Borrowed Time, Precious Years
Borrowed Time, Precious Years A tribute to my mother, who lived beyond her destiny and filled those extra years with love, travel, and friendship. My mother often said she would not live beyond 65 years — that was what her Jathakam (astrological chart) predicted. She believed it deeply, and though I never took it too seriously, the certainty in her voice always stayed with me. In 1994, she complained of pain in one of her legs. We went to a doctor, who found nothing unusual and prescribed painkillers. Later, an Ayurvedic physician tried different medicines. But the pain kept growing. By March 1995, I began to wonder if it was partly emotional — perhaps she felt I was not giving her enough attention. I decided to take her to a private hospital. Before her examination, I quietly asked the doctor to admit her even if nothing serious was found, just so she felt cared for. He agreed. The next day, I got an urgent call from the hospital. A doctor on rounds had examined her, noticed some...