Four Weddings and a Funeral…

…is a good movie title, but in the non-celluloid world, a clutter of heartening and heart-wrenching events can put you on the straight road to Loontown.

I’m in the middle of a big family event, the second of four this season, and while I greatly enjoying being with my extended family, it’s been hard. To smile, to dress, to welcome guests without the bile rising in the pit of my stomach, all the while questioning how we can celebrate while our city lies brutalized. But troopers are us, and if only for the sake of those we love, get to it we must. For two precious little girls with the warmest hugs possible and for what their navjote means to them.

Add to this a post-horror pilgrimage on Tuesday, a solidarity rally at the Gateway on Wednesday, a failed internet connection for three days and our anniversary coming up tomorrow, and we have enough peaks and troughs to resemble the Rockies. Strange days these, when so many of life’s miseries and joys are compressed into a capsule, like the blending of multi-colored playdoh.

Apologies for being AWOL at a time like this. I will put pictures up once the immediate whirl abates. In the meanwhile, a quick update before I rush off again:

I spoke with Dr. Jyotsna Kirtane, head of pediatric surgery at the J. J. Hospital and she recommends providing protein powders like Pediasure to the children’s ward. These are usually unaffordable by the hospital administration and assist greatly in physical rehabilitation. For adults, Complan is a good bet. (There aren’t too many children admitted for this particular tragedy, thankfully.) Dry fruits are also welcome. Do not send perishable foods, they already have plenty of those. I did raise the question of tinned goods being cornered and re-sold in the black market, to which Dr. Kirtane said we could open the tins in front of the staff if we wished.

There was no urgent blood requirement as of 3 days ago, but you can keep checking at 23701366. To be honest, I didn’t expect the phone to be answered, given the magnitude of workload they are currently facing, but it was and a coherent response was given. As the initial hullabaloo abates, the hospitals will struggle for resources again, so some of you may wish to be continued donors instead of one-time respondents, if you think that’s manageable.

Next up: Locating a fund for families of soldiers/policemen/commandos who died in the line of duty. Does anybody have updates on this? I have contacted Dina Mehta and am waiting to hear from her. My friend in the media is another point of contact, but she just got proposed to, so I don’t want to rain on her parade with sombre questions unless I absolutely must.

In the meantime, take a look at this page. A bizarre, chilling thought entered my head while I looked at this site. What if the terrorists set up one of these pages, to misdirect funds or simply gauge public reaction and gloat over it? I wouldn’t put anything past them. Anything at all.

And now that I’ve completely creeped myself out, I must go pick out a saree, contort my hair, cross my fingers and hope that I’m a good enough actress to pass muster tonight. For so many of us, the nightmare began on this day, 16 years ago.

God bless.

Links: 1, 2, and 3.