Aniruddh Dave gave a real tough fight to the virus. The actor tested positive for COVID-19 on April 23 and was in ICU for 55 days. The Shakti- Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki actor is finally discharged from the hospital and has returned home. In a recent interview with BT, the Aniruddh talked about it and shared, “It felt like coming home after winning a death-defying war. My parents, wife and in-laws were happy and relieved to see me back home. Finally, I could see the apple of my eye, my little Anishq, after two months, whom I missed the most. Shopu (he fondly calls his wife Shopu) baked a cake for me and my homecoming was celebrated with fanfare. I could see the happiness on everyone’s face,”
Aniruddh further talks about the ordeal and shares, “The last two months have taught me that life is a battlefield and we have to endure it to survive. It also taught me that miracles do happen and we must believe in them. You just need people around you to pray for your well-being. When I was admitted to the hospital, my condition was very critical. Doctors were on their toes and trying to save me in every possible manner. But after a few days, sensing the situation, they asked for my permission to inform my family. I could figure out that the situation was way more critical than I had imagined. When Shubhi came to see me, we could not talk. I was on oxygen support, but I could see the pain in her eyes and feel what she was going through. She gave me a smiley ball that had ‘My papa is my superhero’ written on it. My four-month-old kid Anishq was my biggest strength to bounce back.”
This whole experience made the actor realize that relationships mattered the most. He shares, “My family, friends and my fraternity really helped me get back on track. Along with it, what made me stay strong were messages from all across. Since I was allowed to read messages on mobile, I used to read them and feel connected with the outer world. I realised that apart from my family and close friends, people all across the country were praying for my life. It included people whom I didn’t even know or saw, they were my fans and wanted me to bounce back. Friends used to send me messages, trying to lift my spirits. Their words of encouragement helped me to pull through my struggles and come out as a winner. There was a time when I could not hold my mobile phone in my hands and so, my attendant in the ICU used to read out those messages every morning. ‘Buddy, you have to come home soon!’ ‘Bhai, tera wala Shukrawar aane wala hai’-these words keep echoing in my mind. Prayers have the power to heal and those prayers were answered. My recovery is proof!”
Anirrudh was able to breathe without oxygen cylinders on the 45th day. “I heaved a sigh of relief after 45 days when I could breathe without oxygen support. Bina kisi support ke saans lena bhi apne aap me ek naya experience tha, which cannot be expressed in words. One can only sense how it feels,” he says. About finally getting discharged from the hospital, he shares, “I was stunned to see the huge staff of the hospital, including doctors, nurses and management staff, giving a heart-warming farewell to me. My respect for frontline warriors has really gone up and it won’t be an exaggeration to say that doctors and nurses are the real heroes, who put their lives in danger and saved lakhs of people like me,” he shared.