It was the most promising day of every week. It was a Friday. The day when each one of us would set out from the hostel in the morning, dropping in at office on the way home. It was on such a beautiful day that my step faltered just a little bit. Probably, I might have been dreaming about my upcoming Delhi trip, which was less than a week away, that I didn't notice where I was going or it might have been the extra spring in my steps, the day being a friday, that I didn't have any control on what I was doing. The former seems more probable since the latter happens every Friday.
As soon as I stepped out of the hostel, I tripped on something. I later figured out that it might have been the floor mat which did the trick. My friend's helping hand, or rather, her helping shoulder saved me from falling down. But the damage had already been done. There was a striking pain in my left leg and I thought I was fainting. But that happens everytime I hit my leg somewhere, so I didn't bother much about the fainting sensation. But this time, it was for real and I blacked out. The next thing I can remember is a crowd staring at me and one of them sprinkling water on me. I couldn't immediately recollect what had happened and tried standing up on my feet. I was immediately reminded of the what happened and the fainting sensation returned. Luckily, I didn't faint this time. My friend helped me go to my room so that I could take rest. It was there that I saw the swelling on my leg which was growing at an exponential rate. I had an inkling that this was something big. I decided it would be the biggest of blunders to go to office and immediately left for my aunt's place. By the time I reached there, the swelling had become quite huge and it was hurting quite bad.
I had two options. One, meet a doctor immediately or two, go home and leave everything to dad. I preferred the second option. So had a pain-killer tablet and left for home. The threat of fainting on the way was looming, but I decided to tackle it head on. The trip on the way home was uneventful and I reached my dad's office without any trouble.
My leg was X-Ray-ed immediately. The look on everyone's face told me it was a fracture and I was hoping against hope that it was just a sprain and that I had a chance of being let off with just a bandage. I really didn't want my Delhi trip to be cancelled. I had been dreaming about it for a couple of months now.
The X-Ray technician was approaching dad and me with a slight smile on his face. The verdict was out, but I thought it was coming a wee bit slow. I didn't know what to expect. I sincerely hoped he would say that it was just a small sprain and nothing to worry about. Dad got up and went on to meet him. He said something but I was not able to read his lips. I was still awaiting the verdict. Finally, dad broke it to me. It was indeed a fracture.
I hoped over and over again that all this was a dream. But nothing could be more closer to reality and I had to accept it. Dad was running all over the place trying to find a doctor. One of my cousin's doctor friends asked us to come over immediately.
We got to the hospital and the doctor reviewed my X-Ray. He confirmed the X-Ray technician's diagnosis.
A bandage with some medication was put on to reduce the swelling. The doctor wanted the swelling to reduce before the cast was put on. He advised me 4 days of total rest and mandated that my left leg was always on top of two to three pillows.
I found that these four days were the longest in my life. I was struggling to kill time. It was as though all the clocks had gone on strike.
At last, the day dawned. I was supposed to go to the doctor to get my leg enclosed in plaster. I was hoping that the plaster would be small and that I could still be on that flight to Delhi. But once again, it turned out to be quite the contrary. The cast was a long one, one that stretched from my knee to my toes. Well, that was the last nail in the coffin.
The doctor again advised me 2 days of total rest and a not-so-total rest of 4 weeks. A welcome break from work, he joked. But lying down the whole day with your feet enclosed in plaster of paris is not what I'd call a welcome break. It's a break alright, but an unwelcome one, that too at an unwelcome time.
When all the formalities in the hospital were completed, dad dropped me back home.
And here I am, trying to kill time, with broken bones and a broken dream.
As soon as I stepped out of the hostel, I tripped on something. I later figured out that it might have been the floor mat which did the trick. My friend's helping hand, or rather, her helping shoulder saved me from falling down. But the damage had already been done. There was a striking pain in my left leg and I thought I was fainting. But that happens everytime I hit my leg somewhere, so I didn't bother much about the fainting sensation. But this time, it was for real and I blacked out. The next thing I can remember is a crowd staring at me and one of them sprinkling water on me. I couldn't immediately recollect what had happened and tried standing up on my feet. I was immediately reminded of the what happened and the fainting sensation returned. Luckily, I didn't faint this time. My friend helped me go to my room so that I could take rest. It was there that I saw the swelling on my leg which was growing at an exponential rate. I had an inkling that this was something big. I decided it would be the biggest of blunders to go to office and immediately left for my aunt's place. By the time I reached there, the swelling had become quite huge and it was hurting quite bad.
I had two options. One, meet a doctor immediately or two, go home and leave everything to dad. I preferred the second option. So had a pain-killer tablet and left for home. The threat of fainting on the way was looming, but I decided to tackle it head on. The trip on the way home was uneventful and I reached my dad's office without any trouble.
My leg was X-Ray-ed immediately. The look on everyone's face told me it was a fracture and I was hoping against hope that it was just a sprain and that I had a chance of being let off with just a bandage. I really didn't want my Delhi trip to be cancelled. I had been dreaming about it for a couple of months now.
The X-Ray technician was approaching dad and me with a slight smile on his face. The verdict was out, but I thought it was coming a wee bit slow. I didn't know what to expect. I sincerely hoped he would say that it was just a small sprain and nothing to worry about. Dad got up and went on to meet him. He said something but I was not able to read his lips. I was still awaiting the verdict. Finally, dad broke it to me. It was indeed a fracture.
I hoped over and over again that all this was a dream. But nothing could be more closer to reality and I had to accept it. Dad was running all over the place trying to find a doctor. One of my cousin's doctor friends asked us to come over immediately.
We got to the hospital and the doctor reviewed my X-Ray. He confirmed the X-Ray technician's diagnosis.
A bandage with some medication was put on to reduce the swelling. The doctor wanted the swelling to reduce before the cast was put on. He advised me 4 days of total rest and mandated that my left leg was always on top of two to three pillows.
I found that these four days were the longest in my life. I was struggling to kill time. It was as though all the clocks had gone on strike.
At last, the day dawned. I was supposed to go to the doctor to get my leg enclosed in plaster. I was hoping that the plaster would be small and that I could still be on that flight to Delhi. But once again, it turned out to be quite the contrary. The cast was a long one, one that stretched from my knee to my toes. Well, that was the last nail in the coffin.
The doctor again advised me 2 days of total rest and a not-so-total rest of 4 weeks. A welcome break from work, he joked. But lying down the whole day with your feet enclosed in plaster of paris is not what I'd call a welcome break. It's a break alright, but an unwelcome one, that too at an unwelcome time.
When all the formalities in the hospital were completed, dad dropped me back home.
And here I am, trying to kill time, with broken bones and a broken dream.
Thoughts - attagirl, pretty cool!
ReplyDeleteBroken bones - not so cool.
Keep blogging even when you're not breaking bones.
Dear Ammu, now this is a positive fall-out of the fracture: creative writing. And a good effort too! Love, Valliachchan from Bangalore.
ReplyDeleteWell..well..All rest and no work has made Ammu a blogger ! gr8 piece of writing... Keep it up..:)
ReplyDelete