Terror days

                                                                                                                                  by

                                                                                                                          Anil Chincholikar

                                                                             (This is a true story. The names of people have not been changed in this write up.)

Before I describe the incident, let me introduce to you the following characters involved in this:

1. Amit - is my son

2.Dipali - Amit's wife

3. Ananya - Amit and Dipali's daughter, age 16 years

4. Bijal - Younger sister of Dipali

5. Dhanay - Bijal's son (age 15 years)

6. Divyaben - Dipali's mother( age 80 years)

7. Capt Dhruv – Amit and Dipali’ son.

Well....

Divyaben stays near our home. She stays along with a 24 hour maid servant. Dipali's father expired 6-7 years back. Divyaben has been vaccinated with Covishield in May 2021, with good immunity levels. Bijal was also fully vaccinated. And also Amit and Dipali have been vaccinated. 

Bijal along with  Dhanay had come to stay with Divyaben during these days.

On 13th Sept, a day before Ganpati Visarjan, we had some guests in our home. On the same day, Divyaben had moderately high temperature, but nobody was worried as Divyaben had been vaccinated.  To join the crowd in our home, Dhanay had come to our house. He mixed well with all the persons and particularly Ananya, as they were of the same age group.

On 14th September, Divyaben's high temperature continued and Dipali took her to a Doctor, who gave medicines and asked for medical tests to be done on Divyaben. The same day, the results came ...and Divyaben contracted Covid. She was required to be admitted to Lilavati Hospital, a leading private hospital in Bandra. With Amit's help, she was admitted to the hospital. 

As Bijal had stayed in Divyaben's house for a few days, it was necessary that she along with Dhanay be tested for Covid.

The  terror came before all of us - both Bijal and Dhanay had tested positive for Covid, particularly Ananya as she and Dhanay had spent quite some time in our home. 

And  Ananya was feeling pain in her throat - it could be Covid. .

Immediately we came under the cloud of Covid - if Divyaben and Bijal could be affected,  we might as well be.

All of us had to be subjected to Covid tests. 

It was thought that we should get ourselves tested for Covid after a few days for Covid to establish.   That was the time we spent in the home with full quarantine between all of us. All of us had to cover us with masks at all times, stay in our rooms only, all the maid servants had to stay off  and anybody could not enter our home. Food was ordered from restaurants and we had to eat on disposable plates.

In between Ananya throat pain even increased. 

On 17th September, a representative from a testing laboratory came to our home and took the swabs from all of us. The result was expected in the early hours of 18th September. 

And at 18:10 hrs on 17th September, we got a message that Ananya is Negative. It was a point of great relaxation. While we were waiting, message flashed on Dhruv's mobile that all of us were negative.

One can imagine how relaxed we felt on receiving this message. 

Divyaben is recovering well after the Covid attack and she is expected to be released from the hospital on 20th September. Both Bijal and Dhanay are well and recovering in Divyaben's home. Divyaben could get her infected during her visits to a Derasar, (Jain temple) which she visited a couple of times.  The doctor has advised that she  could stay in her home along with Bijal and Dhanay.

We will always remember the time we spent from 14th - till 17th Sept - in absolute agony and anxiety.  

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