The words-n-smile effect

 Author: Reenu M.

Neelima looked at her Covid test result with dismay. She had tested positive for Covid. She was wondering how she could be positive when she had done everything by the book. Sanitising herself and her apartment every half hour, getting everything ordered in at the doorstep instead of stepping out, paying bills online, social distancing with her neighbours; she had followed everything religiously. But when she caught that cold & fever which refused to leave her despite all the homemade remedies, she had gone for the test as her consulting doctor had suggested and now this result.

She did not even feel like eating the dinner she had prepared. Everything tasted like sawdust anyway. Luckily, her parents were staying with her brother in the US & had been stuck there due to the lockdown. They had been aghast at the news and lamented on how they should have been there to look after their Neelu. This made Neelima miss them even more.

Well, her doctor had told her to remain hydrated, so while she was sipping the hot water, she remembered that she had to intimate the Society office about her home quarantine. She dialled the secretary – Mr. Shetty who lived in the flat just above her’s. Mr. Shetty had been badly hit by Covid; in fact, he had been hospitalised for over 25 days since he had multiple comorbid conditions. Mr. Shetty was very popular person, always helpful, smiling and kind to not only the members but also the employees in Security, Housekeeping. So, the entire society had become gloomy when he was in the hospital and the day, that he had been brought home, it felt like Diwali.

Now, he heard Neelima and probably it was her bleak tone that prompted him to say, “My dear, give me 15 minutes & I will get you Aunty’ hot soup. Don’t worry, we will talk through the safety door” and promptly hang up.

I opened the main door & waited a little away from it. Mr. Shetty landed exactly fifteen minutes later. He told her very kindly, “My dear girl, you are young and healthy so treat Covid like an injury that you could not avoid. Remember, when you fell off the bicycle & scraped your knee? Did you stop cycling? No, right! You just rested and dreamed of what you do when you felt better. And, when you did, you cycled the remainder of that summer & others. In the same way, relax, have all the right food and medicines and dream of what you would do, when you get better”. He kept the bowl of soup on the table outside the safety door and left with the same smile as he had come in.

Suddenly, I was immensely cheerful, and smiling; probably the effect of Shetty Uncle’ smile & kind words. When my parents called again, I had finished Aunty’ delicious soup. Unlike the last time however, I was smiling and told them that the next 14 days was going to be rest & relaxation time. Looking at my smiling face, they started feeling better & my father could even manage to crack some jokes during our 20-minute conversation.

I realised how Shetty Uncle’ kind words and smiling face were reflecting & resonating with me & through me to my parents. I felt like I was in a valley of bright flowers. The gloom had passed.