Everyone tells you to ‘break a leg’ when you’re about to do something daring, but no one ever gives you follow-up advice on what to do when you actually do break a leg! Spoiler alert: I didn’t break a leg, I broke an ankle, and let me tell you, it’s not nearly as glamorous as it sounds.
To begin with, the daring thing that I mentioned above was actually watching a 9:30 pm show of a Bollywood movie – Crew -Ouch! at the only single screen theatre in our village. So basically, the only twist in the story is the twist in my ankle after which I had a ‘great fall’ down a flight of stairs. I was headed down to go to the theatre when the incident happened. I still do not know how I fell from those stairs, the one that I climb up and down at least ten times a day, but let me make it clear, this isn’t a horror story and I did NOT feel like someone tried to push me down! What was funny was the position I landed on the floor, like a Superman, with my arms stretched out front and I landed on my belly. Guess what was the first thing I did after the fall? For those who know me, Yes! You are absolutely right. And for those who don’t, the first thing I did was to stand up, sit on the stairs and laugh my lungs out while looking around to see if someone witnessed my ‘great fall’.
It wasn’t as funny as I made it sound above. My foot, my very dominant right foot, hurt like hell. P.s, I still went to watch the movie, walking on the same foot. It didn’t hurt much at first and I thought it was just a sprain and that I would be fine. But as we drew closer to the end of the movie, I was barely able to trot. I somehow managed to get back home, and the events that followed is the actual story!
It felt like I missed an entire month worth of time and work. I had huge things planned, activities lined up, meetings with important stakeholders scheduled. The immobility was killing me every moment, reminding me of how helpless I had gotten and living alone away from family and friends didn’t make it any easier. I would cook something that wouldn’t go bad in the April heat, and eat it thrice in the day. I would purposely wake up late to skip breakfast. I would clean the room once a week. Every time I had to get up to get something, I had to balance myself on one leg like a flamingo!
But something good that happened amidst all the drama, was the time I had gotten to reflect, introspect, and retrospect. All this sudden and forced idleness made me realise the gift of mobility, something you never appreciate until you don’t have it. I appreciated the nuances of life, sitting by the window. Now I know the exact pattern the sweepers follow while cleaning the compound, the number of dogs and cats in the society and their colors and personality types! I have a new found respect for all the delivery guys, the security guards who would bring my food up to my apartment, some kind souls who would bring me groceries and also for the flamingos and their art of balancing on one leg!
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