Work Text:
You know, every situation in life doesn't seem that difficult when you have someone to fall back on. That someone might be anyone. Mom, dad, siblings, a close friend, or maybe the love of your life. However far they might stay from you, you always know that you're not alone, whatever comes your way, you don't have to fight that alone.
And that is what is keeping me alive and hopeful at the moment. Standing at my balcony on this cloudy morning, with the coconut trees swaying from left to right, I felt this wind was bringing in worried scoldings from the love of my life. I smiled as the wind touched my face as if it were him, checking on my fever and whether my eyes turned further red or not.
"Oye! Kahan hain tu?"
I saw a message from him.
"Ghar pe, aur kahi jaane ka permission hi kahan diya hain tune? Tera intezar kar raha hoon. Kab tak aayega tu?
I replied with a smile on my lips. This smile was constant whenever I spoke to him.
"Dopahar ho jayegi. Toofan ke wajah se Kolkata ke saare flights delayed hain. Tujhe lockdown ke pehle hi Kolkata jaana tha?"
I smiled at the concern he showed through the messages. I didn't reply any further. Instead, I called him up.
"Phone kyun kiya?"
The voice of my small man always comforted me.
"Aman baby, bimaar hoon, tab bhi daant rahe ho?"
"Daant is liye raha hoon ki lockdown ke pehle hi tujhe Kolkata shift hona tha? Yeh saari cheeze khatam ho jaati phir jaata na. Main bhi toh tere saath hi aata phir. Maine bhi office mein baat kee, unhone meri bhi posting Kolkata mein kar diya hain na. Lekin, that's around October. Ab May se October tak kya karun?"
"Aate rehna. Delhi to Kolkata!"
"Mazak mat kar Kartik! Tujhe lagta hain mazak ka mood hain mera?"
"Mood toh….humesha main hi banata aa raha hoon….aj bhi bana doonga."
There was silence on the other side of the phone apart from the indistinct chattering in the background. I knew my Aman was blushing and had run short of words.
"Achha yeh bata, tera address kya hain?"
He spoke after some time, confirming that I was right.
"Janab, aap pehle Kolkata land toh kijiye, phir…."
"Khabardar agar ghar se bahar ek kadam bhi rakha! Tere taange todd doonga!"
"Pata hain! Isi liye office mein kehkar gaari bhijwayi hain tere naam ki. Airport pe utarte hi dikh jayegi. Gate number 3B pe hogi gaari."
"Theek hain. Ab ja tu rest kar. Main rakhta hoon. Jab tak na pahunchun, Maggi hi kha lo. Main pahunchke khana bana doonga. Chal bye."
Aman cut the call, though as always, I wanted to talk to him even more. Nothing about Aman was ever enough for me.
Must be wondering what happened to me, right? I should have said that earlier actually. The thing is that according to Aman, my single brain cell stops working when I'm sick. Seems like he is right.
I am covid positive. My reports came in yesterday, confirming that the immense body pain that I was having for the past three days wasn't a normal viral infection, but the one that has been affecting so many people across the globe over the past one and a half years. Oh and yes, I do not have any smell and taste and also a tearing headache. Though, that's because of my sinusitis. Not sure if covid actually affected my head too.
Both me and Aman are Delhites. Or better to say I was a Delhite. My company recently transferred me to their Kolkata branch so I had to shift there. Of course I am working from home, but I shifted during the month of March, when the number of covid cases in India were comparatively lower and life was slowly getting back to normal. Who knew this virus would buffer like a YouTube video for a while and then start off again with full speed?
Aman didn't want me to come to Kolkata, for obvious reasons. I have been a patient of sinusitis for almost six years now. And not to forget the fact that when this disease gets triggered, I have a hard time controlling my sanity. The pains become unbearable.
Though sinusitis wasn't the only reason for which Aman didn't want me to come. It was one among the various others that he told me on the 12th of March, the day before I started for Kolkata.
"Corona ke baad chale ja na. Itni bhi kya jaldi hain jaane ki?"
Aman said as I was packing my bags.
"Nahin darling. Company ne abhi ke abhi Kolkata waale centre mein report karne ko kaha hain."
"Tera company itna out of the world kyun hain? Poori duniya abhi covid se lad rahi hain, aur teri company ko teri reporting chahiye."
"Kahan lad rahi hain? Covid ka power toh kam ho raha hain abhi. Ab main Head Manager hoon finance department ka. Main na rahun toh nahin chalega na."
"Toh teri company ab mujhse bhi zyada important hain."
Aman said as he looked away from me before taking a side glance to check if I was looking at him or not.
"Sabse zaroori toh tu hain hi, isi liye toh main pehle ja raha hoon taki jab tu aaye, tujhe koi takleef na ho. Tune apne boss se baat kari?"
"Haan. Par unhone toh kaha October ke pehle nahin."
"Waah! Tab toh theek hi hain. Tu bhi aa jayega."
"Kya aa jayega Kartik? October! This is March! Seven damn months!"
"Tu baat toh aise kar raha hain jaise saat mahinon tak milenge hi nahin hum. Main aaunga na weekends pe. Main every alternate weekend ko milne aaunga tujhse. Aur Zoom call toh hain hi."
"Do din milne aana aur zoom call is enough?"
Aman narrowed his eyes and asked. Every question that he threw towards me expected only one answer, 'okay. I won't go.'
"Aman. Aisa mat kar na. Dekh, kuch hi dinon ki toh baat hain, nahin?"
"Tu ja raha hain, bimar par gaya toh kya? Khayal kaun rakhega tera? Khayega kya? Tujhe toh khana bhi pakana nahin aata!"
"Uh uh! Aman babu! Don't underestimate the power of a Maggi MasterChef!"
"Toh agle saat mahine tu Maggi pe bitayega! Wonderful! I can't be any happier, Mr. Singh."
I understood Aman had a few hundred confusions going on within him, but he couldn't voice all. I had almost completed packing. I closed my suitcase and sat beside him, taking his palms in my hand. He pulled them out twice but no longer resisted after that.
"Mat ja na yaar, kyun ja raha hain?"
Aman asked, looking at me with shining eyes.
"Kolkata jaisi khoobsurat sheher mein apna chhota sa aashiyana banane. I can bet and say you'll love Kolkata!"
"Haan jaise tu pehle gaya hain na? Bengali bolni bhi aati hain tujhe?"
"Hami pare! Thoda thoda bangla pare!"
"Thoda thoda se kya hoga?"
"Don't worry. Kolkatans are very inclusive people Aman. They accept everyone with open arms."
"So you know and think about everyone apart from me na?"
I hugged my small man.
"I'll be back soon. Abhi covid ke time pe naukri se nikal diya toh kya hoga? Baat maan lena hi behtar hain na? I love you my sweetheart! Don't worry."
I said, giving Aman a small peck over his lips.
"Khayal rakhega na apna?"
Aman asked, concern clear in his voice.
"That's like my man! For sure love!"
Seeing me so cheerful, Aman finally smiled.
Two months of staying in this awesome city, I am positive. I always am though, but this is the only time I wish I wasn't. Many people who are still unaffected, I pray stay safe and remain unaffected. Because only the one who is infected by this tiny red ball-like thing, knows how difficult and painful it is to have it inside your body.
When I told Aman that I had tremendous body pains, he insisted that I get tested. Me, being the usual casual person I am, felt it was just a normal influenza but Aman scolded me harshly over the call itself and immediately I called up a friend here, who arranged for my tests. And thus, reports came positive!
Apart from my aching body, a heavy head, and lack of smell and taste, everything felt absolutely fine. Or maybe it felt good now because Aman was coming over to Kolkata. I insisted that he shouldn't come as he might get infected from me, but when matters concerned me and my well being, Aman never listened to anyone, apart from himself.
It's a Tuesday today and quite interestingly, a huge cyclone is expected to cause disaster at Kolkata by tonight. It's a very renowned cyclone, thus it is called Yash, or the one who is quite well known and is quite famous (better to say infamous in this case).
I am standing at my balcony, wondering what to do till Aman lands here at Kolkata. This pain in the lower part of my body makes my legs tremble when I stand and it eats up my waist when I sit. The only comfort posture that I have is lying down. But for a normal human, how long is it possible to lie down in a boring bedroom when no one's beside you. Bedrooms are meant to be interesting when you have someone with you, not when you are alone, right?
The wind speed at Kolkata is 70-80 kilometres per hour. I cursed the wind as it delayed the flight of my Aman by two hours. I was all alone at my balcony with a cup of tasteless coffee, looking at the swaying coconut and bay leaf trees.
My neighbours weren't quite happy that I tested positive. Rather when I went to ask one of them for a paracetamol as I had none at home, they refused having any and freaked out in a way as if it wasn't me but my soul which had approached them. Another found me through the peephole and didn't open the door only, one opened the door, found me, and shut it close right over my face. The only last one was a Punjabi family living in the same apartment. They were the only ones who helped me out. They didn't have the medicine either, but sent their son to the shop to get it for me. Since the day my reports came positive, they are the only ones checking up on me, through phone or directly climbing up the stairs to my flat. Though they were happy that Aman was coming over, they asked me to contact them without a hesitation whenever I wanted. Blessed be such people who still consider covid positive patients as humans, proper living humans.
"Teri gaari kahan hain? Main gate number 3B se nikal aaya, teri gaari nahin dikh rahi."
Aman called me around three in the afternoon. I was sleeping, since the doctor asked me to sleep for sixteen to eighteen hours a day.
"Gaari subah gyarah baje se khara hain airport pe Aman."
"Tu chhod gaari. Main cab book karke aa raha hoon."
Aman sounded restless over the phone. Even I was restless to meet him. It had been more than a month since I last saw him physically and not through some stupid device.
"Ruk ja thodi der meri jaan. Do minute de de mujhe."
I called up the driver who was supposed to pick Aman up and found out that he was standing there with a placard of my name.
"Mere naam ka placard leke khara hain koi. Dekh!"
"Haan pata tha wahi banda hain. Maine usse poochha ki Kartik Singh ne bheja kya? Usne kaha nahin, Kartik Singh ko pick up karna hain. Ek hi aadmi hain, Kartik Singh ke naam ka placard leke. Ruk, aata hoon abhi."
Aman hung up the call and I started counting the time in which he would reach me here. It was a distance of twenty five kilometres from the airport to my place and I never felt this impatient and restless in my life ever. Aman was finally coming to me!
Two hours seemed like two eternities to me. When I finally heard the honk of the car below my balcony amidst a heavy rainfall, I looked down and saw the person I have been yearning to see for so long. The fully dark skies thundered as he stepped out. It was impossible to make out whether it was day or night time, but for me, however much it might rain today, it felt like a clear sunny day!
"Baarish! Yuck!"
He said as he came up to the second floor and stood in front of my door. I was standing with the door open and hugged him immediately. Only I knew how happy I was seeing my Aman after so long.
To my surprise, Aman pushed me back immediately.
"Kya hua?"
I asked confusedly.
"Bahar ke kapdon mein hi hoon abhi bhi, abhi se chipak raha hain! Don't touch me now!"
I smiled.
"Positive toh hoon hi already, aur kya phark padta hain meri jaan?!"
I picked Aman up in my arms to sway him inside, just as I did at our Delhi home when he came back from office. But I had to keep him down soon because of my paining waist and trembling legs.
"Hua? Shanti mili?"
Aman asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Yaar yeh dard! Jeena mushkil kar diya mera!"
After a few hours of Aman freshening up, the storm almost breaking into our house through the windows, and Aman checking up on me, my fever (which I never had) and my pains, did I get a chance to finally talk to him.
"Kya baat karni hain? Mujhe toh gussa aa raha hain tujh par. Corona ke samay kaun bahar jaata hain, woh bhi cold drink laane? Amazon se mangwa leta na. Bahar kyun gaya?"
Aman scolded me as he sat beside me on the bed. I was lying down, my pain made it unbearable for me to stand or even sit up straight.
"Amazon pe ek hafte baad delivery date dikha raha tha. Kya karta main?"
"Toh cold drink kaunsa essential item hain jo ek hafte baad peene se aafat aa jaati? Aur usi cold drink ke wajah se teri sinusitis trigger huyi. Yaad hain na, kaisa pagalon ki tarah cheekhta hain jab dard hota hain sarr mein?"
Of course I did remember. Who can forget that pain? But how could I tell my dearie that the sole reason behind me being a bit casual, was to get a glance of him? No, c'mon! Don't get me wrong! I of course didn't want to get affected by covid and lie on the bed with absolutely no work and freaking bad body pains. I only wanted a sore throat….okay a little headache too, so that my Aman comes here to meet me, fearing exactly this, that my sinusitis got triggered and I need care. I couldn't travel back to Delhi. It's a lockdown here in West Bengal till the 31st of May. Aman could come over and I made sure he did! Only this stupid virus was not in my plan!
"Yaar! Lete lete bhi dard ho raha hain!"
"Hey bhagwan kya karun, kahan jaaun?"
Aman panicked as soon as I mentioned that I was having pains. He attempted to get up from the bed but I held his hand and stopped him.
"Kahan ja raha hain?"
"Hot water bag. Might give relief. Abhi laata hoon."
"Tu hain, bass aur kuch nahin chahiye! Tu bass baitha reh idhar!"
Aman sat down and looked at me for some time.
"Kya hua? Tere papa ki tarah ghoori kyun maar raha hain?"
"Pata hain Kartik, kabhi kabhi na mujhe tujhpar itna gussa aata hain, mann karta hain…..kaise bataun? Mann karta hain bed se dhakka maar ke phek doon tujhe."
"Kyun? Maine kya kiya?"
"Yeh sab drama tha na?"
My eyes widened.
"Kya drama?"
"Yeh tera bimaar hona aur mera yahan aana?"
"Na..nahin toh. Aisa kyun keh raha hain?"
"Jhooth bolega toh thappad maarunga main! Sach bol!"
How did I even think I could hide something from Aman? I gave up and nodded my head.
"Pata tha mujhe! Para reh aise! Main chala Delhi waapas."
Aman stood up and attempted to leave the room.
"Mujhe chhod kar jo tum jaoge,
Bada pachtaoge, bada pachtaoge!"
I sang, to make the environment of the room a bit light. Aman stopped and looked back at me.
"You know what Kartik? Fuck you!"
"And what makes you think I'll stop you?"
Aman's face turned red in an instance, either in anger or in embarrassment but both of us broke into laughter after that. He came and sat beside me again.
"Sach mein yaar. Jab maine suna ki you're covid positive, phatt gayi thi meri. Immediately, flight book kara maine, aur chala aaya."
"But you know, tujhe meri baat maan ni chahiye thi. I admit I wanted to see you but I swear I never wanted covid. And now that I'm positive, tujhe aana nahin chahiye tha. Tujhe bhi ho gaya toh?"
"I am not like you. Firstly, I have taken both doses of the covid vaccine. And two, uske bawajood bhi agar mujhe covid hua, phir bhi I can take better care of myself than you will take of yourself. So stop worrying about me."
Saying so, Aman went to the hall and came back a few seconds later with a glass of sap green coloured contents in it.
"Yeh pi le."
"Kya hain yeh?"
"Zyada zubaan mat chala. Kadha hain, nigal ja!"
"Yuck! Chhii! Have you seen the colour? Dekh ke hi samajh aata hain taste kitna ghatiya hoga!"
Aman laughed and I didn't understand why he did so.
"Taste hain hi kahan tera? Jo bura lagega? Aur agar bura laga bhi, to bhi piyega! As a punishment of going out to buy stupid cold drink. Chup chap pi lo!"
I had to obey. I might be a strong person, but at the moment, neither was I strong nor did I have the guts to disobey Mr. Aman Tripathi.
Aman did everything possible to take care of me. Food, medicines, doctor, checking pulse rate and oxygen level, everything. I felt better than the last two days but didn't know whether it was the medicines that made me feel good, or the presence of my loved one, Aman.
Just as I said somewhere in the beginning, no storm or battle can scare you, if you have someone by your side. The cyclone was causing heavy rainfall outside, the skies dressed up in their darkest costumes, the thunders announced the start of the play, and the lightning helped the audiences on Earth to see the show going on in the sky. Me and Aman, we both sat at the window of our living area, witnessing this play arranged by nature. Aman's head on my shoulder and my head over his. Our fingers entwined together and a gentle smile over both of our faces. We reunited after long and nature indeed gave us such a beautiful reunion party….
If only this small, spiked, red ball didn't exist!