One of those sights that one does not want to see or expect to see in a bustling park filled with morning walkers and joggers is what we saw yesterday. A group of four friends carrying the unconscious body of a friend of theirs who suddenly fainted. It took us all a while to register what happened. A huge group collected around and after some hither and tither an auto rickshaw came and they bundled him away. There are hospitals less than ten minutes away and all will be fine mostly but it was a sight that scared everyone. More so because most people come to this park to prolong their lives more than anything else - it's an elderly bunch.
In the next five minutes the park emptied out almost - the ones on the other side did not even know what happened and continued normally. But those who were there slowly went back to their families earlier than they had planned, the thought of their own mortality suddenly near. The few who stayed were no more vigorous in their exercise. It was almost as if he just took all of life along with him while fainting.
I heard snatches of conversation. Two old men talking of how they never saw him before. One telling the other that people should meet and greet each other and then we will know who they are (and where they live!). One other, a friend of that person, was hurrying to the other end. He had heard about the incident rather late. And the scared look of a slightly overweight young man asking a know-it-all - 'Is it because of high blood pressure?'
But what I cannot forget is the stricken voice of his friend who was carrying him, fear and worry writ large on his face and pleading with him to wake up. Or to not die.
'Arrey Joseph.'
In the next five minutes the park emptied out almost - the ones on the other side did not even know what happened and continued normally. But those who were there slowly went back to their families earlier than they had planned, the thought of their own mortality suddenly near. The few who stayed were no more vigorous in their exercise. It was almost as if he just took all of life along with him while fainting.
I heard snatches of conversation. Two old men talking of how they never saw him before. One telling the other that people should meet and greet each other and then we will know who they are (and where they live!). One other, a friend of that person, was hurrying to the other end. He had heard about the incident rather late. And the scared look of a slightly overweight young man asking a know-it-all - 'Is it because of high blood pressure?'
But what I cannot forget is the stricken voice of his friend who was carrying him, fear and worry writ large on his face and pleading with him to wake up. Or to not die.
'Arrey Joseph.'
No comments:
Post a Comment