It is a sad beginning to the new year. On the day after New Year, my mobile phone, dear to me, was stolen. It was taken a couple of hours before my departure from my hometown to my place of domicile and I worked through the paperwork to get my SIM card blocked and apply for a duplicate SIM card simultaneously so that I could take on my mobile number and still salvage the relationships maintained over my mobile phone. The number itself is a fragment of my identity and losing it is as severe on me as losing a limb. So, the task had to be done and immediately to prevent abuse of the lost device.
In the process of the work on the task at hand late in the day and too close to the departure, other activities missed the attention their needed, packing being on top of that list. And in the last minute hustle bustle, the first item on my must-have list did not make it into my luggage.
A delayed, disappointed departure from home on the backseat of my bro's bike, we had to shop for a mobile phone en route to the railway station and then proceed. I reached the station and boarded the train 10 minutes before departure, called up my parents on my alternate phone, checked if the duplicate SIM had been activated (which it had not) and proceeded to put back the alternate SIM card, set an alarm and attempted to sleep.
It was a slow period between that and falling asleep. I read a book as people around me ate and talked. Later, we arranged the berths and fell asleep. I was woken up by mice squeaking on my berth when I touched the essentials compartment of my knapsack to feel for the asthma medicine I am expected to have on me especially during travel. Sadly, they were not in there and that sent a jolt through my body. To console myself and keep composure, I told myself it would be all right.
Sadly, I was wrong. When the train reached Villupuram, I woke to find I had a slight wheezing. I made up my mind that I would get down at the next station if the situation took a turn for the worse or stay on till I reached the destination if I could handle things.
On reaching Chengalpet, I tried to make an effort to move - and I found it very hard to. I was gasping for breath and I was not able to take the tidal volume with any amount of ease. I freaked out and I felt doomed. I was not able to move much either and I felt I was getting myself into bad soup. At this point, getting off the train seemed a bad idea since I would be getting myself into uncharted territory and so, I made up my mind to get to Tambaram, my destination. In my fear, I wanted to let the world know what had happened to me in case I died - I sent a text to my BFF that I was having an asthma attack and that it was turning severe.
The train pulled out of Chengalpet. I got out of my full-sleeved t-shirt and put on a more comfortable t-shirt. Then, I opened the window to give myself a whiff of air and tried really hard to soothe myself. I began to pray desparately, for dear life since I really felt I was walking treacherously close to death and that I could possibly die in the event I did not get help in time. I was really doing all I could from waking everyone around me and asking them if they carried medicine for my condition.
The ordeal endured for 40 minutes. Once the train pulled in at Tambaram I mustered all my strength and lugged myself off the train. Then I walked on the platform towards the stairs. Once I reached them, it dawned on me that I would have a tough time climbing them. Finding no way out, I decided to take the climb and I began it. It was really agonizing. There were moments I felt I would rather pass out and die than climb the stairs, but I tried hard to focus on the landing at the top of the stairs and reached it after much effort. I was breathless. I could not breathe well at all. I managed to walk to a quiet place on the landing, dropped my luggage and bent over, panting, trying really hard to catch my breath. I stood there, bent over, panting for 10 minutes and I decided to take an Auto-Rickshaw to my place, even if the guy were to charge me Rs 300 for the trip.
Once I reached the bottom of the flight of stairs I quickly walked to the auto-stand and asked a driver to take me to my place with a stoppage at a pharmacy on the way. He quickly pulled up another guy who quickly informed me that it would cost me Rs 300 for the trip. I agreed with haste and I got in my ride.
The guy started the engines and we were on the road shortly. He checked with me if there was any room to omit the pharmacy part and when I told him it was not possible at all, he tried to reason with me that nobody opened shop at 5 15 in the morning. I told him my troubles and he instantly agreed to check at pharmacies in hospitals. I reminded him that my standing was so bad he had better accompany me to prevent any untoward incidents. He agreed with me.
We took a detour and reached a hospital and rushed inside. A sweeper on our way told us the pharmacy was open and the driver called out to the nurse and woke her. She asked me what I wanted and I said "Ventorlin" and she said they did not stock it. I asked for "Asthalin" and she gave me the inhaler. I immediately paid her and walked towards the exit. The driver caught up with me and asked me to use the inhaler. I quickly tore through the packaging and took out the elixir in my hands - I was gasping terribly at that point - and I took a shot from the inhaler. It was a short but long instant before I came back to my senses again. And soon, I was normal again.
The thought that I had been helpless for many moments before a stranger took an effort to find me medicine that restored me is cast on my mind now. I wonder what I would have done had things gone worse. I really cannot imagine how things would have followed had I passed out on that staircase. I am not sure if I will be alive to say 'hi' to everyone around me. All I am, I am grateful for it and all I did, I have no regrets about it - in the end, only that matters.
In the process of the work on the task at hand late in the day and too close to the departure, other activities missed the attention their needed, packing being on top of that list. And in the last minute hustle bustle, the first item on my must-have list did not make it into my luggage.
A delayed, disappointed departure from home on the backseat of my bro's bike, we had to shop for a mobile phone en route to the railway station and then proceed. I reached the station and boarded the train 10 minutes before departure, called up my parents on my alternate phone, checked if the duplicate SIM had been activated (which it had not) and proceeded to put back the alternate SIM card, set an alarm and attempted to sleep.
It was a slow period between that and falling asleep. I read a book as people around me ate and talked. Later, we arranged the berths and fell asleep. I was woken up by mice squeaking on my berth when I touched the essentials compartment of my knapsack to feel for the asthma medicine I am expected to have on me especially during travel. Sadly, they were not in there and that sent a jolt through my body. To console myself and keep composure, I told myself it would be all right.
Sadly, I was wrong. When the train reached Villupuram, I woke to find I had a slight wheezing. I made up my mind that I would get down at the next station if the situation took a turn for the worse or stay on till I reached the destination if I could handle things.
On reaching Chengalpet, I tried to make an effort to move - and I found it very hard to. I was gasping for breath and I was not able to take the tidal volume with any amount of ease. I freaked out and I felt doomed. I was not able to move much either and I felt I was getting myself into bad soup. At this point, getting off the train seemed a bad idea since I would be getting myself into uncharted territory and so, I made up my mind to get to Tambaram, my destination. In my fear, I wanted to let the world know what had happened to me in case I died - I sent a text to my BFF that I was having an asthma attack and that it was turning severe.
The train pulled out of Chengalpet. I got out of my full-sleeved t-shirt and put on a more comfortable t-shirt. Then, I opened the window to give myself a whiff of air and tried really hard to soothe myself. I began to pray desparately, for dear life since I really felt I was walking treacherously close to death and that I could possibly die in the event I did not get help in time. I was really doing all I could from waking everyone around me and asking them if they carried medicine for my condition.
The ordeal endured for 40 minutes. Once the train pulled in at Tambaram I mustered all my strength and lugged myself off the train. Then I walked on the platform towards the stairs. Once I reached them, it dawned on me that I would have a tough time climbing them. Finding no way out, I decided to take the climb and I began it. It was really agonizing. There were moments I felt I would rather pass out and die than climb the stairs, but I tried hard to focus on the landing at the top of the stairs and reached it after much effort. I was breathless. I could not breathe well at all. I managed to walk to a quiet place on the landing, dropped my luggage and bent over, panting, trying really hard to catch my breath. I stood there, bent over, panting for 10 minutes and I decided to take an Auto-Rickshaw to my place, even if the guy were to charge me Rs 300 for the trip.
Once I reached the bottom of the flight of stairs I quickly walked to the auto-stand and asked a driver to take me to my place with a stoppage at a pharmacy on the way. He quickly pulled up another guy who quickly informed me that it would cost me Rs 300 for the trip. I agreed with haste and I got in my ride.
The guy started the engines and we were on the road shortly. He checked with me if there was any room to omit the pharmacy part and when I told him it was not possible at all, he tried to reason with me that nobody opened shop at 5 15 in the morning. I told him my troubles and he instantly agreed to check at pharmacies in hospitals. I reminded him that my standing was so bad he had better accompany me to prevent any untoward incidents. He agreed with me.
We took a detour and reached a hospital and rushed inside. A sweeper on our way told us the pharmacy was open and the driver called out to the nurse and woke her. She asked me what I wanted and I said "Ventorlin" and she said they did not stock it. I asked for "Asthalin" and she gave me the inhaler. I immediately paid her and walked towards the exit. The driver caught up with me and asked me to use the inhaler. I quickly tore through the packaging and took out the elixir in my hands - I was gasping terribly at that point - and I took a shot from the inhaler. It was a short but long instant before I came back to my senses again. And soon, I was normal again.
The thought that I had been helpless for many moments before a stranger took an effort to find me medicine that restored me is cast on my mind now. I wonder what I would have done had things gone worse. I really cannot imagine how things would have followed had I passed out on that staircase. I am not sure if I will be alive to say 'hi' to everyone around me. All I am, I am grateful for it and all I did, I have no regrets about it - in the end, only that matters.
