Wait..

Had this been a great year or not, though an unlucky one as the whole mankind denoting this as, but still it gave a lot as well. For the people like Rimi received so much which a normal year might not have. Rimi the little girl living in the house front of mine. The pure, kind hearted eight years old. Always indulged in her own world. Her twinkling eyes speaking a lot more than her heart knows. On normal days, the whole day she would be busy with her Shilpi mausi (the caretaker lady).

From school to home then her evening playtime with the neighbourhood kids and then her time to her own creativity with a number of colour papers here and there; with structured origamis dangling with threads from the railings of her bed. Then having her dinner while annoying her Shilpi mausi  when she fells asleep she doesn't even know. Her parents Akshay and Atreeya both of them are working in a big-fame MNC which pays them well for sure but makes them work the triple of what it pays that they don't even get some time to talk or have at least their dinner with their beloved daughter.

But Rimi never complains or she might be, who knows but she never shows. But there's an emptiness in her sparkling eyes. She does not have that maturity to show or understand whether she misses her parents in her whole day routine. Maybe she does not know how to demand some pretty time for her from her parents. But she misses them. When she sees her friend's mother's accompanying them to the park or when her friend's fathers play badminton with them on Sundays. Because Rimi's parents have to work on weekends sometimes. As I live in the front house of theirs I get to observe this little kid's life on a daily basis. I work as a teacher in a private international school so my time at house is the same as Rimi's. I do feel this little kid's loneliness which is unaware to herself even. But I like her never complaining attitude. Like every child she does love her parents. 

Days passed and we all are hit by the Virus, Covid-19. The infamous Corona. The life of every being came to a stand still point. Idling and thinking about the upcoming days are the only thoughts that came to our minds day in and day out. Schools, colleges and offices and all institutions got shut down and country suffered from a hibernation-like period. But some people like Rimi were very happy because she was getting enough time to spend with her parents. All day long and all evening sometimes on her mother's lap or in the kitchen with her or sometimes playing indoors with her father. She has finally get those days she has been longing for since a long time. But life has some other decisions to take upon her. Although all precautions were taken greatly by Rimi's parents she got infected with the deadly virus. Let me mention Rimi has severe Asthma from the very beginning. Shilpi mausi  who takes care of Rimi, has somehow come in contact with the disease and as she oneday in between the lockdown period came to look after her because Akshay and Atreeya has to go that day to the office urgently. She spread it unintentionally to her.

Then two three days after when she showed symptoms it feared her parents. And suddenly that evening she was not able to breathe properly because of her underlying Asthma. She was then rushed to hospital. Atreeya in a very frightening condition called me since my husband is a doctor in the Fortis, Navi Mumbai and was then on Covid-19 duty. I called him and described the situation. He said be positive everything will be fine; Let them come I will help them in every possible way. But much to everyone's disbelief and true to the doubts she was diagnosed as Corona Positive. She was therefore kept on the ventilator because of her breathing problems. That night was horrible for me. I don't know how her parents faced it. Hopefully, they tested negative, may be due to their immune system. I couldn't sleep the whole night. Next day after my pooja when I was about to call my husband to know the news, my phone ranged with Siddharth's name, my husband. But before I could say anything he said something which was hard to gulp down my throat - "Rimi passed away". I went numb. No tears no words no questions only my husband's sentence that struck me hard. 

Today it's been one month Rimi left us all. I don't see a little angel playing in the garden anymore or making beautiful origamis as I used to every day. Her chirpings, her laughs, her teasings nothing is there. They couldn't save her because of her severe Asthma which made everything worse. Hard to believe yer the truth is this.

God is the real game-changer. We don't know what will happen when. Therefore spend time with the ones who are worthy of your love and time. Money and status can wait but not one's life. Rimi always longed for the days she would spend time with her parents but when she got she was taken away by death. Her parents awaited her a lot now they have to wait a lot more. Much more. The Wait for a lifetime.