Irony

My Story for Write India Ashwin Sanghi.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/writeindia.cms

 

Prompt given by Ashwin Sanghi - I observed him carefully as he walked to the door. I knew that time was running out but suppressed the urge to check my watch. I took a deep breath and started counting in reverse under my breath. "Ten, nine, eight, seven..".

 

My Story begins.......

I observed him carefully as he walked to the door. I knew that time was running out but suppressed the urge to check my watch. I took a deep breath and started counting in reverse under my breath. "Ten, nine, eight, seven..".

Time seemed to move slower than the slowest possible moment on earth. I was increasingly becoming anxious, yearning to hear what I wished and waiting to do what other’s wished.

My thoughts rewinded and the blood stained face, crippled and fractured body of Raju Dada kept flashing in my mind. I knew Raju Dada right from my childhood. He must be close to my age. He started young from our locality doing petty thefts for his survival. He was an orphan and was not cared by anyone as far as I knew. His loneliness and all the struggle he went through in life, not only made him strong, but also cruel. He had no feelings for anyone and was a living example of Darwin’s theory- Survival of the Fittest. He committed any act that would earn him money and didn’t care on what effect his act would leave on anyone. He was a horrendous animal with no emotions. Though he began with petty crimes, slowly the atrocities he committed on mankind was increasingly becoming evil.
 

He started creating a Goonda empire of this own. His brutal force comprising of evil animals similar to him engaged in acts as simple as pick-pocketing, chain snatching to complex acts like kidnapping children, murdering and what not. He extended his octopus tentacles to the field of brothel, smuggling and trafficking drugs like cocaine and had mastered the drug trafficking business in particular. Innumerable innocent teenagers and college going students had become his regular customers unaware that they were not only endangering their future, but shattering the beautiful dreams of their near and dear ones. Raju Dada was mindless about havoc he was creating on the future generation and the horrific cries and wailing of their parents. People praying for his death were only increasing multifold and Raju Dada continued to earn the wrath of society and garner innumerable curses into his kitty.
 

He was close to politicians, local counselors and the law also couldn’t put him to rest. The money power and the man power he had, kept him on a roll. Nothing changed for Raju Dada. He kept increasing his empire with ill-gotten money and was drowning in pleasures of life that had no meaning. He was becoming an evil unstoppable force, destroying and killing the youth, thereby shaking the very foundation of the country. I personally consider his crimes equivalent or in fact more cruel than the acts that would be committed by a terrorist. While a terrorist is someone who does in crime in hiding people like Raju dada live with us and have a wider reach to disrupt the society till its root and ultimately uproot it.

But as everything that is sown needs to be reaped one day, today was Raju Dada’s day for harvest. Mesmerized in the taste of cocaine and influence of alcohol, Raju dada along with his men was over speeding his Sedan in the by-pass roads of Mumbai, when he lost control and collided head on with the tanker lorry coming in the opposite direction.
 

Raju Dada was torn to pieces, with blood oozing out all over, his gigantic body crippled, when I reached the spot. He lay there almost dead. The scene was horrific with blood all over the place, but it was the usual scene I witness in every accident spot I reach. I went through the mass of human flesh lying everywhere and whichever mass was still alive and kicking, quickly collected them with the help of my aides and put them into the ambulance. I do not differentiate between good or bad, rich or poor, on the accident victims. I truly respect my profession and take pride in claiming that I do my duty of transportation of accident victims to the hospital with lightening speeds without any prejudice and strive my best to give them treatment on time to save their precious lives. I had transported thousands and thousands of such victims in my career spanning more than 25 years. Not once had I felt so miserable, but today when I was driving Raju Dada to hospital, I truly could realize the irony of life.
 

I felt this was a chance for me to punish for the heinous acts committed by the horrendous mammal on innocent fellow humans. No one would even know that it was me who did it. All I had to do was slow down the accelerator of the ambulance a bit on my way to the hospital. My wicked thoughts were oscillating on a tight rope, questioning all the while on my way on what is actually the Right and what is Wrong.
 

But when I saw the pleading and dying eyes of Raju Dada, I couldn’t see the cruelty it in. It was similar to the thousands of pleading eyes of dying people I had seen earlier whose background I was unaware of. Raju Dada’s eyes, before they closed, saw me once and seemed like begging me with ultimate hope and faith that I would save him somehow by any means. I got the same feeling as I always get while I am working on any accident victim. All the bad acts that he had committed on people faded away from my mind and those pleading eyes drove me to instantly transport Raju Dada to the nearby hospital at the shortest time interval and save his life. I cursed myself for being in this profession today, for I was put to test my conscience. I had only taken pride of being 108 Ambulance driver saving thousands of life. But today I consider as a black day in my stupendous career, which saved million souls from the harrowing hands of death which brought happy smiles to million other dependent faces of the saved souls, as for once I had thought of killing the person, who travelled with me in full hope that I would save him.
 

But truth prevailed and I took charge of the vehicle and with sirens blowing loud and clear for clearing the traffic, I zipped past the roads of Mumbai. The public gave utmost respect to 108 ambulance and made way for our vehicle, not knowing who was inside it. What an irony, the same people who wished for Raju Dada’s death, were making way to enable his survival, not knowing what they were up to. Such is the nobility of this vehicle. The great respect showered by people when I drive this vehicle, makes me proud to think I am a 108 ambulance driver. I drove Raju Dada to the nearby hospital, handed him over to the hospital on time and quickly rushed here to witness yet another significant event in my life. I was constantly thinking what might have happened to Raju Dada, primarily because of my guilt of having thought to kill him once. No matter what an evil guy he was, my conscience didn’t permit me to kill him. I was sincerely wishing and praying to god for his survival as I do for any other person I transport. Yet another irony behind the nobility of the profession. I could always relate very easily to death, suffering, grief, blood as my job made me closer to these. I could also relate very easily to the grief and ecstasy experienced after the near death experience as I have been a mute spectator to many such scenes in hospitals. I had seen many happy smiling families rejoicing the survival of their dear ones and many families in grief crying over the loss of their dear ones. But the happiness I get, when I hear that the victim has survived and crossed the danger zone, is truly priceless and my emotions shoots to ulterior ecstatic state.

 

My prayers for Raju Dada was disrupted, when the whistle blew suddenly. I was shaken and brought back to the present, where I was standing, observing him carefully as he walked to the door. I saw this man and found him quite dignified and composed. I knew time was running fast and nothing could be changed. The man was a symbol of peace and he walked slowly to the podium. He looked very fine, calm and peaceful. I cursed myself for being here to actually do this. This had been passed on to me from my father. I never imagined that one day I would really have to do this, as from the day I took over from my father, there had not been a single task assigned to me in this other profession I inherited from my father. I had luxury of time all along and that’s why and enrolled as 108 ambulance service staff, the profession I took pride off. Probably yet another ironical decision I had taken earlier in my life without understanding the significance behind the whole thing.

 

 

There has been constant uproar against this from all walks of society. But my father took pride in his profession and would always take pride whenever he did his job and would claim credit similar to the army staff who protect their country and countrymen from enemies. My entire family father, mother and elder brother took pride and considered it another trade to be carried out with decorum and sensitivity. But till date I had been paid, without job assignment and today is my first assignment in this job where I was placed 25 years back, exactly when I took to profession of 108 ambulance driver. And now I stand here observing the man in front of me with great curiosity. Will I really feel like a soldier post completing my job? I was wondering. I knew time was running out. My heart was beating fast. I went close to him. I saw his eyes. It was no different from that of Raju Dada’s pleading eyes, dying eyes, begging to give him one last chance. I could see the same fright, when people almost reach near to death, in his eyes also. These eyes were no different from the thousands of accident victims I had transported, whose eyes pleaded with me to somehow save them. These were the same eyes, which lay there on the roads, wounded, bleeding and helpless with full belief and confidence imposed on me to enable their survival. But neither was I a 108 ambulance rescue driver now, nor was he an accident victim. I covered his face with the black cloth. Counted in reverse, five, four, three, .. Zero. The second whistle blew and I pulled the lever. Yes this was my first execution – that of a terrorist, who had killed 350 innocent lives in Mumbai bomb blast 25 years ago. He also must be same age as that of me and Raju Dada.

 

 

His body was moved to the coffer, when I got the call from hospital, that Raju Dada had crossed the danger zone. What an irony in life. Having had the experience of saving souls from the mouth of danger, this was a new experience and definitely didn’t feel like a soldier who kills his enemy for sake of his countrymen. I was not sure, what emotions I was going through, as I had never experienced them ever before. But this doesn’t feel great and I walked straight to the jailer, to give my resignation letter from the job of hangmen. I was looking for a paper and pen to write my request letter to the President of India to abolish Death Penalty and join the movement against death penalty.

Puzzles of Life

My Story written for Write India Contest - Chethan Bagath.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/writeindia.cms

 

Prompt given by Chethan - She sat in the Starbucks cafe, sipping her coffee and staring out of the window. The blood stained knife lay next to her handbag, covered with her blue silk scarf. ..

 

Now by story begins.....

She sat in the Starbucks cafe, sipping her coffee and staring out of the window. The blood stained knife lay next to her handbag, covered with her blue silk scarf. ..

She sat there still, while her thoughts strayed into the past. Ajay and she had been seeing each other for more than 8 years now, right from their initial days in college. Ajay had been the first person she encountered when she entered the wide sprawling gates of AIIMS as an innocent village girl from far southern village, Nalatinputhur from the state of Tamilnadu. Like the saying goes, opposite poles attract, she and Ajay instantly got on, like house on fire.

 

She always had major hurdles in life right from birth, but fortunate enough to be protected by God- as she thought in every stage. As a baby she was saved from female infanticide -Thanks to the Governments’ cradle baby scheme. She always remembered her childhood, when she was well taken care of by the government in all respects – food, shelter, clothes and good education. Though she was orphaned by fate, she made a happy circle of friends through her good character. She studied to her fullest capacity and now she was going to start living her dream life as a doctor.

 

 

It seemed God was starting to shower kindness on her, repenting for the mistakes He committed on her earlier. She had entered a prestigious institution like AIIMS and on the way to becoming a doctor and she had encountered the love of her life in Ajay.

 

 

Though Ajay and she were poles apart, Ajay was instantly attracted to her silent strength, her will power, her fighting spirit, her intelligence and more on her success. He always admired her for the achievements she had made and the heights she had reached through her hard work and as a lone person fighting against all odds. This was the main reason, or in fact the only reason, that attracted Ajay to her. He showered all his love on her and made her feel like a princess who had conquered the world over. Ajay was greedy for success and he was a person who believed that success and money was everything in life. And her success on becoming a self - made doctor was the trigger point for their entire love saga.

 

 

Whatever may be the reason why Ajay was attracted to her, Ajay was a good person to her and loved her truthfully. But they were poles apart in all other aspects of life- food, clothing, principles etc.

 

 

She was a vegan and always insisted Ajay, that he also turn vegan like her, but Ajay never listened and never spent a day without splurging on a diet loaded with meat, lamb and what not for all the three meals course of the day. He had passion for junk and non-vegetarian food and would spend his whole life time eating burgers, steaks pork chops or other red meat.

 

 

She wore simple clothes, while Ajay was prince charming and went for the expensive designer clothing. Nevertheless, the love which flowed like pure honey between them, made them go through typical scenes that one would encounter in a Khan movie like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. They had also decided to start a family when they settle decently in their profession, but they were living together for more than five years now.

 

 

But the values that were inculcated in them from childhood were poles apart. She always insisted on Dharma and was never hungry for success, while Ajay wanted to reach the pinnacle of success using the shortest route and never hesitated to do anything and everything to achieve his goal. This was becoming a major concern in their relationship and causing arguments and heart burns on a regular basis. But the love they had for each other, made them put up with this and she always believed that she could bring him to her path slowly through Love.

 

 

She was fully contented with life and happy about the achievement she had made all by herself. But Ajay was from a doctor family, who ran a decent hospital and Ajay’s dream was to become a multimillionaire and establish a world renowned hospital. But he missed to think on serving the people and was more concerned about money. He cherry-picked the big illegal money spinners in the medical industry and planned to move ahead with them to reach the epitome quickly.

 

 

She had a major quarrel with Ajay the night before today and they didn’t sleep even for a second the whole of night, as today Ajay was going to perform an illegal kidney transplant operation on a patient admitted to his hospital from a poor family background. The patient was not aware of the surgery he was going to undergo for kidney removal. This operation was going to be the first operation which would make Ajay initiate a major Kidney Racket in his hospital. She didn’t want Ajay to be part of this, but Ajay never listened to her words.

 

 

She sat thinking on what to do to stop him. She was firm and made up her mind that she needs to stick to Dharma and prevent any malpractice happening around her, even if it meant her only relationship in this world, Ajay was involved in it. She went to bed with a clear action plan to kill the Kidney Racket, when it was still a sapling.

 

 

When the morning sun rose and the birds started to chirp, she got ready and put the favourite breakfast of Ajay, ready on the table. Ajay too had his action plan cut out to become successful in his first milestone that would help him in amassing huge wealth. Both deep people sat on the breakfast table with well- crafted action plans. But their love for each other was still alive and kicking and was only becoming deeper day by day in spite of their ideologies crossing each other. There was silence while they ate and they could hear the sound of their teeth grinding the food and the gulping sound made by the Oesophagus to push the food paste down to the stomach. Ajay was munching away his favourite burgers, steaks pork chops and red meat, while she sat watching him wondering how a person could have this for breakfast with thoughts on kidney racket spawned as another parallel thread in her mind.

 

 

She wanted to go with Ajay to the hospital and somehow prevent the operation from happening, but Ajay insisted that he would leave alone. She locked up the home, took her medical kit containing stethoscope, her surgical knives, thermometer etc. She wrapped the blue silk scarf around her neck, firmed up her mind and started her scooty. There was one hour left, for the illegal operation to start and for her to carry out her action plan. She had decided, either convince Ajay to stop the operation or do ANYTHING to stop him.

 

 

Now it is four hours since the time she had left home in her scooty to stop the ill-fated kidney operation that Ajay was going to perform, but now she sat in the Starbucks cafe, sipping her coffee and staring out of the window. The blood stained knife lay next to her handbag, covered with her blue silk scarf. ..

 

 

Droplets of tears rolling out of her eyes, her heart heavy with pain, her mind full of sorrow, her life had come to a standstill. All her dreams shattered, there she was staring out of window, with no one to lean on for support. The only source of strength she had in this world, Ajay was no more. Suddenly seemed like God can never be kind to her. Are Gods always like this, she thought.

 

 

Her mobile rang continuously. She saw the screen, there it was Ajay’s father’s number flashing on screen. She was not able to control herself and there was outpour of tears from her eyes. She was inconsolable. She picked up the call and could hear the outburst from Ajay’s father on how she could do this to his beloved son Ajay. She couldn’t believe herself. Will a doctor be offended by her action? That too he is an experienced doctor, can’t he not understand her state of mind. She did not utter a word and allowed him to speak his heart out. Like father like son, she thought and hanged up the call.

 

 

She took a look at the blood stained knife and thought if only Ajay had listened to me. If only he had stopped having burgers, steaks pork chops and red meat as a three meal course. If only he also had become a Vegan like her, he wouldn’t have got a sudden heart stroke on his way to hospital and would not have been declared brain dead. If only he had listened to her….. she would not have been in a situation to give consent to organ donation and Kidney transplantation of her love of live. She had not only given the consent for organ donation, but also carried out her first Kidney Transplant operation, that too transplanting Ajay’s own kidneys to a poor boy. She successfully completed the operation and put the surgical knife with stains of Ajay’s blood dripping from the blade onto her kit with tears in her eyes. She had stopped him from performing an illegal operation, but couldn’t save him. She Won and She Lost.

 

 

Her father’s anger on her, for her giving consent to organ donation of Ajay, in the right of her being his Living together partner lingered in her mind and hurt her. They lived a contented happy life, though they never married. But it hurt her, when somebody questioned her rights on Ajay.

 

 

She neatly wrapped the blood stained knife with her blue silk scarf and thought - after all God’s are real and they show kindness always in some way. God has been kind to Ajay and given him a good name in death and has saved 4 people through him and has stopped him from deviating from his path from being a saviour to a killer. She also thanked God silently for being kind to her by enabling her earn- God like Stature to her love of life- Ajay. She will now live his dream and construct a World Renowned Hospital that would serve all, through Dharmic and righteous means and not through shortcuts.

 

 

She put down her empty coffee cup on table and stared out of the window. Now everything looked positive and full of life. She got up and moved with firm steps and head held high, with the surgical knife wrapped in blood stained blue scarf. There was Breaking News in TV on Times Now channel with photos of Ajay flashing and journalist praising him for his contribution to Medical field when he was alive and his contribution to society post his death. The people is Starbucks where watching the news and praising Ajay, while she walked out beaming with confidence. Who said Gods are not real and do not show kindness always????