My Daughter Fell Sick. My Reputation Never Recovered.

In a recent blog (At the Mercy of a Six-Year-Old), I narrated how, for a week in 2017, my sister and I were left at the mercy of my 6-year-old daughter by my wife, who had to leave for our hometown to a family medical emergency. I talked about how my sister and I were tormented by Ananya. But just when the ordeal was about to get over, on the penultimate day, she fell really sick.

Ananya's sickness, and how I handled the situation, earned me a reputation. Somehow, not a positive one.

Years have gone by, and I thought that much water had flowed under the bridge. But an image shared recently on the family WhatsApp group and the reactions made it clear that my image has been tarnished for life.

I think it is extremely unfair. I will tell you exactly what happened, and you tell me whether it is fair for my family to judge me like this.

So, on the penultimate day of my wife's absence, everything happened as it had happened the entire week. I woke Ananya up in the morning, helped her get ready for school, gave her coupons for breakfast and lunch, dropped her at the bus stop, worked from home, picked her up from the bus stop after school, arranged snacks for her, and went back to finish the rest of my office work.

Though on most days I worked till late, that day I put my laptop aside around 7 PM and decided to take her to the playground in our apartment complex. It was the last day before the devil arrived, so I wanted to spend some time with Ananya.

Ananya spent an hour there, after which we came back to our flat. She went to change her clothes while I got busy with the zillions of household chores that I did not even know existed till a week before. After changing clothes, Ananya went to the living room to watch TV.

After some time, I noticed that Ananya had become awfully quiet. Never a good sign with her.

I asked if she was okay, and she nodded. I asked if she was tired and wanted to have something. She said yes to the first and no to the second.

I thought she must be tired and got busy with the work. During that entire week, everything in the house had happened smoothly, like a well-oiled machine. Because I was in-charge. I was feeling proud of myself.

After some time, I checked on Ananya once again. She was just lying there, with eyes barely open and it seemed as though there wasn't even a milligram of energy left in her body.

I immediately put everything aside and went to her. I sat beside her, like only a father can. I hugged her and asked her what was wrong. As soon as I touched her, I realized she had a fever. I could make out that it was quite high. 

I calmly but briskly walked (not ran) to the bedroom and took out the thermometer. For the first time, it was exactly where it was supposed to be. After all, the house was under my watch.

I immediately checked her temperature. I do not recall the exact reading, but I think the thermometer, without mincing any words, screamed at me that I was screwed!!

I thought of calling my wife but stopped myself because she was already attending to a family medical emergency. See, that's the hallmark of a true leader during a crisis. Never overreact. And in any case, there was very little she could have done sitting 1,600 kilometers away. In fact, there was very little she could have done sitting in the same room. Unlike me, not everyone can remain calm and composed during a crisis.

I decided that the best option was to take Ananya to her pediatrician, whose clinic was about 6 kilometers away.

I was about to grab the car keys and lift Ananya into my arms when I was reminded of my sister. She usually came home late from the office, but in case she came home early that day, she would not have the keys. Even during a crisis, I did not forget that. Another demonstration of an uncluttered mind and clarity of thought.

I called my sister and asked what time she would get home. She said it would take some time but asked why I was so politely and calmly enquiring about it. I explained the whole situation to her.

Strangely, she first asked me to calm down (!!!) and said that she would come as quickly as possible, but it would still take at least 45-60 minutes because of the distance and traffic. She suggested that I call my wife and ask what should be done. Hunh! Such a pointless suggestion.

While I knew that it was quite unnecessary, I immediately called my wife and told her everything. Strangely, she also asked me to calm down! What was wrong with both of them!

Surprisingly, my smartwatch was also saying that my heart rate was 150! Technology isn't always reliable. Thankfully, Samsung watches in 2017 did not measure stress levels, or it would have claimed that I was extremely stressed! 

Yeah right! 

Everyone and everything had gone bonkers! I, fortunately, had not.

My wife told me about a medicine that I could give Ananya and said that if the fever did not start coming down within 30-40 minutes, I should take her to the pediatrician. She was merely stating the obvious.

I had a tough time locating the medicine and called my wife a couple of times. Eventually, without much support, I managed to find it. I gave Ananya something light to eat, and after that, I gave her the medicine.

Afterwards, I monitored her temperature through touch and with the thermometer at perfectly reasonable intervals. About every five minutes.

In between, just to keep everyone updated, I called my wife, my sister, and my parents few times. I kept applying cold compresses to her forehead and neck in an attempt to bring the fever down.

The fever did not come down even after 40 minutes, but strange new symptoms started to appear.

Palpitations.

Dryness in the throat.

Uneasiness in the chest.

Difficulty breathing.

Strangely and thankfully, none of these new symptoms were experienced by the patient. They were all happening to the caregiver.

I do not know why....because I was like...calmness personified.

I called my sister and was relieved... I mean... it was good to know that she was just 10-15 minutes away. We decided that we would go to the pediatrician as soon as she arrived.

Fifteen to twenty minutes later, my sister reached home. She took stock of the situation. We checked Ananya's temperature once again. It had come down slightly but was still quite high.

The other symptoms - palpitations, dryness in the throat, uneasiness in the chest, and difficulty breathing - had increased, though.

My sister must have silently thanked God that I was there to take care of everything. Deep inside, she must have felt immensely proud of how I had handled the situation.

But, not someone who shows appreciation easily, she looked at me in a strange manner and asked me to drink some water. I did not understand that. Women can say anything. There was no time to try and comprehend all that.

She called my wife and asked her not to worry. But then she made a strange remark. While speaking to my wife, she said that she was not sure whom to take to the hospital first.

I do not know what she meant, but she probably said that to lighten the mood.

We took Ananya to the pediatrician, who also strangely asked me to calm down. Women!! She prescribed a few medicines and sent us away.

With those medicines, the fever came down. Ananya had a light dinner and went to sleep. I checked her temperature several times during the night with a non-contact infrared thermometer.

The next morning, the fever returned. We gave her medicine after a light breakfast, and the fever slowly retreated.

In the afternoon, my wife returned home, and I handed over charge to her.

On the day Ananya fell sick, I, of course, handled everything brilliantly. I did not ask for appreciation, a medal, or the Bharat Ratna, though I deserved all of them. 

Something baffles me, though.

During that period, I do not know why my watch kept alerting me that my heart rate was too high, why I kept having palpitations and all the other symptoms, why everyone kept asking me to calm down, or why my sister remarked that she was not sure whom to take to the hospital first.

Mysteries of life.

When my wife returned, my sister joked about how I had panicked, and they both laughed. It was absolutely not true, but being a magnanimous person who doesn't mind others laughing at his expense, I let it go.

But yesterday, my wife posted a picture on the family WhatsApp group (see a slightly modified version below) and asked everyone if the family in the picture was an accurate depiction of the three of us.

Everyone agreed. They said that the family was indeed like us. More specifically, they insisted that the brown bear in the background was exactly like me and how I behave in such situations.

Completely unfair, isn't it?

(Note: This is the image that my wife shared on the family WhatsApp group. I have slightly modified it by adding the names.) 

"He Surely Does Not Drink"

I do not recall when this incident happened but it was easily at least 20 years ago. 

My parents were travelling by train. They had tickets in AC First Class. My father, back then a serving army officer, used to carry a bottle or two of alcohol on most of his trips so he could have a drink with friends or family at the destination.

On the same train, a cousin of mine and his wife (my Bhabhi) were also travelling. They were in a different class and compartment. However, when my cousin found out that my father - his maternal uncle or Mama - was travelling on the same train, he became excited because he knew that my father was likely to have something 'interesting' in his luggage.

AC First Class in Indian trains is comfortable and does not have too many passengers. It has either a cabin, which is a larger four-berth compartment designed for families or small groups, or a coupe, which is a private two-berth compartment for solo travelers or couples/duos. Once the journey started, my parents settled into their cabin.

After some time, my cousin and Bhabhi came over. The four of them started chatting. I am not sure if there were any other people in the cabin. 

After a while, my father offered him a drink. My father usually did not drink on trains because it is illegal and can make other passengers uncomfortable. The fact that he offered a drink makes me think there was probably no one else in the cabin. I could be wrong though.

After a few drinks, my cousin became a little high and started opening up about everyone in the family. The conversation drifted towards who among the younger generation drank. Most of the cousins were adults by then, and my father knew that everyone must be drinking. Still, it was not yet 'publicly  known information'. 

More than anyone else, my father wanted to know about me. 

One by one, my father started asking about everyone, and my cousin, in a 'happy state by now', was more than willing to answer. He told my father who drank what, how much each person drank, what each one did when drunk, funny anecdotes... every secret was coming out.

My father encouraged him, enjoyed the details, and laughed at the incidents. He asked about everyone except me.

Then, towards the end, my father made a statement.

"Vini nahi peeta hoga". (Vini surely does not drink). 

*Vini is my nickname. 

My father did not question. He just made a statement and showed pride. I do not think he actually believed it. It was a ploy to bring out an honest reaction.

My cousin, a few years older than me and generally a mature guy, saw the trap and said, "Yes, you are right. Vini does not drink." 

I wish!

So what did he do?

My cousin laughed mockingly at my father's statement and said:

"Vini nahi peeta hoga!!!??? Vini tanker hai...TANKER!!!" (Vini does not drink!!!??? He is a TANKER!!!)

* In slang, the term "tanker" refers to a heavy drinker or an alcoholic.

The next time I spoke to my father, he asked, 'Suney tum TANKER ho" (Heard that you are a tanker). I was taken aback!

Later my mother narrated the entire incident and I came to know how my cousin broke the bro code! 😠😡

Dagger in the back

I once believed I could read people the way sailors read stars.

So when the room grew heavy and my name became a measure of efforts and contributions, I expected the familiar constellations to hold.

• The newest bond became a shield. Defended me. Even fought for me. 

• The classmate/friend took a swipe at me.

• But the oldest bond - the one that I trusted and thought I understood - joined hands with the classmate/friend. 

This is when I have been safeguarding the interest of these two very individuals to the extent possible and create a balance that makes sense for everyone!

Funny how betrayal is rarely loud. Sometimes, it arrives as silence where 'friendship' should have spoken.

Learnt a valuable life lesson today. And I did not even know about this battle!!

(Disclaimer: This is not a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely intentional)

Et Tu, Brute?

I recently ordered a grapefruit from one of the instant delivery apps . In the picture it looked bright, juicy, and extremely inviting. I also realized that I might never have actually tasted a grapefruit before. Since I love citrus fruits, I decided it was time to try one.

Within minutes, the fruit arrived.

I requested my wife to bring it to me because I was eager to try it immediately. She went to the kitchen with the fruit and returned a moment later with it neatly cut into smaller portions and arranged on a plate. 

She placed it in front of me and casually said, “It’s very tasty. sweet and refreshing.”

That made me suspicious.

You see, I have a long history of playing a particular trick on her. My wife absolutely hates sour food. If she ever asks me to taste an orange or a grape first she tries it, I will take a bite and - even if it is painfully sour - I would calmly say that it is very nice. She then takes a bite and immediately regrets trusting me. The expression that follows is priceless.

So when she told me this grapefruit was “sweet,” I was not entirely convinced.

At that exact moment, my daughter walked into the room. She saw the plate and said she wanted to try some. She took a small piece, popped it into her mouth, and instantly said, “Wow! This is really nice. Very sweet.”

That changed everything. I will ALWAYS doubt my wife. But my daughter, my little angel, my little bundle of innocence? NEVER

Feeling reassured, I picked up a large piece and confidently put the entire thing in my mouth.

The next few seconds were… unforgettable.

The fruit was extraordinarily sour. Not mildly sour. Not slightly sour. It was the kind of sour that makes your eyes close automatically, your teeth clench, and your entire face rearrange itself into a very dramatic expression.

When I finally recovered and opened my eyes, I looked at my wife.

Then at my daughter.

Both of them were laughing uncontrollably.

At that moment, I realized something historic had occurred. My daughter had joined forces with my wife. This was not just a prank. This was a carefully coordinated act of deception.

This incident should always be known as one of the greatest betrayals ever executed in the history of mankind.

I may have lost this round, but the citrus wars are far from over.

Unfair

I know you liked the work. You have said that to another person and I know about it. 

I know you have used the work. 

I know you have also mentioned that you would use it in other forums as well.

I know that you have been giving credit to another person for all the work. The other person did half the work but so did I. I deserve half the credit.

You should realize that the work was much more difficult for me as I did not have much background. Hence, I had to work 2-3 times more in order to put together something that will make you look good. I did not have any bandwidth yet I did the work. I am still trying to overcome the backlog it has caused.

And when I asked you whether you liked the work, you sound aloof and say that it was 'okay' and you were not particularly satisfied but decided to use it since the audience did not have much idea anyways. This when you have already mentioned that the work was also used in another forum and it was appreciated.

I worked through the night to get this work done for you and you do not have anything to say? 

Just watched a movie......"Dear John". A friend told me that its a famous movie but he does not want to watch it as it is "kind of emotional" one. Thats exactly the reason why I watched the movie.

Its a beautiful movie. It evoked various emotions. But at the same time, it brought back some old memories and opened some old wounds. It made me look back towards the past....at a particular phase of my life that ended with some unanswered questions. Now, I do not seek answers to those questions. I just wish that the phase had never come in my life.