HE RANG the temple bell, applied a saffron mark to his forehead, folded his hands and bowed his head to offer one last prayer to Hanuman, the deity he would often turn to for succour, and fainted.
Darkness descended on him as if daylight had been switched off. His eyelids fluttered. He felt light-headed, as if in a trance. His mountainous worries melted away, then his brain stopped battling what felt like a faraway need to stay awake.
When he opened his eyes, he saw an old, motionless ceiling fan above him, its white blades grimy black with cobwebs and layers of dirt. It had not been cleaned in ages. Disoriented, his vision blurry, he took a while to regain consciousness. He was lying on a bed with a worn-out mattress and a dirty bed-sheet. A saline bottle hung from a rusty iron stand, transporting fluids and injections into his veins, drip by every drip. The ecg monitor mounted on a shelf behind the bed blipped, making haphazard lines in quick succession and a rhythmic tic-tic-tic sound. The digital screen displayed his blood pressure and pulse rate. He quietly studied the large, high-ceilinged room. He found himself relaxing. But at the same time his anxiety started coming back. He felt strained, his heart constricted.
Alongside him were eight or ten people in the room, a couple of them writhing in pain, fidgeting in their beds. Some others lay listless, almost dead. Two short, stout women in their fifties, clad in white, went in and out of the room, recording temperatures of the ailing men on the beds, administering medicine and yelling at the gathered crowds to wait outside.
For him, the surroundings were unnerving. It was not until he saw both his married daughters and a few familiar faces by his side that he felt reassured. It was a hospital and not the afterlife.
This story is from the November 16, 2021 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 16, 2021 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT
West Bengal's Bhanga Mela (scrap fair) has pushed the limits of recycling. Organised every January at Mathurapur village in 24 South Parganas district, shops at the fair sell discarded electronic items, antiques and even non-functional goods that are in repairable condition.
A wild chase
BASED ON A 2015 PROBE THAT BUST A MAJOR IVORY SMUGGLING RACKET IN INDIA, POACHER PROVIDES A RARE GLIMPSE INTO THE WORK OF FOREST OFFICIALS
Suspect claims in Teva's suit against Cipla
The US Federal Trade Commission has warned the Israeli drug firm its patents are wrongful as it sues Cipla aggressively
WATER SCARREDCITY
Bengaluru's water crisis was long in the making. The city has grown at the cost of its lakes and ponds that are key to its water security. Over 93 per cent of the city is built-up, which makes groundwater recharge difficult. Inadequate sewage systems pollute the limited water available. Over the decades, the city has become dependent on the Cauvery, 100 km away, for 70 per cent of its water needs. This makes water unaffordable. It's time Bengaluru broadened its water resource base beyond the Cauvery and focused on recharging groundwater and reusing treated wastewater.
On guard
Communities in Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh reduce human-elephant conflicts using technology and proactive on-ground monitoring
Overlooked crisis
While there is much talk about climate migration, the world is without a legal framework to protect people displaced by weather disasters
Taking charge for water
A young sarpanch in Maharashtra helps his village residents avail drinking water at home
International Women's Day Special SHE
In India, women self-help groups have been a source of empowerment, fostering economic independence, social stature and community resilience.
MODERATELY YOURS
The crunchy, slightly sweet tubers of shankhalu can be a healthy addition to one's diet
TROUBLED TEAK
Farmers need to be sensitised about right planting materials and cultivation techniques to benefit from high-value teak plantations