February 2012,
“Take
those stretchers away and move to ICU”, shouted the doctor to the attendants pointing
towards a stretcher in the ground floor. It was a multi-specialty hospital
which had 5 floors and inch perfect cleanliness all around clearly portraying
that it must be maintained by a private authority. That was eventually a busy
hour at the hospital and the accident made it even busier. A bike skidded its
way with a car and was hit by a government bus.
“It
happens…” I murmured within me with a tear after they took those stretchers to
the ICU. Yes, I was riding that bike. I followed the stretcher but stopped
brutally by a nurse at the entrance of the ICU. There was complete silence with
no one on the ICU corridor excepting a girl sobbing alone. She must also be in
the same state waiting for at least a single word from the doctors there. The
ICU floor resembled a train compartment sealed with opaque glasses one side and
a single row of seats the other side. I sat by her side leaving a seat in
between, both with mutual intentions not to talk.
Few
hours passed but still I couldn’t get that moment out of my mind. But relaxed
myself a bit and felt the need of a conversation. Turned towards her but she
was still staring at the ICU doors reluctant to speak. I am bad at initiating
conversations and that too with girls am even worse. I had no choice there and
so started, “Hi… ”. There was dead silence in the hallway so it echoed a
little. She was resilient and reluctant and never even cared to turn my way.
Manly ego persuaded not allowing me to try it for the second time.
Silent
moments passed, my memories travelled back to my Love and Friend who were lying
there. I have never cared for her, but she was always around me never leaving
me feel the loneliness around. The whole world seemed to be empty without her
now. She was there lying with white bandages all around her head, oxygen mask
and so much of wires and tubes connecting in and out of the white cover over
her body. As I stare past the ICU doors, I could hear her laugh; her cheeky
love you and a smiling face filling up the white walls around. A tear trickled
down my cheeks, it would have been more than 4 years as I have never dropped a
tear after Aarushya came into my life.
But,
I have cried a lot for the need of a friend in my earlier days. I could never
see anyone genuine to be my friend. That was the time I saw him – Sanjay. He is
the guy who was with me always – when am happy he shares, when am sad he cares,
when am down he cheers and I have never done anything to him like that. He is
down there; I just stare without a word now. He is heavily injured too.
Loneliness –
the unusual…
