Last month was one of the most harrowing months in the recent past with series of virals at home starting with my younger one. As a mother, it pained me to see an otherwise hyper-active and vibrant child being reduced to something feeble and weak. Those were the times I suddenly found the games, tricks and tantrums much more welcoming than seeing her spent-up like this. Nights were the most excruciating. The fever used to shoot up to 104 and 105 degrees. It took a week for the viral demon to leave her; only to claim my elder one and me at the same time. It is amazing that when something happens to your dear ones, you care a least about yourself. So, in order to be up and running, I gulped umpteen Crocins and started tending to her.
One fine morning, after a night of agonizing fever (both for me and for my daughter; and with husband on tour), I got up, made myself some coffee and stood at the balcony trying to breathe in some fresh air and absorb some sunlight to dispel the germs and make life happy again. I looked down at the car parking which is visible from my balcony and found something missing. I shook my head and looked again and VOILA! MY CAR WAS MISSING. I thought for a moment if hubby had taken off for some work, but then realized that he was not in town itself. I rushed to the drawer where we kept the keys and found the car keys there! I called up my driver and was informed that he was waiting downstairs thinking I had taken the car somewhere and that he was waiting for me.
I was literally and physically in tears. I took a deep breath and tried to remember when WAS the last time I saw the car. After the driver had left for the day, I had called up the doctor asking about the blood report of my daughter. He had prescribed some medicine. In a dizzy state, I had taken the car out (even though the shop was at a walkable distance) and driven to the medical shop. I had parked my car on the road, bought the medicine but my memory failed me after that! Did I get the car back or not?
I immediately rushed out, towards the shop, calling out to all Gods, keeping my fingers crossed, heart beating faster than any PLANE on earth. As I turned right from the gate of my colony and the medical shop came within my sight, THERE IT WAS! Standing on the road, abandoned by its mistress and yet not crying; waiting throughout the night for someone to come and pick it up; watching its mistress walk past it, oblivious that it was waiting to be taken back to home sweet home. And I like a fool, had walked back home, infact even deposited the keys at its usual place.
If there was a moment of JANNAT on earth, that was it! If I had longer arms, I could have hugged my car! If cars had ears, I would have said SORRY to it :) I never knew how much I loved my car. They say that you realise the worth of someone/something only when he/she/its not there.
As for the foolish smile I gave to my driver who had an unbelievable look in his eyes as if he had just seen a UFO, the less said the better :)
The moral of the story is ????
The best answer gets an airplane from me 3 years from now :P