Day 7 of Ramadan: From Peaceful Prayers to an Unexpected Hospital Rush

It was day seven of Ramadan, and I needed to get up very early in the morning at around 5 AM, for which I had set an alarm. As soon as the alarm rang, I was quick to get up. After getting out of bed, I went straight to perform ablution, and only then did I return to the dining room, where my parents were already having their pre-dawn meal. I joined them. After finishing the meal, I sat there for some time, and then it was time to go to the mosque for the morning prayers.

These days, a huge crowd can be seen inside the mosque at prayer times because no one wants to squander the opportunity of going through Ramadan, the month of blessings, where every good deed is highly rewarded as per the Islamic tenets. After finishing the prayers, I returned home and went back to bed to get some more rest and complete my sleep. I got up again at around 10 AM.

After freshening up, I went outside to bask in the bright sun and also took my book with me to read a few chapters of Indian polity, which is a subject of my interest. I usually read such books to understand more about how administrative units and governance work in a country like India. I also helped my mother with some work in the kitchen garden, as the season for sowing seeds has arrived now that winter is over. The bright sunshine is favorable for such agricultural activities in early spring.

I offered the afternoon prayers and then returned to spend some more time in the backyard. These days, the sunshine is quite pleasing and gentle, and one can stay outside for a long time without getting sunburned.

Later in the afternoon, I had just started making preparations for Iftar, the time when we break our fast, when my brother came in and asked me to accompany them to the hospital, as my sister-in-law was not feeling well. Her brother, who is a doctor, had advised her to come to the hospital so that she could be examined by a renowned cardiologist, as she was feeling unstable. A sudden increase in palpitations had made her worried, and she had even felt unconscious at times. It was a matter of concern for all of us. My mother asked me to get ready quickly and accompany them.

Without wasting any time, I left with them in my car. On the way, we had to pass through a town where a bridge has recently been declared unfit for public transportation and has been closed. An alternate route has been opened, but it has become a bottleneck, resulting in frequent traffic jams. This time, it was especially stressful because we got stuck in traffic while Iftar time was approaching, and I had to break my fast while driving.

Eventually, we reached the hospital. We first met my sister-in-law’s brother, and he took her into a doctor’s cabin, where a few checkups and tests were conducted. Thankfully, all the reports were normal, which was a great relief for all of us.

Later, at the insistence of her brother, we went with him to a local restaurant where we had some typical Kashmiri cuisine, as we had broken our fast and had not eaten much. He did not let us leave without eating properly. Otherwise, we had planned to return home quickly to join our parents for dinner. The food was tasty, and we spent some pleasant moments there before heading back home.

On the way, we stopped to purchase the medicines prescribed by the doctor from a medical shop. After reaching home, I offered the evening prayers individually, which I had otherwise missed in congregation. Finally, I went to sleep to regain some energy and prepare myself to wake up early for the next day of fasting.