It was the final quarter of the financial year.Like any other bank officials I was also working hard to achieve the target. Then it happened .On a fine January morning Chicken pox smiled at me. After a tough day at office when I was about to change in to my sleeping suits and tuck myself under a warm blanket , I suddenly saw some red rashes around my collar bone and chest.I used to stay alone at that time since my wife has given birth to our bundle of joy a couple of months ago and was staying at home with parents.My place of posting was nearly 250 kms away from my home.It was around midnight.Since I couldn't confirm my suspicions , I resorted to surfing google.All symptoms led to chicken pox. I could not sleep for the rest of the night .A troubled night was finally over, I got ready as usual and joined the branch.I was posted at rural branch for my rural assignment and was not sure of the hospital/ doctor nearby . Old staffs came to rescue and a doctor at the Rural hospital confirmed that it was chicken pox indeed. 15 days of bed rest and medication and solitary confinement were advised since it was an extremely contagious disease. Lots of pending work was the first thing that came to my mind cause we have to accept that everyone is so busy at our branches that nobody is going to complete my work.At best they would make sure that things get delayed by two weeks.
But then one can't do anything about such incidents. I called up my wife and parents that I have to come back .Logical as they always have been , my parents immediately decided to shift my wife and 2 month old baby to my in-laws home as they feared that my presence can bring trouble to baby and mother.I told them that I can stay back at my rented place and try to cure myself alone here but then better sense prevailed.I came home to find an empty room where even a couple of hours ago my son was playing with his mom. I called her up and told her that I miss them.But then I understood that I must stay away from them. I asked my parents not to come near me .They laughed and ignored my stupidity as usual. I was thinking about contagious nature of pox, just for a moment I forgot that I am their son first and a patient later. May be new taste of fatherhood would require a lot more time to sink in which the nature of my job didn't allow till that day.
My solitary confinement began. Soon the rashes spread all over my body.I had problem to eat and sleep and I lost my strength partially. My parents stood like a rock day in and day out. My wife cried over phone as she couldn't help me .I tried to convince her that it was not her fault. Things started improving slowly,very slowly. Smile came back to my family's faces. I used to ask my wife to whatsapp my son's photo on daily basis. She did that along with videos of my son to keep encouraging me. After 16 days I checked with my doctor.I was given fit certificate.I lost weight , lost my strength partially which took me another two months to recover.I had scars all over my face and body. But those scars taught me a lot of lessons .It taught me love , patience , perseverance and calmness under tremendous mental and physical pressure . I don't know where I 'll end up in life.But I am sure I will keep on trying to use these qualities for the rest of my life.
