I am an asthma patient and I have something to say to you this Diwali

Please have mercy on my lungs!

OddNaari OddNaari
अक्टूबर 16, 2017
There are so many other and better ways to celebrate Diwali. Photo Courtesy: Twitter

 

Dear pataka squad,

Hola! Let me begin my saying I am extremely sorry for your loss. I am sorry that Supreme Court decided to put a ban on the sale of firecracker sale this Diwali. Seriously, how on Earth are you going to survive the week without bursting 1000 mirchi bombs and polluting the air? How will you get on with your life without torturing your neighbours with ear-splitting noise? And how will you sleep at night peacefully without flushing thousand of rupees down the drain? Yup, it's going to be one hell of a week for you.

So, I am really, really sorry for you. LOL. Just kidding. I am the happiest person on the planet right now. Why, you ask? Well, because I suffer from chronic asthma and Diwali every year scares the shit out of me. I am afraid to breathe as the pollution and smoke beat the crap out of my lungs. I turn into a 90-year-old grumpy bua ji, who coughs more times than she blinks.

Yes, it's that bad. My nostrils itch all night long and I end up scratching the skin due to incessant rubbing. My throat feels parched and dry, and I end up gasping for air. Let me tell you what happened with me last year.

I got all decked up in the evening because I had to visit a few friends. But, as soon as it got dark, my life came to a halt. Before I could venture out, my neighbours decided to go all crazy. They decided to have a competition between themselves. The goal was to make maximum amount of noise. Now, you can image what happened next. Bombs, rockets, mega jumpers--every possible firecracker you can think of was in their kitty and they got down to bursting them. The air was filled with smoke. I had made it a point to lock my doors and windows, and close the curtains. But, nothing could stop the smoke from filtering in. I remember I was applying make-up when I got my first coughing fit.

Pretty used to this tradition, I took my inhaler and waited with bated breaths for the asthma attack to subside. As it turned out, it didn't. Because it wasn't just my neighbours who decided to celebrate Diwali by bursting super noisy firecrackers and filling the air with smoke--the entire Delhi joined forces.

For me, the horror didn't end. My roommate had to rush me to the hospital because my inhaler failed to do its job. My eyes were stinging and watering, as I held onto my dear life. So, it would not be an exaggeration when I say: my Diwali sucks every year because of certain morons.

And it's not just me lamenting about my situation. The next day, entire North India was engulfed in smoke. "On October 30 and 31, 2016, from 9 pm to the wee hours of the next morning, North India--especially parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar--recorded PM 2.5 levels of over 500-exhibiting 'beyond scale' pollution values, according to the database run by Berkeley Earth," had reported the Hindustan Times.

Even those, who do not suffer from any breathing difficulties, have a tough time dealing with the pollution. Their skin breaks out, their eyes sting and water, and smoke makes their lives hell. Then why? If all of us end up suffering at the end, then why do we need to go crazy every Diwali? There are so many better and peaceful ways to celebrate the festival than just splurging on crackers and making life hell for others.

So, if you are one of those who is planning to score firecrackers through illegal sources just for the fun of it, have pity on people like me. People who find it impossible to celebrate the festival because they are struggling to breathe the entire day.

Yours sincerely,

An asthma patient

 

लगातार ऑडनारी खबरों की सप्लाई के लिए फेसबुक पर लाइक करे      

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