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 something unusual, and ordered further tests. The results were devastating.


She had cancer. It had filled her abdomen, pressing against the blood vessels to her leg, causing the pain. The doctor said there was little that could be done at this stage and estimated she had only about six months to live.


We didn’t give up. We sought care at RCC in Thiruvananthapuram. And against all odds, she lived not for six months, but for four more years.


During those years, I made sure she could go everywhere she wished. We visited every village and every city she wanted to see. She met all her school friends and childhood friends. Those journeys gave her joy and peace — and gave me memories I will cherish for life.


She finally passed away at the age of 69, from complications of cancer and diabetes. She had outlived her Jathakam’s prediction, and every year beyond 65 was a gift — time for more conversations, more shared meals, more reunions, and more love.


When I think of her now, I don’t remember just the illness. I remember her strength, her quiet endurance, and the way she embraced those extra years. She lived them fully, and left behind a life story richer than destiny had planned.


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