Everything happens for a reason

Everything happens for a reason

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...”, then i started praying to God, to save that stranger’s life. May be that stranger’s mother or wife or a cute little daughter were not even aware of the situation.

It was 21^st January 2013, Monday morning around 10 am in Mumbai, a heavy traffic time and everyone was rushing to their offices, even I was one among them, I had an appointment with the Chief Secretary of Mantralaya. To get this appointment I had struggled for nearly one month, but this opportunity was also missed because of a terrible road accident.

I was waiting at the traffic signal, and man in his early 30’s who was well dressed was crossing the road on a zebra crossing, and suddenly, a bike fellow in high speed hit that  innocent man, and he fled away the opposite direction at the same speed, without even caring to look back. That innocent man flew in air and landed on the middle of the road on a sharp iron bar. His head started bleeding, and blood started flowing on the road, I was in shock. Suddenly I realised, no was going ahead to help him, the signal showed only 180 seconds were remaining for the traffic to move. In a short time, I made a call to ambulance, and gave them the landmark of accident area, then I rushed to the injured man, took out my handkerchief and tied to his head, everyone was just watching what I was doing but no one came to help. Then with all my strength, I somehow managed to pull him towards the footpath. The signal was green and all the vehicles started rushing on their own destinations.

Then a kind, old aged ice cream seller, came towards me and gave some ice, and asked to keep on the injured man’s head. That injured stranger was struggling for life. In the meantime the ambulance arrived, they put him on the stretcher and then inside the ambulance. Even I rushed with them to the hospital, I totally forgot about my important appointment. In ambulance I searched for that person’s wallet in order to get his emergency contact details, but his wallet was missing.

We reached the hospital within 10 minutes; he was immediately taken to the operation theatre. The nurses were going in and out of the operation theatre, making all the arrangements for an emergency operation. The doctor came to me and asked me whether I was his friend or family member? I said, I had just called for ambulance and had just accompanied that person as no one was coming forward to help. The doctor said, someone had to sign the documents, which is a mandatory rule of the hospital. I didn’t think for a moment and informed the doctor that I will take his responsibility and signed on the documents. The doctor said it would take nearly 4-5 hours for the operation, and he went inside the operation theatre.

Then, I suddenly realised if something goes wrong with that stranger, I would be responsible. So I closed my eyes and started praying God and suppressed the urge to look at my watch. Suddenly, an illiterate auto driver came running, and started asking where is the patient who met with an accident, I stopped him and asked, how did he know about the accident. He told that, his grandson who was just 8 years old had a habit of pick pocketing, came home with this wallet in his hand. When he asked him where he found it, he told that he saw an accident; on the accident spot he found this wallet. He snatched the wallet from his hand, rushed to his auto to the accident spot. There he came across, an old ice cream seller and asked him whether he was aware of hospital where they took the patient, the old man gave him the hospital name, then he came rushing to the hospital. So I took the wallet from the driver, luckily I found his company ID card, on which emergency contact was written, immediately I dialled the number, his father picked the call and I informed him about the accident, he said he will leave immediately.

I found the operation theatre light go off, and doctor came outside with a smiling face and told me that patient was out of danger, and he praised me for the courage i had shown due to which the patient was saved.

Finally I realised that I had missed the important appointment, and I started saying to myself, that i can get another appointment, but once a person’s life is gone it’s gone, suddenly a nurse informed me that Patient’s Father had come. I observed him carefully as he walked towards the door ; and to my surprise he was none other than the Chief Secretary, with whom I was having an appointment. He came rushing to me and said, thank you soo much, you saved my son’s life. Then he asked my name, I said my name is Alok Mehra, he suddenly realised that i was the same person who was going to meet him for the discussion about a rural development project, He as so much happy with me that he gave approval for the project on rural development. He said he would like to meet me in his office at 4pm tomorrow. I said I will surely meet him at sharp 4pm.He went to take care of everything, I slowly moved out of the hospital, took a cab and rushed towards my home feeling completely satisfied.

After 15 days of that incident, I received an approval for my project- along with a bouquet of beautiful roses and a note.

The note read: “Thank you, Mr. Alok for saving my life. This is my second life and this thank you cannot be compared for the price of my life, so I want to request you to give me a job as a chief engineer in your project, so that I can help my country and my people also grow.”

I just smiled, and said to myself: “God makes everyone to play their role according to the script written by him.”

-Sneha Joshi