TRAUMA - STONE THROWING

The wind was blowing with gust on her face as she stood at the footboard of the 0753 CST local. She was decently dressed on her way to work. There were empty seats available, but she felt very happy on the footboard with her hair flying all over the place.

      A young girl in her early twenties, Lata was very happy and fully satisfied with her life. A very adventurous girl she thought of the many things she wanted to do. She had just acquired this job in a leading IT company and pondered on the many avenues opened to her. A bright future is what she envisaged for herself.

     

As the friendly breeze swept across her face, her thoughts went way back to her school days and her school friends. She wondered where they were and how nice it would be to meet them all over again. She was actually thinking of Vijay her classmate and, a very special friend. They seemed to get along very well and like each other. Where would he be and what would he be doing. Memories of those wonderful carefree days swept through her mind. 

     She was very good at track and field events during her school days and remembered each one of them and the many medals she had won. These medals and the silver cups were carefully earmarked and displayed in a showcase in her room. On your mark, set and the wait for the gun shot from the starters gun. Pop went the gun, she sprinted to the finish line feeling the ribbon on her chest. Wow, that was the best feeling she had. Then came the prize distribution ceremony.......Latha, she heard her name being announced, 100-meter first prize winner. The feeling of elation along with the loud applause rang in her ears even now. She could even today hear the cheering and the encouragement from her school mates especially from her classmates. 

     

The train was approaching a station. She hoped there won't be a crowd to get in. The train halted and to her dismay many passengers boarded the train. She however managed to secure her place at the footboard. 

     Latha, returned to her reminiscing world. A smile and a tear came to her together as she thought of her very loving family, she her dad and mom. She wished she had either a brother or a sister. Being the only child, her parents did pamper her. They showered her with their utmost love and concern. She wasn't a very demanding child and knew her parents’ financial limitations. They certainly educated her well and wanted her to continue with her studies, but she wanted to try her hand at working and augmenting the family income. She wondered how much more she could have studied, which other interesting courses she could have done etc... As her thoughts drifted off towards education, another station was approaching. 

     The train reduced speed and came to a halt. Another crowd to board. Latha however again managed to hold on to her place at the footboard. As the train was leaving the station, a passenger tried to board the running train. She helped her in and nearly lost her place, but the late arrival pushed her way into the compartment. She thankfully didn't have to lose her footboard place. 

    

 Her dad had come to drop her at the station as usual on his two-wheeler. She remembered a black cat running across the road and the momentary shiver that ran down her spine. She wasn't superstitious but that thought of impending danger may have crossed her mind. Ah, c'mon, I shouldn't think like this and immediately dismissed such thoughts out of her mind. She closed her eyes for a moment and whispered a prayer. She was quite religious and never missed going to Church every Sunday. 

     Her mind drifted to the sermon she heard that Sunday. It was the story of the good Samaritan. A man lying bleeding in the street bruised and beaten by thieves. How could anybody do this to a brother, she wondered. She tried to picture herself at the spot. Would she have helped and cared for him? Would she have taken him to the hospital and shelled out money for a stranger? People passing him and watching him bleed and cry out for help. In modern times they would've been taking pictures from their mobile phones and watch his agony. But then a stranger considered an enemy of low estate came to save the man and even paid for his treatment out of his own pocket. Her thoughts drifted while another station approached. Some more passengers boarded and rushed inside the compartment. Latha managed to hold on to her place at the footboard. 

    

 All of a sudden she felt the stinging pain right above her left eye. She screamed and let go of the grip she had on the train door handle and raised her hands to her head. She felt a sticky liquid pouring down from her forehead into her eye. Black, she couldn't see anything and felt like she was falling. Down, down she went knees unable to hold her any longer. Blank everything was blank.

     Latha woke up, she slowly tried to open her eyes but couldn't. Everything was dark, pitch black. She wanted to scream, had she gone blind? Her mind was racing, she couldn’t lift her hands which were tied. She felt comfortable though on a bed with raised pillows. With her hands she tried to keep feeling and recognise her surroundings as much as she could reach. Not able to take it any longer she screamed and cried out, “where am I?” Arms touched her, soft hands caressed her. She at first tried to cringe away from those hands. “Who is this and where am I?”, she asked. “Darling it’s me, your mummy.” She stated weeping, and she could hear her mother also weeping. She felt her mother’s arms hold her shoulders and her mother’s head on her chest. She clung on to her dear mother and felt secure.    

     “Where am I ma?.” 

     “You’re in the hospital baby.”

     “Why, what happened to me and why can't I see?”

     “Both your eyes are bandaged at present, wait the doctor will remove it in sometime.”

     Her father who had gone to meet the doctor returned to the room and seeing her awake rushes to her bedside. 

     “Hi Darling, so glad to see your back,” he said holding both her hands and planting a kiss on her palms.

     “Daddy, how long have I been here, and how did I land up here?”

     It’s been four days darling,” replied the father. “Apparently you were hit by a stone while travelling in the train.”

    

 Latha grew quiet and tried to recall what happened. She slowly started to remember the train; she is standing on the footboard. She had just passed Mankhurd station. She recalled the pain she felt on her forehead and the sticky liquid pouring down her face into her eye. Blank, after that everything was blank. Just then she heard someone speak.

     “Good evening,” said the doctor “and how are you today?”

     “I want to see doctor, please remove the bandages.”

     She could hear the doctor instruct the nurse to close the curtains. 

     Latha was made to sit up with pillows tucked behind her back and she could feel the doctors’ hands undoing the bandages.

     “Are you having any pain?,” asked the doctor as his hands worked the bandages.

     “Yes doctor, it sure hurts,” said Latha.

     Layer by layer the doctor carefully removed the bandages. 

     “After I've finished you must keep your eyes closed until I ask you to open them, Ok,” ordered the doctor.

     Latha could feel the bandages completely taken off, and though she was tempted to open her eyes, she controlled the instinct. Minutes passed as she felt hands cleaning her forehead and eyes as slowly and gently as ever. She could feel and smell white spirit being applied as she waited patiently to hear the doctor's voice for further instructions.

  

   The she heard the doctor ask the nurse to call her parents inside. She could hear their footsteps as they walked into the room and could sense their anxiety. 

     “Doctor can she see?”, she heard her mother ask.

     “That's what we're about to find out,” said the doctor.

     She felt her mother’s comforting arms on her shoulder.

     “Come stand where you both are the first people she sees when she opens her eyes,” she heard the doctor say to her parents.

     “OK Latha, on the count of three I want you to open your eyes very slowly”. “One, two, three.”

     A blur at first and then her vision slowly adjusting to the room and the little light that seeped through the transparent curtains. 

     “Mummy, Daddy, she saw through the tears that filled her eyes, “I can see.” 

     Joyful shouts of thank God and praise the Lord echoed in the room. Latha slowly turned her head taking in the entire room. Her eyes saw the nurse in the dim light of the room and then she saw the doctor. “Vijay, is that you, doctor?” She exclaimed.

     “Hi Latha, you really gave me a fright when you were wheeled into causality.” Said Vijay. 

     “Hello Aunty, uncle we were classmates,” said the doctor. 

     You could see the utter joy and comfort in the parents on hearing this. 

     “Thank you doctor both parents said, we’re so glad it is you who is treating her. We both were very worried,” said Latha’s father.  

     The doctor requested Latha to look away from the window while he indicated to the nurse to gradually open the curtains.

     “Latha I want you to slowly look at the light from the window, don’t strain your eyes. If you feel ant discomfort gradually look away but try not to close your eyes,” advised the doctor.

     Latha did as told and to everyone’s relief she could keep her eyes open and didn’t have any discomfort. 

     “Wonderful, I’m relieved to see the rapid healing, I can discharge you from the hospital tomorrow,” announced the doctor. 

     The doctor left the room promising to return later in the day. Latha was very excited for her healing and for Dr. Vijay. She narrated her association with him to her parents and even told them that they had a very special bond between them during their school days. She was blushing and couldn’t mask her affection for him. After her parents left, Latha waited for Vijay to return. She so much wanted to leave her bed and comb her hair, wash her face, and look presentable but she still had the IV attached to her.

     

 An hour after her parents left Dr. Vijay entered the room and came straight to Latha’s bedside. He took her hands in his and said. 

     “You had me terribly worried. When I laid my eyes on you my heart began to race. How have you been and what are you doing, are you studying or working?” asked the doctor.

     Latha narrated everything about her and even disclosed to him that she was thinking of him just before the stone hit her. 

     “Will you come out with me after you are well enough to go out?” he asked her.

     “Yes Vijay I’d love to” she said.

     Today Latha and Vijay are happily married with two wonderful children. She still has the scar the stone thrower gave her, and the fear of train travel persists even today.