A Nurse With Black Goggles

After many days there were movements in his eyes. He fluttered his eyelids open and tried to see. But except darkness, there was nothing before him. By now, he could believe that he may not be able to see any more. The mere thought scared him. He tried to remember but all that he could recall was that the factory in which he was working, a drum of sulphuric acid had exploded burning his whole body. What happened after that, he was not aware of.

He tried to move his body but he could not because of the severe pain. Just a painful ‘ah’ got out of his mouth. Hearing this, the nurse who was sitting there, rushed towards him as if she were waiting for that ‘ah’ for many years. She was happy because the patient she was attending to all these days was alive and safe.

“Where am I?” he asked writhing in pain.

“In the hospital”, the nurse replied.

“In which hospital?”

“Safdarjung, Delhi” the nurse said softly.

He tried to get up once again. The nurse tapped him on the shoulder and said, ”Keep lying.. it may take some time for you to recover.”

She picked up a glass of water and a spooning some of it with the other hand, she stretched it out towards his lips. He first took a little sip and then moistened his dried up lips with his tongue.

“Who are you? He asked with some effort.

“Nurse”

“Where is my wife?”

“She has gone to a medical store to buy medicines. She should be returning anytime now. I am there until then, OK?, the nurse replied sympathetically.

After three months of unrelenting effort, he managed to get his life back but his face and figure had got deformed very badly. Due to the acid burn, his skin had got affected so badly that no one could recognize him. In that accident, he had also lost one of his eyes. After repeated attempts, as he gained a little vision in the other eye, he looked at his face in the mirror, and got scared. . He had never seen such an ugly face ever before. Immediately, a deep sense of grief enveloped him.

Finding him sad, his wife asked him, ”Why are you so sad ?”

“Abha, we had just started our life when this accident took place. My face has got deformed very badly and I am unable to understand how you will carry my burden for the entire lifetime?” he said with a heavy heart.

His eyes were welling with tears. Abha got up slowly and approaching him said, “Don’t get disappointed. Everything will be all right. She then wiped the tears off his eyes.

“Abha, you are beautiful, young, and me…no , no! Please get married again,” he told her once again. Saying so, he broke into tears, perhaps the pain had turned too deep and dense.

“ No , No. You will be all right. The doctor says that you need to undergo plastic surgery and things will be back to normal.” his wife said in an encouraging tone.

“But how do we bear the cost of a plastic surgery that will run into lakhs? I have already lost my employment. How will you manage things alone?” he said with utter hopelessness.

“Don’t worry. God will take care. See, here also no one said that you would survive but the nurse in black glasses feels like a blessing from God. It is thanks to her that you are alive.”Abha said, encouraging him again and patting his shoulder.

Next day when the black goggled nurse came, Abha had gone to the medical store.

“Namaskar” said the nurse entering, and then started removing e a tablet from the strip.

“Sister, I want to tell you something,” he said with a lot of hesitation.

“Please go ahead”

“Sister, you have looked after me so well”. He paused for a while….”that even God would not have managed to do so. How do I repay your debt.”

“Oh no, there is nothing like indebtedness in this. This is my job.” said the nurse looking at him smilingly. But yes, I do have an understanding of the pain that burn injuries can cause, especially acid burns.

“How come?” he asked inquisitively.

The nurse remained silent for a few seconds. Her silence itself was an indication that there was something serious.

“Five years ago, a depraved person threw acid on my face. Ever since, the continued treatment efforts claimed my father’s life. Our house was sold and we found ourselves on the streets. Somehow my mother’s employment as a domestic maid, sweeping, mopping and cleaning utensils, provided for my training as a nurse and helped us settle down” the nurse told all this painfully, her eyes gazing at a far off place.

“And what happened to that fellow?” he asked with a lot of curiosity.

“What can one expect? We got busy with my treatment and he got scot free.

He could sense the deep-rooted hatred that she carried in each word that she spoke about the fellow who had thrown acid on her. Now he was also able to understand the reason why she always wore the black goggles.

“What is your name? he asked her seriously.

“Bulbul”

“Where do you stay?”

"Meerut"

“In which Mohallah or area?”

“Budhana Gate”

“Which college were you in?”

“ I was doing my BA in Meerut College then.

“Have you ever met the boy?”

“I spit on him…. bastard.”

He did not dare ask her anything more. Neither did the nurse say anything further.

The room was engulfed in complete silence. She then handed over the medicines and walked away silently.

An hour later when Abha returned, she saw a large gathering below the ward. Curiously she enquired around”What has happened?”

“A patient has jumped from a height and committed suicide.” Someone replied.

“Oh! Saying this she left for her husband’s ward.

But he was not there. Some people were looking down below the balcony. She too joined them and looked down.

Her husband’s dead body was lying below.

In his pocket was found a chit written in his handwriting that said-

"There is no other way to atone for the abominable sin committed five years ago. Bulbul, please forgive me. Suresh. "

THE END

Kaale Chasmewali Nurse

By Rajeev Pundir

Original Story:- https://storymirror.com/read/story/hindi/xzxlacnj/kaale-cshme-vaalii-nrs by Rajeev Pundir