, "Wake up". I opened my eyes and saw the angriest expression. "

Then she said, "Everyone who had this spent only a week, or a maximum of two weeks in hospital. You already spent four weeks in hospital. If you don't wake up tomorrow and start walking out from the ICU, I will personally come in there and kill you."

Sagar turned and looked at Balaji. Balaji nodded to mean yes. 

That was all I needed, "That night, I got all the stamina I could and started to get better. If not, I was sure she was going to kill me the next day."

Balaji's wife, in a loud voice, said, "Get washed up. I made breakfast", Then in a whispering tone said, "Already struggling to take care of so many people. Brought home one more."

Sagar and Balaji looked at each other and started laughing. Their friendship so big these things will not hurt them. 

Sagar after breakfast walked to Balaji's wife and said, "Thanks for making my friend believe he had in it to walk back home". 

"What did he tell you? Did he say I shouted at him?" 

P.S: Sagar was not there to listen to her. But Balaji was, he held her two hands and said, "I told him what I heard from you. But, what I did not tell him was what my eyes saw. The tearful eyes of yours which I could never tolerate." You made me a villain, in front of him, right? asked his wife. I don't need to tell him all, he is my best friend. Did he not thank you? Okay, okay, now tell me which girl you guys were talking about when I came in. I never heard that name before. That was when Balaji's phone rang and he was saved.