A few years ago, grandma
fell very sick, taking to the bed. Diabetes led to the gradual failing of her
kidneys, and she had to be hospitalized for a long time. It's a story from many
years ago, she is perfectly fit now after working out, having lost 55 lbs and
slimming down beyond recognition. But back then, my mom visits her one day at
the hospital. She is hooked to a dozen different pipes and monitors. Her face
is all swollen, eyes closed, breathing heavily. A
number of instruments are constantly recording her vitals. The doctor is
wondering if they should start dialysis. Grandma is sick beyond recognition.
When my mom sits by her
bed, grandma slowly opens her eyes. With great effort, she tries to smile.
Despite her condition, there is a twinkle in her eyes. She tells mom, "Do
you know, Suchitra Sen's physician is now my physician?"
In her tryst with
death, what excites her about life is that she now shares her physician with a
celebrity. When her physician recently died, grandma expressed her sadness to
my mom, "We lost our physician. Suchitra Sen and I."
Suchitra Sen was a
renowned Bengali actor of the yesteryear from the 1950s. Someone like Meg Ryan
of Hollywood or Madhuri Dixit of Bollywood.
sunshine
No comments:
Post a Comment