In those trying days during my surgery at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, I understood many things and many people whom I would never have fully gauged on any podium. I saw the intentions and the agendas of many- glaring, searching for fulfillment, for resolution, for their benefit! This was also the time when my dear wife hadn’t eaten a single bite in the two days of post-operation recovery. There I was, helpless within myself, not to others. My family saw this. Talking to my daughters, Drishti and Disha, daily through video conferencing, I felt guilty for all the time I’d spent away from them over the years.

Being an active figure in politics back home in India, I’ve always been surrounded by crowds of people who claim to be my allies, my friends, my family. Ironically, it seems they themselves seem to have overlooked this trying time as necessary an occasion to put actions where words have long since ruled. I hadn’t wanted to get this essential operation undertaken away from my home, away from my family, but I had no choice. Having undergone a rudimentary procedure in an Indian hospital that ended up in them mistakenly removing a small section of my intestine, the decision to undertake this operation at Singapore was an obvious one. I don’t carry a grudge against these individuals for I actually discovered the power of the internet and computers while delving into them by myself. This blog is an attempt to translate my understanding of this virtual, real society.

Amongst my close friends, while being concerned, masking their worry, they maintained their faith faith in me. They call me a “fighter”. They actually believe it. While I have fought many at times, I know this – from the very beginning of my diagnosis to my return to India, Amar Singh wouldn’t have fought this plague without his family. It was heartwarming to see Anil & Tina Ambani, with Anil leaving behind an important stakeholders meeting, to be there beside me at every critical junction.

Amitji beside my bed 24X7, Pankaja juggling responsibilities while being deeply worried, the steady inflow of my loved-ones, I know those who matter now. My jest for living never diminished, my jest for living now included a sense of responsibility toward those who were there. When my kidneys failed I didn’t feel alone, nor did I feel a crowd was concerned. My family, my friends, my loved ones- they, at the age of 53, gave me a new beginning, a new life…

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