In one of the annual college musical competitions, I dared to try out a popular film number of those times that had a long stretch of higher notes peaking towards the end.  A proficient singer would invariably rapt the listeners in delight when those higher octaves, in cascading rhythms, were delivered with ease and would clinch him a standing ovation for the musical prowess displayed. I too fancied to be a recipient of such a veneration as I stretched my vocal cords to its limits and then, it buckled. Instead of presenting the song in ascending notes and in higher decibels, what came out of my mouth was a jarring screech that one would only let out on seeing a cobra hissing in the living room. Becoming aware of the disaster, I soon gathered my wits and managed to throw a couple of quick coughs to let the audience know that I really had a bad throat that didn’t allow me to offer them a higher musical experience. As I coughed my way out, the crowd sympathised with me and the judges on stage wished me a quick recovery and a better luck next year!

“As I am suffering from cough and Fever, I will not be able to attend the office today” is the standard email line that is copied and pasted by a lazy employee to take a day’s unscheduled off from work. The boss would immediate sanction the absence as he himself has used the line many a times to stay at home on a week day. Cough, cold and fever have always been to our rescue to buck a difficult situation and were equally handy to avoid the bad ones and they have delivered, every time.  Used with perfection and with great effectiveness, these little ailments are a panacea for our mundane difficulties that otherwise would have turned life boring and monotonous. When a tough maths unit test is scheduled for the day, an unprepared pupil just have to feign a bad cough or cold to avoid the school and thus the paper. A maid would marshal the cough and fever excuse that her child is suffering from and then stay at her home to escape the extra load of dishwashing when you organise a weekend party at your place. And many of the invited guests would drop out also siting the same reason only to be out to watch the Friday release, the very first show. When you don’t want to say a direct no, the cough and fever alternative is the time tested weapon that serves the purpose and also keep relations intact. 

An intermittent cough is also deployed as a pause by many accomplished speakers to gather their train of thoughts and deliver them with added punch. When about to reveal the central message of the talk, seasoned orators let out a mild cough that puts the audience to a state of heightened alertness so that the intended communication is hammered well and is fully delivered. A boss walks into the meeting room coughing so that the atmosphere turns business-like and when his presence is still not noticed, a bolder cough or a two would draw the attention of all and acknowledge him with exchange of pleasantries. A cough could be a pause, a siren or a prelude and it all depends on who you would want to position it .

But cough and fever as an aliment was never taken seriously and the treatment meted out were casual and meagre. When we have experts and specialists to diagnose and treat more serious illnesses, it is just a general prescription or even an over-the-counter drug that often is the line of treatment and many a time the concocted kitchen remedy would do the trick. Consulting a doctor for cough and fever was indeed a luxury but not anymore!

In these days of the Corona pandemic, the slightest suggestion of cough creates much anxiety and if there is fever to accompany it, then all hell breaks loose. From immediate home quarantine to swab test, the cough has come to symbolise the dreaded Covid infection and is to be kept at bay at all costs. From twice a day warm water gargle to an overdose of lemon and pepper in daily diet, humanity these days would do whatever it takes to not let out a cough.

But now I am coughing non-stop as the masala fumes emanating from the kitchen is irritating my delicate throat…. It signals a delicious dinner in the making and I am just loving the bout! 

Yours 

Narayanan