The toughest time in my life was when my husband got sick.

For the past nine years, I had always been the one with serious health issues, not him. It was the first time in our lives that we had to face something like this for him.

I have not been working since the lockdown. After the lockdown, I became pregnant and needed complete bed rest, so that I couldn’t go back to work. There was no one to help me with the kids. My mother-in-law lived in the village, and due to her own health issues, she couldn’t support us much. So I had to handle everything on my own.

In 2021, Shivanya was born, and in 2023, Shreyansh was born. Since everyone wanted us to have a second child, we planned to have our children close in age instead of waiting for many years. Our plan was simple. Once both children started school in another two or three years, I could start working again.

So today, I stay at home. I may not earn a salary, but being a full-time housewife is one of the toughest jobs in the world.

I never imagined I would have to face all of this.

My mother-in-law stayed with us, and she disliked one habit of mine. I have always been a night person. Ever since my hostel days, I have been more active at night. I naturally sleep late and wake up late. Almost everyone around me hated this habit, but it was simply how my body worked.

After my children were born, everything changed.

I often felt like doing nothing. Postpartum depression is real, guys. I was going through so much that even I didn’t fully understand what was happening to me.

Sometimes my son would sleep only around 5 a.m., and I would finally get some sleep at that time. One morning I woke up at 9 a.m., after my husband had already left for work. My mother-in-law was at home, and everyone knew that Shreyansh had slept only at 5 a.m.

That evening, she told me that my husband had gone to work without tea or breakfast.

I felt terrible.

Mom guilt can make even the smallest things feel like the biggest failures.

I told her, “He knows the situation. He understands me. At work, he has tea two or three times, and if he’s hungry in the morning, he eats breakfast outside before coming home for lunch in the afternoon. He is adjusting. Why are you making me feel guilty about it?”

Sachu had been suffering from allergies for almost ten years. Whenever he smelled something strong or came into contact with dust, he would start sneezing. It had become such a normal pattern that we never thought it could become something serious.

In 2024, he developed a cough. He went to the hospital, received an injection and some medicines, and recovered. We thought it was just another temporary illness.

But everything changed around the middle of August 2025.

He started sneezing again, followed by continuous coughing. At night, I could hear a strange sound coming from his chest whenever he breathed. Around the same time, he was working extremely hard because he was preparing for his promotion to the position of Operations Executive. He spent days and nights learning new things and giving his best. In September, he was officially promoted, but unfortunately, he had already started feeling sick before that.

I remember that he had shared the good news with everyone as soon as everything was confirmed. I personally believe that nazar is real, but I also know he had been pushing himself beyond his limits for months.

Because I was busy taking care of the children, I couldn’t always prepare breakfast on time. Whenever that happened, he quietly managed on his own. He never complained.

He also didn’t like cooking for himself. He never made tea or prepared meals at home. If breakfast wasn’t ready, he preferred eating outside. Lunch and dinner, however, were always at home.

It was never that I didn’t want to cook on time. My body simply wasn’t supporting me the way I wanted it to.

Sachu was also very sensitive to strong smells. Even the smell of mosquito repellent would make him uncomfortable.

One rainy night, he suddenly started coughing badly. Soon, he began struggling to breathe, and there was a wheezing sound in his chest every time he inhaled. Breathing itself had become difficult. Every deep breath triggered another round of coughing.

We stepped outside into the parking area, hoping fresh air would help, but he still couldn’t breathe properly.

I still remember that night. It was raining.

Around 1 a.m., I called Taru Bhau. Without hesitation, he came to pick Sachu up from Vadki and took him to Dr. Mane’s hospital in Saswad.

The doctors gave him medicines and advised him to undergo a few tests the next day before returning. Since it was already very late, he stayed that night at Taru Bhau’s house. Taru Bhau is my husband’s maternal cousin, but more than that, he has always been like a true friend and brother.

The next day, when the doctors checked Sachu’s oxygen level, it was around 94% or even lower. Normally, it should have been around 98%, so we became really scared.

They performed an ECG and a chest X-ray.

The ECG was normal.

However, the chest X-ray showed prominent bronchovascular markings in both lower lung zones, which were suggestive of bronchitis. When I searched for the meaning of bronchitis, I learned that it is an inflammation of the airways that carry air to and from the lungs.

The doctors admitted him to the hospital for three days so he could receive IV fluids, injections, and proper treatment.

I felt completely helpless.

I couldn’t stay with Sachu in the hospital because I had two small children at home, and my mother-in-law wasn’t able to take care of them on her own. Instead of comforting me during such a difficult time, she often scolded me, so I couldn’t ask her to stay with Sachu while I looked after the children.

Thankfully, Taru Bhau and his nephew, Bablu, stayed with him in the hospital. I will always be grateful to them for that.

I wanted to visit the hospital. But even for an hour, my mother-in-law was afraid to stay alone with both children, and she was afraid to handle Shreyansh on her own scooty. So on the first day, we couldn’t visit the hospital; I felt so sad.

The next day, I decided that no matter what, I had to see him.

My mother-in-law also wanted to visit him, so I packed a tiffin and got both baby carriers ready. I secured Shivanya on my back with one carrier and carried Shreyansh in the front. Then the three of us, along with my mother-in-law, travelled from Vadki to Saswad on our scooter, crossing Dive Ghat on the way.

It wasn’t an easy journey, but all I wanted was to see my husband.

When I finally saw him after two days, he looked so weak and unwell that my heart broke.

For the first time in my life, I felt guilty for not being financially independent. I kept thinking, if only I had my own income, I could tell him to stay home for six months without worrying about work. I would take care of everything.

Thankfully, we had some savings. Those savings helped us manage the situation without falling apart financially, and I thank God for that every single day.

Instead of supporting me, my mother-in-law started blaming me while talking to her sister on the phone. She never directly said my name, but every word was aimed at me.

She knew I was suffering from a chronic fissure and that my doctor had already advised surgery. She also knew I was looking after two young children and managing the entire house by myself.

Yet she focused only on one thing.

Breakfast.

She kept saying that if anything happened to her son, she would hold me responsible. She even said that if she had a husband like him, she would wash his feet and drink that water. According to her, I should be grateful that he was tolerating me.

Listening to all this shattered me.

I was already exhausted from taking care of my one-and-a-half-year-old son, my four-year-old daughter, the house, and everything else. Yet all anyone could see was the breakfast I had failed to make.

Finally, I couldn’t stay silent anymore.

I told her, “I am trying my best despite my own health problems. Please don’t make my life even harder with these taunts. Your son is already in the hospital. If you can’t help me, then please don’t create more pain.”

I had reached my limit.

In that moment of anger and complete exhaustion, I said something I didn’t truly mean.

“I want to die. I’m tired of everything.”

The next morning, she was even angrier with me.

But I acted as if nothing had happened because I was tired of forcing people to understand my side.

That night, I messaged my father.

He had blocked me because I had gone against his wishes and married the man I loved. So I sent my message to the blocked number anyway. I didn’t know if he would ever read it, but at that moment, I just needed to tell someone how scared I was.

I wrote, “Papa, I am so scared. His oxygen level is dropping, and I don’t know what to do. If something happens to him, how will I manage everything alone?”

For the first time in my life, I truly understood how important a father’s presence is in a child’s life. I always believed I could handle anything on my own, but the thought of my children growing up without their father terrified me.

Money wasn’t my biggest fear. We had savings, and I was grateful for that.

What frightened me was losing him.

I also couldn’t stop thinking about Dada, my father’s cousin, who had passed away during anesthesia for what was supposed to be a minor surgery. That memory kept coming back to me, making my fear even stronger.

There was no one I felt I could share these thoughts with, so I poured everything into that message to my father, even though I knew it might never reach him.

At the end of the message, I wrote, “Don’t worry, Papa. Your daughter is strong.”

After Sachu was discharged from the hospital, Taru Bhau kept him at his house for a few days so he could keep an eye on him. During that time, I stayed home, looked after the children, managed the house, and carried on with my daily responsibilities.

A week later, Sachu came home. I still carried a heavy feeling in my heart because I felt I couldn’t do enough for him.

For a few days, things seemed better.

That night, the coughing started again.

He was once again struggling to breathe.

Without wasting any time, I called Taru Bhau in the middle of the night. Just like before, he came immediately and took Sachu with him. His oxygen level had dropped again, and we still didn’t understand what was triggering these attacks.

I suggested that he consult a specialist on Karve Road. One doctor recommended immunotherapy, which I remember would have cost nearly one lakh rupees. It felt impossible for us at that time.

So I searched again and found another specialist in Kharadi. That doctor asked him to undergo a Total IgE blood test to check whether severe allergies were causing the problem.

When the report came, we finally had another piece of the puzzle.

The normal adult IgE level is below 158 IU/mL.

Sachu’s Total IgE level was 753 IU/mL.

The doctor explained that his allergy levels were extremely high. During the rainy season, things like pollen, mold growing on damp walls, dust, and even the smell of clothes that don’t dry properly can become strong triggers. Because his allergy levels were so high, breathing became much more difficult whenever he was exposed to those triggers.

He was prescribed an inhaler spray along with medicines for fifteen days.

Recovery was slow.

I kept asking him to take at least two months off from work so his body could heal properly, but he chose to return to work much earlier.

Because of that, it took him much longer to recover. Today, I am grateful to say that he has recovered and is doing well.

Looking back, this difficult chapter of my life taught me many lessons that I will never forget.

What Life Taught Me

1. Take care of the people who truly care about you.

Some people don’t just say they will be there for you. They prove it through their actions.

Taru Bhau came for us even in the middle of the night without thinking twice. He stayed with my husband in the hospital, looked after him like his own brother, and never made us feel alone. I will always be grateful for his kindness.

2. Always have savings.

Life can change overnight.

Please try to build an emergency fund that can support you for at least six months. Those savings become your biggest source of strength during difficult times. We were able to manage because we had some savings, and I thank God for that.

3. Be financially independent.

My precious girls, life is not always easy for women.

I know how difficult it is to earn while taking care of children and managing a home. Sometimes it feels impossible. But if you can, try to build something for yourself, even if it’s from home.

Always have a backup plan.

Ask yourself, “If my husband becomes seriously ill tomorrow, how will I take care of my family? How will I survive?”

I don’t say this to create fear. I say it because life is unpredictable, and financial independence gives us strength during the hardest moments.

4. Forgive yourself.

Forgive yourself for not being the perfect wife.

Forgive yourself for not being the perfect mother.

Forgive yourself for not being the perfect daughter.

Self-forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.

My mother-in-law’s opinion does not define who I am.

She was also at home, and she could have made tea if she wanted to. My husband could have made tea for himself too. Looking back, I realize that everything wasn’t my responsibility alone.

Sometimes people will blame you because it is easier than understanding your struggles.

That does not mean their opinion becomes your truth.

I know who I am.

And today, I choose to believe that.