Solitude seeks company

Solitude seeks company

It has been six days indoors continuously. This is the time when we get to reflect. Even if you are not the reflecting type, you still will be forced into reflection. Your only friend is the mobile phone resting in your hands. You keep peering into its entrails hoping to see something new or interesting. When it rings weakly you hope it is someone with good news, or at least interesting news. All you get are the various posts in the different groups you are a member of.  Nothing is happening.

That is when the phone rings. And else would it be but my true pal. Dr. Joshy Jacob, my dear Joshi, the renowned virologists were pinging me. After the queries as to my health and Beena and a few invaluable words of knowledge and wisdom regarding the illness, we hit our friendly banter. We were on familiar turf, joking, fibbing, and pulling each other’s legs on matters of no importance and fun. The world had changed in a moment. The boredom, the claustrophobia of being locked up the sheer boredom all disappeared in an instant. This is what a friend can do, beyond the calls of courtesy. But then what else would you expect from a pal from my Mar Ivanios College days. No ocean is deep enough to keep such friendships apart.

Dr. K K Manojan falls in a category of his own. A man with myriad responsibilities and umpteen callings, it is his regular calls and inquiries, and offer of facilities that one remembers with gratitude and love. He actually offered the facilities of Gokulam Medical College for the tests etc., which fortunately were not required.

I always start a narrative with this very special name. Only because this is a chain of thought does this name feature second, that of HRH Pooyam Thirunal Gowry Parvathy Bayi, the Thampuratti of a million hearts. Her wellness queries make even an illness a cause for happiness. This may also be the ideal time to recall the support and care of quite a few people. Swami Gururatna Jnana Thapaswi is not someone who likes having his name mentioned despite the enormous amount of help he gives. In fact he arranged for the dinner to be delivered on the day he came to know. Beena’s first cousin Dr George Koshy and his wife Dr. Mary Koshy, were among the first to send us dinner the moment they knew. It is relative like this that make relationships meaningful. But going forth without his name being mentioned will be a denial of my own soul, of which he is a part of.

Gopinath IPS, our dear Gopi Sir, can be the voice that can take you out of misery and give you the much needed solace. His strength reflect in his voice and in whatever he says. Jiji Thomson IAS is another strength who unfortunately is hospitalized with the same illness, but does call. Dr Devin Prabhakar and Dr. Kavitha Devin is a man of great innocence. His care comes through his word with no veils. He is genuinely interested in your wellbeing and has no qualms in offering assistance. He make frequent calls to see how we are faring. Dr R C Sreekumar and Dr Anupama are two people who take it upon themselves to address matters from my side and point of view even in my absence.  Dr Mohan Roy and Dr Arun B Nair are emotion conduits for anyone who seek peace while being friends of intimate quality. Kartiyayani, G L Muraleedharan and Gokul Govind are friends from college days, whose calls and frequent enquiries are those of someone to whom your happiness matters. In fact Gokul was one of those who took trouble to bring home lunch one of the days. So is the case with Adv. Ambili Jacob, a more recent friend but none less in importance. Ambili makes it a point to call me at intervals and make timely enquiries. Another name that ought not be forgotten is Shari T Nair.

Dr Jassi Gift my musical soul mate is there ever on the phone and with any help to offer. Though Vidhu Pratap and Deepthi are both hospitalized, Vidhu frequently calls up with queries. And who can forget the care of Shankar Kesavan all the way from Saudi Arabia. Suvin Balakrishnan, in his mild ways also make. Mr. Varghese and Dr Anuja Varghese are two others whose enquiries make a difference.

With the loss of her father in the very near past, Dimple may be forgiven even if she were not to call. But not so, she was one among the very earliest well-wishers to call. Dr Premlal and Dr Karthika Gopan are two other friends who seeks your welfare, even when one understands that Karthika father is in critical state of health. As were Harikrishnan, Manoj T. Prasanth of KSEB, Hanshi V V Vinodkumar, Fr Mathew Manakkarakkavil, Drv Shirley Stwart, Dr Suju C Joseph,George Sebastian, Ajith N V , Santhosh John, Deepu SG and Mohan Pillai.

Even in an apartment block with nearly half of the inhabitants suffering it may be noted that there are names that stand out with helping hand. Rajesh Mathachan, Sameesh, Maneesh Kannamthanam, and Dr Arun J are some names that can’t be forgotten

One ought not to forget the support that we got from our neighbour and staff of the apartment complex. Vijayakumar the caretaker of the building has been a strength from the time I met him, and so is Binu his assistant. Though a recent addition, he is a someone eager to extend help. Binu sometime even stays back very late to help the residents.

Let me end the narrative by quoting that it is when we are in need of help that you realise that we have not two children but four children of our own and two priceless gems called grand children