The week before last started with a mild headache which developed into a mild fever by end of the day. Tuesday evening saw a tinge of body pain added into the mix. But I woke up in good spirits on Wednesday morning, thinking that the fever had subsided and body pain reduced. I look into the mirror and find that I have grown a few pimples. Then I see a few ‘bulbs’ on my neck. Warning bells ring! Could it be!! I asked my first roomie who woke up, if he noticed anything wrong with my face. He blurts out – ‘Da, do you have chicken pox?’ Oh! God :(

Next thing was to confirm it with a pro, so went to the doc. Doc asks me ‘So whats wrong?’, I say ‘I think I have chicken pox’, she exclaims back – ‘You THINK???’. Well it was literally written all over my face. hmm.. She recommends 2 weeks complete rest. I call up my project manager and technical lead to break the news and unsurprisingly they get the shock of their life. You see, I had to deliver a module that Friday and nobody except me quite knew heads n tails about it. Well… helpless…

The next two weeks were hmmm.. ‘different’. I shifted to my aunts place and there I had to stay in bed pretty much the whole time. The only contact to the outside world was a cell phone – and no net at the new place! 2 weeks without being online is longest I have been in a very very long time. So lots of time and nothing much to do. Well an idle mind is a devil’s workshop they say.. so I spent those days reading 2 years worth of back issues of ‘Vanitha’ (a women’s magazine in Malayalam, curse my luck!), playing Football Manager for nearly 8 hours a day (hey I managed to get Stevenage Borough to the English Premier league, not a minor achievement you know, google Football Manager, Stevenage and Premier League and you will understand what the hell I am talking about), read half of ‘Shantaram’, drew a plan for my future dream house in MS Paint (yeah I really did it!) etc. etc. Hmm.. You wouldn’t say all this time was wasted would you??

Now I am all fit (almost), ready to face the world again, ready :( to go :( to office :( tomorrow.. AARGGH!!