A construction worker's experience at Kasturba Hospital has won hearts

Picture/Humans of Bombay-Instagram

Amid the chaos of rising Coronavirus cases in the world, people are maintaining social distancing and getting themselves check as symptoms persist. With the pandemic infecting and claiming lives of scores of people, this story of a young construction worker sharing with Humans of Bombay his experience in a quarantine facility away from his grandmother, whom he lives with, has struck a chord with netizens.

The man, who goes by the name, Nikhil, was scared when he noticed the symptoms of Coronavirus and took the necessary precautions, he was trying to convince himself that it was just a flu. "I live with my grandmother, so when I got a fever, I immediately self-isolated to protect her. The next day, I lost my appetite & felt weak. It was unlike me to get tired easily-I work in construction so I'm used to working long hours. Still, I tried to convince myself that it was just a flu," Nikhil said in the post by the page on Instagram.

When the symptoms persisted and Nikhil underwent the test to find out that he has been tested positive, he tried to calm himself down with the thought that he will recover, but he was worried. "But when the chills continued, I went to the hospital to get tested. The next day, Kasturba sent an ambulance to my house & I was admitted-I tested positive. I kept telling myself, I'm fit so I'll recover. But deep down, only I knew how scared I was."

Initially admitted to the critical ward and then to a normal one, Nikhil, who was used to having his friends around him, was alone, until he befriended a patient. "Luckily, I made a friend in my ward who I got along with. We're from different backgrounds-he's a student & I'm a construction worker. But we still look out for each other & ask how we're feeling every day. It's the little things like these that makes the dullness disappear, at least briefly.

Even though he has a friend there, he talks about the close bond he shares with his grandmother and how she assures him that he will recover and come back home, "She calls me 2-3 times a day & she asks, 'Nikhil tu kab waapas aayega?' I hear her voice & know I have to fight & go back home to her," he said.

The post received 77,195 likes with many users commenting their best wishes for his recovery and praising his positive approach towards the illness. One user said, "God bless you brother.. long life to you and your grandmother." Another user said, "So nice to hear positive attitude amidst all of this. A user said, "You are stronger than you think .....get well soon (sic)."

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news