I WAS HAPPY !!!
Once upon a time, I was very happy.
My parents loved me so much. My mother had spent 7 years away from her husband just for my good schooling. My father toiled day in and day out to muster sufficient money for our living. But hey, no need to get emotional, ok! The story is not a sad one.
I too had never let them down; topping in every class, every exam. I kept myself away from the prettiest of faces; some of whom actually craved for me. I had to make it at any cost. And guess what, I did! I can still remember the hope in my mother’s eyes while she was seeing me off to give my JEE. Under immense pressure, I cracked it!!! And the family could see the dreams of a bright future ahead for the first time. I further provided the icing on the cake when I joined IIM Calcutta, though IIT Kharagpur had provided me a lucrative job. How nice, isn’t it. A dream come true for any bachelor.
I studied and studied and studies dragged me farther and farther away from all the glamour of a bachelor’s life. No girls, No beer, No masti.
But I was happy. I joined a big software firm with a plump salary package. My father was elated. I had raised his status in the society. He was flooded with marriage proposals. Some of them good, some irrefutable.
And guess what, I was engaged to a damsel. A drop dead gorgeous, highly educated and a very rich gal. What a story, isn’t it. But nothing is perfect. So what’s the twist??
One day changed it all.
Well you must be thinking that I am the typical IITian nerd, boring and sparkless. As a matter of fact I am not. That night, we were in a party in a disc known as the Enigma. Everyone was on a high, some with their wives while some with their girl friends. I must admit I felt slightly lonely. But suddenly a girl approached me, pretty, beautiful , gorgeous; oh forget it, SEXY!! She was a Russian, rich looking. We chatted, we drank (me for the first time) I told her that my marriage was 1 month ahead. Then slowly and gradually, I don’t know when, my desires got the better of me and next morning when I woke up besides her on the bed, I felt kinda bad. She quietly took out some money from my wallet and left. I was shocked, perturbed, horrified. Was she a commercial sex worker?? No she can’t be. But what if she is? All these questions kept bombarding my mind throughout the day and finally, I had to get over it.
I went to a clinic to get myself tested for HIV. The doctor asked me to come after 3 months for a simple HIV test costing Rs. 300 which required 3 months incubation period for the virus to be detected. “3 months!!! I’d die with anxiety by then. No doc! Do it quickly”, I said.
“Ok then…come after 1 month. I’d do another test but it’ll cost Rs. 2000”, replied the doc.
“Money doesn’t matter. Even 1 month is too large!”
The Doc then finally called me after 10 days to run a test costing Rs. 18000. I agreed.
The next 10 days were the longest days of my life. I couldn’t concentrate on my work, couldn’t talk to my parents properly and just kept praying to god to pardon this only mistake of mine.
Finally the day came. I went to the temple and then straight to the clinic. I didn’t feel this nervous even on the day of my JEE or CAT. Finally, the doc gave me the reports.
I was detected HIV positive. I stood rooted to the spot, couldn’t speak. The only thing I muttered, “This is not possible !”
The doc said, “Why? You had sex with an unknown girl without protection.”.
“But Doc, she was a Russian!”
“So what…HIV transcends all nationality? 85% of the sex workers in Mumbai are HIV +ve Don’t talk stupid”
“Hmm…so how much time do I have?” I spoke in a state of intense trauma.
“10 years...with exercise and proper diet, it can be extended up to 15-20 years”
“What about the anti-retroviral drugs available in the market??”
“The best ones cost 50000 rupees per month. The cheaper ones have terrible side effects...”
50000 a month was too costly for even me to afford.
“So, what should I do now...?”
“Nothing…tell only your parents about it. And yes, cancel your marriage! Ask your fiancé that she must refuse to marry you. You’ll have to tell her.”
“I can’t tell my parents. They’ll die of shame. And the marriage can’t be cancelled either. All the cards have been distributed, hotel booked, every arrangement has been made. It’s just not possible to cancel it”
“Hmm….I see…Ok then, you’ll always have to use protection while sex. And of course, you’ll never be able to father a child”
One mistake and it was all over. Living with your death certificate in your hand is worse than death. And not being able to share it with anyone is as bad as it can get. My life was on lease. But should I tell my parents. Make their life miserable too. Not telling would kill me, telling would kill them. And what about that innocent girl? How can I play with her life for my selfishness? My parents on one had and to be wife on the other. Life became a hell. What should I do?? How can life be so cruel to me? What should I do!!
So where’s the twist in the story. Was this the climax or is there a happy ending.
Well, the real climax is that THE STORY IS A GENUINE TRUE STORY and currently I AM A MARRIED MAN!!!
But one thing is for sure.
Once upon a time I was very happy!!!
[I was told about this story by a doc in a first aid class recently. I was so touched that I wanted to convey this message to everyone I can. The story is actually TRUE. This is just a small attempt towards AIDS awareness from my side. Hope you would appreciate it]
