Bhojbhasa at night

After a quarter or so, I felt the need for fresh air and ventured out. K was developing high fever. I was in the throes of the first headache in my life. D told me that this was the only tent available and that he had negotiated it for the three of us, inspite of the 6 cots it contained, since, R and some of our porters would also be sleeping inside. This was part of the well-known Baba’s ashram. He had a kitchen, would serve dinner and breakfast, and warm water as per request and had a toilet with lockable doors! 7-star luxury right on the banks of Bhagirathi at 3500 mts.

K’s fever went on rising and I started giving him paracetamol tablets, with some dry food and water, every 4 hours. By 1900 hrs., I was definitely better, hungry and cold. Some residual symptoms remained, but I could take them in my stride. K could not be persuaded to step out, not even for fresh air.

D and I decided to have dinner: daal, roti, sabji! D had some coffee sachets, so after-dinner coffee was also possible. He set his mobile alarm clock for K’s medicine timings. Since we had planned to stay in tents, I did not carry K’s details required to fill out the C-form (police information of each hotel stay of foreigners in India). Baba accepted my suggestion of me posting the details to him, later on, but before May 2007.

Sometime before midnight, I screamed out loud enough to wake up all of Bhojbhasa (or so I thought) due to sudden and intense cramps on both my legs. K awoke for the first time and helped me get over them, several times. I tried to sleep, but sensed the presence of death hovering around K. There was hardly anything I could do, except pray that if it was to be, it should be painless. After that, there was no question of sleep, though I severely needed it. I needed more, to hear K breathing, each breath. By early morning, I sensed the danger to have passed.