Life

I met Anita for the first time at the Holi festival. She was the victim of one of the most horrible fire cases in Delhi. I won't name which, but it was really horrible. But when I met her, here she was, smiling and giggling like a schoolgirl. When I asked her how she had coped with it, I was rewarded with a remarkable story.

Everybody was coughing and vomiting. The smoke, the carbon monoxide was entering their lungs. Her athlete like a friend curled up and was vomiting. Anita was scared. She asked Raju, the clerk to bring the fire extinguisher. But it didn't work. Anita couldn't take it anymore. The fire people were encouraging people to jump. Should she jump or wait for someone to come? Suddenly, she heard footsteps. "Help!" She tried to shout. But because of the smoke, she couldn't shout loud. The man came so close that she could smell his smelly shoes. She grabbed his leg. "There's someone here!" He shouted. 3 people came and helped her get out. That was the last thing she remembered. Maybe she had gone unconscious.

The next thing she heard was the sound of the nurses. Her family had come to see her. It included her husband and son. There were surgeries. After 2 months, she was shifted from the ICU. There had been great damage. After 3 months, she was discharged. When she looked at herself in the mirror she was disgusted. Her face had become thin and she had lost some 20 kilos. "Instant weight loss." She thought. Her beautiful hair. It had become less.

Just then, her inner voice spoke. "These artificial changes don't matter. Do what you love. Help others." And she did. She liked painting. She gave painting classes. She helped the poor. She taught for the blind in an in school for the blind. She loved what she did. All of her inner desires came out. She was happy.

Nobody ever made her feel inferior. She felt this was life. Her husband and son supported her wholeheartedly. "No matter what happens, I have the right to enjoy my beautiful life. She made new friends.

I was amazed. It was her from whom I learned to enjoy my life.