"It is good to see you! Everyone is so busy we only see each other at weddings and funerals!" she told me laughing. "Only weddings, I hope!" I replied in tone. We were at my cousin's wedding and the air was saturated with happiness.

Even now, despite what the doctors said about puaji's condition, I'm still hoping there will be no funerals. 
We are beautiful beings, complex but understandable. We are able to find strength in weakness, comedy in tragedy. As we drove to the hospital on Tuesday night, my dad, a self-professed anti-religious, told me that someone at work had given him a small bottle of holy water and promised that spraying the water on puaji and murmuring a prayer would cure her of her illness.   
"Are you going to do it?" I asked with amazed semi-amusement.
"Yes. We have nothing to lose." he replied with conviction.
When we arrived we closed the door of puaji's side room before dad sprayed her with holy water whilst mumbling prayers to himself. "Heal! In the name of Jesus, heal!" he whispered under his breath, following the instructions he had been given.  
Despite the tragedy of puaji's situation, I felt I had just landed in a Hollywood comedy. Once the rite had been completed, dad played puaji's some shabads (Sikh prayers). 
Whatever it takes. 
Puaji eventually rose from her state of semi-consciousness (shortly after being sprayed with holy water) and told us she wants to get out of hospital on her own feet. Hearing the words saddened me and I found myself promising her that she would. I assured her that if she kept fighting it would all be ok.   
When we eventually left, my dad smiled victoriously. "She wasn't cured as I was promised but she seemed more present!". I later learned from my mum that the rite was repeated the following day (yesterday).
Today puaji was already much better, Taken off palliative care, she spoke to us more so than in the last few days. Suddenly aware of her situation she was also sadder. Seeing her so lucid and responsive gives us hope that the outcome is not quite as set as we were led to believe by the doctors. It will be a long road to recovery but I think it is possible.

After dinner dad left to go and see her. It is possible he will be sprinkling some holy water. (What have we got to lose?) ...I hope that seeing him will cheer puaji up a little.