Covid-19 phobia

“HELLO, CAN YOU SIT THAT SIDE,” ATHVIKA SAID to a boy who was standing next to her in the bus. He had a rusty look, but full of charm and eyes blew smiles recurrently. This boy threw a grievous look out from the gut of his stomach. What? He wanted to ask her. But he wasn’t offended badly.

“Sorry,” that’s the only word he could think as of now. His mind boggles as if someone had knocked at the back of his head with a hammer. The true culprit was her spotless beauty.

The metro bus was running cautiously amidst less traffic. The weatherman had predicted heavy rain within 24Hrs, and mild showers already blessed people who were walking down the roads. But it was a beautiful night without moon which usually peeks out to see what’s happening beneath the sky. Nobody in Chennai wears a jacket to save them from the cold. If you wear one, you would be called mad by some passers-by for sure. But tonight it was chilly; you might get the feel of staying in Ooty to celebrate your vacation.

“I said you to sit there. There is a vacant seat. Why are you standing close to me? I don’t mean to hurt you, but understand the seriousness of Corona virus,” she said harshly this time. Her finger shook in front of him. He didn’t take the words but kept watching her beautiful face. The details he captured on his eyes were far better than any mobile phone. He wasn’t going to worry about any virus if he stands by her. But she had to, because she was a responsible citizen of this country. She didn’t want to spread this ravaging virus to anybody. She was sensible on this topic for sure. From today morning, she had slight cough and felt somewhat uneasy. She thought of taking leave today, but her office didn’t allow her to take any leave and asked her to come in. She was a software engineer by profession, but sometimes she aspires to become an art director.  It was only a dream for her; she didn’t try anything to reach thus far. She knew she had to give up many things to achieve her goal, so she chose not to do so. Bit tough, isn’t?

“Yea, I can understand,” the boy said meekly, his eyes not left looking at her. But he did nothing to go and sit on the seat she pointed out. Athvika was furious and felt like beating him, for still standing behind her. The bus stopped at signal, an elderly person came in and chose to sit on that empty seat. Now all seats got occupied by passengers. Today, the women crowd was more than the men.  You could see, girls were standing next to Athvika but they maintained some distance between them and hidden their faces with their shawls. But the boy was ruthless to obey her words.

“What are you looking at?” she almost threatened him this time, “at least go few feet apart from me, for god’s sake.” She yelped.

She had handkerchief covered her mouth. She didn’t wear mask, because she had planned to buy it on the way to her home.  It was only in the morning she had developed cough. She only prayed it won’t turn out to be Covid-19. God alone knew what she was up to.

“Oh, I’mmm extremely sorry,” he said in haste and placed his right hand on his forehead and continued, “I just forgot what I’m supposed to do.”

He moved few feet back but still looking at her. She took a deep breath for the first time after getting onboard.  Though she was aware that he kept vigil on her, she least bothered about the fact. She knew it wasn’t the first time a boy looking at her. She had numerous proposals to claim this fact. But her worry was that she shouldn’t spread the Virus to anyone. She already felt bad for getting sudden cold. She can’t think about a single reason why she wasn’t feeling well. Only reason she could think of was that she had head bath in the morning. But it hardly justifies it. She bluntly rejected this thought. 

The conductor had come and asked her for ticket. She took one by quoting the actual price. The boy had shown his monthly bus pass. It seemed he was a college student, she thought so. He was tender by age and didn’t even have mustache. He put his hand on his friend’s shoulder suddenly as continued looking at her. He let out a manly smile as bitten his nail into his mouth.

Athvika was aghast when she had seen him do that. She was sorry for what he was doing. She let out a sigh. How dare to put his finger into his mouth without washing his hands when he came out for the public transport and touched the objects which might have the monstrous coronavirus living on it. If he was her friend, she would have questioned him for sure. But he was unknown person, that too he was reckless. She didn’t want to push her thoughts unto him. She only felt bad of him for what he was doing without knowing the serious consequences. But she prayed there won’t be any Virus entered into him.

She sneezed now, it was uncontrollable and spontaneous. She can’t do anything to stop it, but kept her handkerchief from spreading any flu from her. She did it timely. But the crowd didn’t bother about it. They were standing in their places as usual. The elders didn’t even bother to bring in their kerchiefs. The worst part of it was that few children were onboard and they were squabbling with their parents. One child dropped her lollypop on the wooden floor of the bus because the driver put a sudden break as one motorbike crossed closely.  Her mother knelt down and got the lollypop and gave it to her child. It was a nasty habit for any parent to follow. But it was happening right now. Athvika had seen it and closed her eyes immediately as mumbled something, ‘Oh god, save this child.’

The bus stopped and she got down. The boy gave a look until the bus turned right after five meters.

She walked into her house and went straight to the bathroom and cleaned up her hands and legs before she plunged on bed. She usually goes to living room and catches up few songs on TV before taking dinner and fall into good sleep. But today it was quite opposite.  Her mother wanted to know what had happened to her. She rushed to her daughter’s bedroom.

“What happened, Athvika? Are you alright?” she rushed to ask this.

“I am not feeling good, mom. I got fever.”

“Why suddenly? What did you do?”

“No, I did nothing,” Athvik coughed into her kerchief.

Her mother’s heart jumped into her mouth. She knew how things turning out to be in India after the breakout of the Corona virus. She was watching the news regularly; in fact she had stopped even watching her favorite soap operas. That too Prime Minister had announced to follow the Janata Curfew on Sunday, she was up-to-date with the news.

“Come, we immediately go to hospital and do checkup,” her mother said. She was already in panic how to cure her daughter despite the fact that there was no medication or vaccine found yet to address this virus, only the HIV or Anti Malarial drugs (citation needed) were used temporarily. Even the big countries like US and Italy are struggling to restrain the spread of coronavirus across their countries. People are dying like crows. The whole world is in a state of panic right now. People are fighting against the invisible enemy. But she hoped the doctors would rescue her daughter out of this tragedy. That too she was in young age. Somewhere she read that young people are less vulnerable to this deadly virus, but it was bluntly rejected by doctors. The virus won’t leave single soul barred if it is contracted, even though the elders were at high risk. This is the time we should all realize the truth and keep social-distancing. Just think about the huge population in our country and if the virus starts spreading through our community, it would become unstoppable. An insurmountable danger is just waiting to unfold if we are not ready to heeding the government’s voice.

Athvika didn’t want to postpone communicating with the health officials about her symptoms. Actually she wanted let them decide what she has to do. She didn’t want to be a big threat to the society.

“Mom, please wear this mask,” Athvika held it to her mother which she brought from the medical store when she returned.

“I’ll wear it, but call the helpline and tell them you’re sick,” her mother ordered. She worried enormously. She believed that the early communication would save her daughter from this malicious virus. She already started praying to all gods.

“First you wear this,” Athvika ordered.

Her mother wore it haphazardly and asked her to call now. Athvika did. She explained about her symptoms but the officials asked her stay home for two more days. She said she was having fever and cold. But they kept asked if she was having difficulty in breathing. She said no. They concluded it was normal fever and didn’t have to fear about. 

“What they said?” her mother asked anxiously.

Athvika tossed the mobile phone on the bed and said slowly, “They asked me to stop worrying. They don’t think I’m contracted to Corona.”

“But how can they confirm without even testing,” her mother was agitated.

“Mom, calm down. Let me quarantine for two more days. If I don’t recover or the symptoms are stronger then I’ll move into the hospital myself.”

“But that doesn’t make sense. Why don’t you go to the hospital and admit in an isolation ward?” her mother nodded, expectantly.

She wanted her daughter to live longer. Athvika knew how much her mother loved her. She could remember everything her mother done to her. She can’t forget when her mother came forward to donate her kidney when she developed stones but doctors cured her through medicines. But that was a small piece of example to portray her mother’s love on her.

“Yes mom, I’m also thinking about it. I don’t want to spread to our family,” Athvika put on a dejected face. She already knew the risk of talking to her mother who was least bothered about her health. 

There was a knock on the door. Athvika’s mother knew it was her husband. She was eagerly waiting for his arrival, since she alone can’t take a decision on how to handle this ordeal.

She opened the door slowly but steadily.

Her husband had a grim expression on his face. He brought hot jalebis and handed it to her. She took the packet and scurried to the kitchen.

“Athvika didn’t come yet?” he said as scanned the living room. He knew she usually comes earlier and they both discuss about everyday events before they have dinner together.

“She came. She’s taking rest in bedroom,” Sheela said.

He gave a gentle nod. He knew she was hesitating to say something. But he didn’t force her to speak the truth.

“Okay,” he said and entered bathroom and cleaned up himself and sat on wooden sofa. “Athvika come out. We’ll have hot jalebis,” he almost shouted.

Sheela knew she can’t hide the truth much longer.  Nothing ramped up her pulse rate than hiding something from her husband.

She coughed purposefully to draw his attention as placed the plate full of jalebis on the coffee table, “She is not feeling well.”

He gave a bizarre look. He didn’t expect someone from his family falling ill now when the world is facing crisis because of the novel coronavirus. 

He didn’t speak anything but went straight to her daughter’s room. Athvika was scrolling down the twitter page to know the current happenings around the world.

She gave a tired look to her father, who was standing behind the door and nodded, “What happened dear?”

His cheeks were already burning. 

“Having fever and cough,” Sheela responded instead. “She doesn’t know if she has to admit herself in the isolation ward.”

His heart wept, but no one can see. His legs were shaken; it would have been the first time he plunged into the pool of sadness. 

Sheela expected he would bring their daughter immediately to hospital. His expression had meant it.

But he had a different thought. “Not required. Stay here. I don’t know how they treat my daughter. I already heard that they were merciless in handling the corona suspected cases. I don’t want to push my daughter into trap.”

He felt his daughter would be unsafe if she was admitted in the government hospital, since this place usually swarmed by many patients. He believed her daughter didn’t have contracted the deadly virus. Also he worried her daughter will draw this virus from others if she moved there. He was confident that her daughter would be alright in home.

“But…” Sheela said and swallowed a lump down her throat.

Athvika already tired and didn’t have energy to fight with her father on this. 

“Do what I said, no more questions. Got it?” he bellowed.

Sheela gave a reluctant look to her husband and dropped her head in acceptance.

“Don’t inform anybody. Not even our relatives and neighbors, understood?” he commanded as walked out of the room.

The next day, Athvika didn’t wake up in the morning. She usually wakes up around 7.30am. Her mother had prepared coffee and went to her room without wearing a mask. She never bothered to save her life when her daughter was being fallen ill. 

Athvika didn’t lock the door inside. She went in and breathed fully as kept the coffee on the small table near to the bed.

“Athvika, wake up. It is already late to have coffee,” she said, as pulled down the blanket covered over her body.

She gave a thin response as if she wasn’t interested to take coffee. But her mother insisted to wake up right now and drink it. 

Athvika opened her eyes with difficulty. She knew she had high fever last night. She took few tablets to keep check against the fever. It dropped at mid night. But again in the morning her body temperature shot up.

“What mom?” she said in a low voice. She knew her mother didn’t wear mask so, pulled her kerchief and coughed few times.

“I don’t want breakfast, mom. Let me sleep for a while. I feel like sleeping now.”

“No, get up. Your father asked me if you’re okay to come to his niece’s marriage tonight?” she said.

Athvika bluntly rejected it. She can’t imagine putting all the lives at risk by attending this marriage. 

“No mom, I can’t. Please leave me alone. Don’t stay here for long,” she said strictly.

“God won’t take my life until I see your child in my hands,” Sheela was sarcastic but pessimistic about her decision.

Athvika didn’t know what to say. She felt like weeping for her mother’s innocence. She knew her mom won’t change her attitude unless until she realized her own mistakes. 

“Okay, I’ll drink this coffee and come to take breakfast,” Athvika formed Namaste to let her out immediately. 

After noon, Athvika suddenly found it was difficult to breathe in. She didn’t want to stay put in home having such symptoms. She didn’t want to frighten her mother either but she wanted to get into the hospital and let the doctors give her right treatment. Atleast this decision can minimize the spread of this deadly virus. She determined to say lie to her mother.

“I’m going out to buy sanitizer, mom,” she said.

Her mother was preparing lunch as sprinkled masala on brinjal curry.

“I can buy it for you. You stay in,” Sheela said, as kindled the curry in hot pan.

“I feel bored of staying in. Let me take some fresh air, I’ll come back soon,” Athvika pleaded.

“Okay, but don’t go anywhere, okay?”

“Sure mom,”Athvika shot out of the house.

Four days later, Sheela and her husband admitted in the same hospital where Athvika was getting treated. Athvika’s father’s lungs got infected badly due to his old age. He was under critical care. The doctors knew it would be miracle if he gets a chance to live again. But Sheela was stable until last night, but suddenly her immunity level dropped and it was turning out to be worse on her. The doctors have stopped caring both of them since they have lost hope on their survival. They have many cases to be taken care of, and they can’t simply waste their time on people who are surely going to die today or tomorrow.

Athvika knew that her parents were right next to her. It was her fate to see her parents die in front of her. She felt like tore off her skin on seeing them suffer enormously. The worse part of it was she also had to bear that the boy who stood next to her in the bus was expecting his death sooner than later. The memory of how he had bitten his nail into his mouth resurfaced on her mind. She knew right away he had contracted through her. What to say more, the child who had eaten the fallen lollypop was dead already. Their parents were hollering outside for the child. Athvika could hear the heart wrenching wailings of them. Her heart spun and twisted. She felt like beating herself. She realized how small negligence would cost the lives of many. But she was alright. The doctors declared she was saved. The virus was no more in her. She got recovered completely. But that wasn’t going to bring cheers to her. Her soul was lifeless when she had lost her parents and also took few more innocent lives along with them. She felt she had done a big crime, she knew…..she knew…..she knew.