Breathless

A human being typically breathes 30'000 times a day and each and every one of these is important. What if, suddenly, you were unable to breath? You let out the last breath and the next one won't come! What would you do? How would you feel?

I was having trouble throat for past few weeks. But it became really scary when one morning, few days back, I had a sudden burst of cough. After one or two coughs I suddenly felt that my throat had closed and I was unable to draw the air back into my lungs. I could feel each second pass in which I struggled to draw back some air but it wouldn't come. No matter how hard I pulled.

In that moment nothing else had any value except to have that breath back. Money in the bank, plans for future, memories of the past, family, dreams, aspirations, joys, disappointments, failures and successes,  likings and dislikings, beliefs and convictions, ideals and values, everything became so meaningless. It lasted five or ten seconds and it was hell. At its end, I felt I could cry. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, life, defeated by a breath.