A man was brought in to the hospital intensive care ward, put in a bed, tubes coming out everywhere. A week later, another man was admitted, in a similar condition.
Both lay there, machines pinging, tubes poking etc. a couple more weeks before one of them had the strength to raise his hand and point to himself and say, "Bengali**."
The other patient signaled he had heard, raised his own hand, and said, “Punjabi****.”
This act tired them out so badly it was a week before the first summoned up the strength to say, “Calcutta****.”
Other replied in a weedy frail voice, “Ludhiana****.”
Once more, the strain was too much for them both and they passed out. Days passed before the first patient managed to again point to himself and say, “Asit****.”
Replied the other, “Sundar… singh…”
A few hours later, Asit managed to point to himself again and rasp out weakly, “Cancer.”
Sundar responded,“Sagittarius…”**
