Rise, fall and rise again
Tanisha recalls, “It was one chilly morning in December when I felt like I was choking. While my hands reached for my sister, I whispered Amma in my mumbled voice. I was diagnosed with tuberculosis at 19.
It was unfathomable as I had been a non-smoker. It further took another unexpected turn as I was kept in the rare 2% fatality. Most of the time, I would suffer in silence since all my friends had left my side. As tuberculosis is a contagious disease, I don’t blame them for leaving my side. My skin started disappearing, and bones peeped out. A day before a minor operation, I saw my parents holding each other’s hands as they reassured me of all the love and support they had in store.
While my mother talked about how I have always fought obstacles fiercely, I had lost the warrior in me. A zillion thoughts surpassed my mind while I lay on the bed, trying to fight off the disease that could very well claim my life. Suddenly, I had no intention to please anybody, nor did I want to be answerable to society anymore. In one of my CT scans, while they pushed a needle through my veins, I cracked a Xmas joke, and the staff laughed.
This period in my life only taught me to embrace life with open arms. I decided to never give up on myself or life after that. Recently, I happened across the love of my life, who is also my best friend. I have started to realize that the world realizes you’re special when you start believing in yourself. I think we all need to take our lives into our hands and add a little glitter to them. With self-love and constant efforts, we can all do it.
After getting well, I went to see my date for the first time in three months, and we have become the closest to each other since. However, during the whole period, I was advised to stay away from Panipuri, the only delicacy that brought me to my knees. Today when I look back, I feel stronger than ever, but I am still figuring out how I survived that bland diet.”