She sat in the Starbucks café,sipping her coffee and staring at the window. The blood stained knife lay next to her handbag , covered with her blue scarf.
(Aditya her best friend comes and pulls the chair to sit)
Hmmmhhh… Akansha , so are you ready ???
Ohh …yeah (surprisingly Akansha replies )
Akansha continues , if I remember that night ,the decision I took that moment ,I could have lost my mom…
They stabbed this knife in my mother's stomach. She was bleeding profusely…
Tears roll down from her eyes
Aditya holds her hand and says – control !! Are u sure you can do this . do you think it is alright..
Akansha bravely replies- Absolutely "When my mother could ask me to stop crying when she was fighting between life and death" I can control my emotions and bring the truth to the world…
A constable comes and speaks " madam, the media is here"!!!
Akansha replies-Ya ,
"Aditya you keep this you may require it as a proof"..?(Aditya being the DGP)
Akansha is a doctor , who completed her bachelor's degree in Grant Medical College, Mumbai
and then her Master in Surgery (MS) and fellowship in Cambridge University .Her father being a business man, a great entrepreneur in India and mother a well known gynaecologist. Well you can say she was much close to her mother than to her father.She could have an amazing career there .But she returned to India seeing the condition .People ,especially poor one suffering and not getting the accurate treatment at the right time. It was a call from her motherland for her. She returned to her hometown Pune three years back in a hope to bring a change in the countryside .She talked to her father ,tried to be part of various projects at times to understand management. She was close to her mother as she was her inspiration who had always wanted to bring the desirable change in medical field. So she talked to her mother about the changes that took place in medicine during her absence in the country. So the family altogether decided to start a project.
She and her best friend Aditya (a DGP) who were about to engage decided to tie knots after the completion of the project . The family together especially mom and Akansha named the project as "SAVIOUR".(SAVIOUR being the name of hospitals to be opened at various semi rural areas across the country) .She chose the semirural areas because , the people there are devoid of the facilities they should be provided with. They can't even afford the basic need to recover from a simple disease and more worse is the case when it comes severe cases of illness. The first stage of the plan was to open a range of 50 hospitals in the required semirural areas across the country and 15 hospitals in the border areas. The work started very soon and completed in 2 year and 6 months .The hospital range came to be a success. Many of Akansha's friends who were studying in the college with her and in local medical colleges were invited to be part of it providing the option of temporary and permanent settlement. Many friends who had already settled in the foreign countries decided to be part of it by selecting at a time 10 hospital at approachable places of their choices during their 20-30 days visit to India in a particular year and treat the rarest cases. Various MDs( managing director)were hired in different parts of this hospital range for efficient working of these hospitals
Local doctors tried to be part of it by selecting a particular hospital and settling their permanently. Or those where involved in the government hospital were asked for weekly visits. Many experienced identities appreciated this approach and tried to be part of it.
Akansha, to check the enforcement of the project, its better development and to check the way the hospitals are being run (the way she wanted it to happen) decided to inspect these hospitals and be a part of it by contributing equal working days to all the hospitals. Half of them were managed by her mother and half by herself and some by her father also. Border areas were alas! a bit dangerous, so she and her mother decided to do it together or visit these areas with some of relatives with a local police in guidance.
They inaugurated and began this awesome journey and six months passed. And this was time for a visit to a border area (not exactly but few kilometers away) named Gurdaspur. ( This was 7 days back from present.)
Mamma, have you packed everything!!! I think we are going to be late for our flight. They had decided to take the flight to Chandigarh, and then to reach Gurdaspur via train. They reached the Chandigarh airport and took the auto and reached the railway station. Train arrived and they took their seat .It was 9 pm. Akansha's mom said" Beta lets have the dinner" , or else we are going to have a digestion problem. Haha!! (Akansha laughed).
While taking the dinner,( Mother speaks )
Beta , do you remember when you were just an innocent kid, we used to visit those military camps and to the base camps(part of disaster managements), during the vacations or sometimes urgently, and you once seeing the surroundings ,people bleeding and and me treating them, asked " mamma what's happening here ,why is there so much rush. What happened to these people???
Akansha adds –"and you replied calmly, those were army people who protect our nation to help us have that fearless sleep every night. Treating them and their families makes you be proud of your work and profession .And the other base camps included the people who suffered the disasters .Saving those innocent lives gives you a sense of peace.
Mother continues- Yeah, and see today you make me proud. You make this country proud. You have made this beautiful and amazing range of hospitals that makes this country much healthier and stronger. Health is indeed a factor, if all right, can help people to accomplish their dreams and goodwill. Proud of you Beta .Thanks Mamma, (Akansha replies)
It was 6am and they arrived at Gurdaspur. (5 days back from present)
(AT THE STATION) Madamji, where do you want to go? Rickshaw driver asks
Mother replies – to the guesthouse near the" Savior "hospital.
Oho madamji , you are here for the inspection and so you people are the founder of this amazing hospital.
Don't you worry madamji these people are doing their jobs properly. We are very lucky to have such a hospital in here. It is actually a savior. And now you have come then we are sure you will cure the rarest disease.
Akansha and mother reply- thank you bhaisahab !
They reached the guesthouse. After taking some rest , getting fresh and taking the lunch they left for the hospital. But they forgot to call the local police inspector.
It was evening .Akansha was in first floor reading a patient's case file and her mother in the reception counter. Suddenly they hear the gunshots. Akansha in anxiety asks what was that sound , what's happening. She called Rama, the receptionist , and asked is everything all right there. ? Rama replied the terrorists have attacked the hospital, they are about to get in ,but don't you worry Madam, I have informed the police and army ,they would be reaching here as soon as possible.
Then suddenly Akansha heard the sound of the gunshot in the phone and her mother shouting Rama, Rama. Akansha got scared and started shouting mom are you alright. Mamma Mamma I m coming don't you worry.
She rushed to the counter and what she saw was three terrorist pointing the gun towards the people there and one of them standing near the window. She came close to her mom and the terrorist asked her to raise her hands. She raised her hands .Her mother was standing near one of the terrorist who was carrying knife.
There was utter silence and then they heard the siren of the police. The police started firing very fast. The terrorist standing near the window got injured with the bullet. Seeing this the terrorist standing near the mother stabbed the knife into her stomach and then he and the rest of the terrorist left the hospital from the backdoor .But they left the badly injured terrorist there.
Akansha was out of her mind .She couldn't understand anything. She could see her mother bleeding profusely. She tried to take hold of her consciousness and first of all took out that stabbed knife from her mother's stomach technically and then wrapped it in blue scarf, kept it to her and rushed with her mother to the ICU. On their way to ICU , mother in her partial consciousness spoke" see Beta, I know that I m your mother you need me the most you want me to stay alive and so you will want to operate me than anyone else in the world. She (Akansha's mother takes a deep breath) controlling her pain, continued, that person there is a terrorist who has all the information of who sent them , what they want and why they are destroying so many lives, if you wouldn't save him today all the information would never be revealed. The bullet has pierced his heart and only you can save him. If I have to come back I will .There are many people to save me here. But there that guy that terrorist need you. If you save him he will reveal the information to save his family. That man wants to live and if he survives he will owe you. Moreover if not at least you can make sure that the officials will do their duty. You have only five minutes and you have to make the most important decision of your life.
But be wise ,mark my words and remember the words that I have always taught you about decision making. She adds
Akansha took a deep breath, sits in the nearby seat closes her eyes and says boldly in a loud voice , So are the teams ready. We are about to save two lives.
Doctors nurses and staffs divide themselves into two groups and replied – Yes , we are. Akansha adds so let us do it then!
She rushed to the OT with the terrorist, controlled her emotion and then started the operation.
Scalpel please…
Forceps…ok now the bullet is out
Stitch . ok now we are done. She sighed in relief and came out of OT, took a seat nearby and put her head down over her lap. She joined her hand and closed her eyes and said- Oh God Please save her , not now please she deserves to see all her dreams getting completed. She has always devoted her life to save others . She has never been selfish. She is a worthy soul.
Doctor Akansha the operation was successful. Your mother is out of danger now .( A voice came from the doctor in charge).She would recover in five days .(the doctor added)
Back to Present Day
Miss Akansha, Miss Akansha , Miss Akansha , flashlight cameras all around , media people asking question one after the other .
Miss Akansha , how was the experience of saving a terrorist's life .didn't you felt bad about saving that human's life who had killed many and also one of them stabbed your mother ,although today that terrorist had helped India a lot to identify their groups ,intentions and ways to end them, one of the reporter questions
Akansha replied boldly- well basically a doctor's work is to save lives. We have no relationship with race and religion when we are doctor
But when I got the call to save a terrorist's life instead of my mother, to be true my soul , my conscience did not supported me .I was not about to do so. That decision was something that I cannot even imagine in my mind .
So Miss Akansha what made you take that decision, please tell us???
Akansha replied – Three lessons that my mom always taught me was
Sometimes beleiving in god and miracle is the only option left.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO TAKE DECISION THAT IS AGAINST OUR WILL or consciousness , BUT IF IT IS IN THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND GOODWILL THEN RESULT WILL NEVER TURN OUT TO BE A FAILURE And that my friend, gives the fortitude and hence the courage to decision making.