October 20 2009-- Part IV

This being the 4th part obviously there needs to be 3 earlier ones.Here they are. 1st Part, 2nd Part, 3rd Part



The Red Happening Shirt

The day was not longer anymore..I explained the day's happenings to my parents, sister, friends and the day was soon over...

In the days that followed, I was more cautious while driving...anyway the incident slowly faded away from my mind.....
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27th October 2009

I was busy in my office burning my head for innovative ideas to present my application to our clients, who were supposed to visit our office in the coming days.The Nokia tune in my mobile rang aloud.It took a look at the incoming number.Unknown.
I picked the phone.
"Hello, Is that Nithesh?" , a girl's voice
"Yes, Who's speaking"
"That day, that accident happened........."
"Oh!..hi...how are you?"
"I am ok now...I showed to the doctor they referred and he did some tests and now I am recovering"
"Great!happy to hear.."
"Sorry for that day"
"It's ok..Take care while crossing the road in future.." I did not miss out the chance to give an advice.
"Ok.Now, we will be friends..ok?"
friends?
"ok..ok...I am a bit busy in office now..will talk later bye"
"Oh! You are still in office?Night shift?"
"No, actually had a bit work...am busy...ok..take care...bye"
I went back to work..Though the call brought back memories of the incident, I felt much better that she was recovering.


The client visit in my office did not allow me to think about anything else...It kept me busy the whole day and next day too, of course not as much busy to keep myself from not checking the India Australia ODI score frequently.
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The India Autralia ODI series kept me busy for the coming days.November 5th was a sad day for all Sachin fans.10 players could not add up 50 % of Australia's score, only for Sachin fans to further believe that he has to still win games for India single handedly.
The series was virtually over on November 8th, as the last match, scheduled for November 11 was abandoned due to rain.

The void filled by the ODI series was filled up by MS internal exam retests.Retests are for those lazy people who failed to write the exam in the first attempt as they woke up late during the day of first attempt.They get one more chance.Obviously I was a candidate.
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November 17 2009

It was 11 AM.I was getting ready to office.I searched the wardrobe wondering which shirt to wear.Actually I was searching in almost an empty space as all shirts were waiting to be washed.Finally the red shirt caught my attention.It's the same shirt which I used to wear while taking seminars in St.Thomas College.It's the same shirt I wore for the IBM interview and got placed.And it's the same which I was wearing on the day I got my first project in IBM.
May be something lucky will happen to me today. I thought while ironing it.

Something actually happened due to which I had to change the definition of the shirt which I had given it earlier."My Lucky Shirt"...

@ Office
I have a call with my client on all Tuesdays at 8 PM and only 30 minutes left for the call.I was busy in checking previous week's meeting minutes and thinking of the status of each items. Some items have target dates, which I need to extend.Some dont have targets , and if he ask for a date, probably I'll have to ask him for more time..I don't mean more time to complete the work, more time to decide a target date, which I can extend later in future.
My mind was doing complicated calculations, when my phone rang.

It was an unknown number.

"Hello, Am I speaking to Nithesh?"
"Yes"
"That day accident happened right?I am that girl's father"
"ok..Hi "
"Actually we had seen a doctor and my daughter needs a surgery...So you need to pay for that...."

(..to be contd.)

October 20 2009-- Part III

As the title suggests, this is the 3rd part.If you haven't read the earlier ones, here it is : 1st Part, 2nd Part



Acura Hospital.

The auto stopped in front of Acura Hospital.It was minimum charge in the meter of the auto.I gave a Twenty Rupee note to the auto driver and did not care about asking for change.The girl was talking in phone, probably calling her home..she was talking fluently, i got more relieved seeing that..

We entered the hospital.

The doctor was not available and a nurse came and examined her face."Oh!What happened?"She asked her.
"I don't know, Why am I here?" She replied.
Oh God!! i thought.
She doesn't even remember what happened. I was expecting an apology from her and also allowing me to leave the hospital but now......i started feeling I'll get stuck up in this!!
I explained the nurse what had happened.I did not lie, as the bike was with the police and I need to take it back.Donno how any lie is gonna impact!
"Oh!Accident Case!!!!" The nurse saw a helpless guy in me who had to spend on any test they referred to without any complaint.Due to the same reason I had already become a VIP in the hospital.The group of patients who had come earlier to me were behind me in queue to see the doctor who was on his way, searching for blood!

I asked the girl how she felt.She replied that it was slightly paining.

I took my phone and called Simi and explained. In between the conversation I also got reminded of the fact that I might not have sufficient balance in my account for the hospital charges.She was in some meeting and could not transfer money then.So I asked her to inform Fino.

Then I called Adarsh.He had afternoon shift and wiil be at home.As soon as he picked the called I explained everything to him.He told he'll be in the hospital in 10 mins.

Fino called me.He told he has already transfered the money.I explained him whatever had happened until then.

Oh! I need to call to office and tell that I'll be late.I was about to call my TL, Sujan, when coincidentally I saw Sujan calling me.
"Nithesh...You in office"
"No sujan, actually...."
"Nithesh, tell Pranaya that I 'll be late today!!!!"
Pranaya was our manager and Sujan was asking 'me' to convey that he'll be late.Great timing by Sujan.I explained him and he told he'll speak with Pranaya.

In the mean time the girl was making calls and informed me that her colleagues are coming.The police also called me one to enquire about doctors report.I replied that we were waitig for the doctor.

By the time all the phone calls got over, a fair man, with spectacles who was known as a doctor of that Hospital, reached his work place.The room in front of me.The nurse murmered something to him and the called the 'accident victim' inside.He enquired what happened.
"I don't know.Why am I here?" same answer.
I again explained the doctor everything
"For accident case you need to file a special blah blah blah, which will cost 750 Rs."
WHAT!!!???!!
The girl was stiing nearby who doesn't even remember what happened and how could I prove to her that it's not my mistake.
I had to agree to the doctor's word.Any way I can't now take her to a different hospital.
Ok- X -Ray first.
The Doctor advised to take an X-ray, 'only as a precautionary purpose'.
I was waiting for the X-Ray result when Adarsh and Hari entered the hospital.Hari was having night shift and so he too came along.
"Hei, these people as taking X-Ray and stuff, Not sure if it's that serious"I told them
hari looked at her and asked"Why does she need an X-ray?, If it was me I would just have taken 1 week sick leve and gone to my native"
Me too....I thought!
Adarsh knew a bit of Kannada and talked with her.She told she was feeling like dizzy when crossing the road and did not see the vehicles coming.
then she looked at me and said"When my colleagues and parents come, don't tell them that it is my mistake.Tell them that it is your mistake.Otherwise they will scold me.."
Am I mad to tell like that?
A lady atanding nearby listening to our conversations interupted"No, no, don't tell lie to anyone.Tell whatever is the truth.Otherwise it will affect u only .When police comes and all , it will be problm, ok?".The girl nodded.

The X-Ray results came.
"No prolems,Everything looks fine"
Thank God!
"But, looks like it will be better if we take a CT Scan of her head just for a confirmation.But as we do not have that facility here, you can go to 'Magnus CT Scan Center', just about half a kilometer from here.He gave me a piece of paper refering her for the scan and the backside of the paper had the map drawn from the hospital to the scan center.

I have seen this map earlier...The map took me back in time..Couple of months back........
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More 'Testing' times.



Couple of months back....

It was a Saturday and I had MS class.The class starts at 9 AM.It will take about 30 mins from my home. So i used to keep alarm at 7.45, snooze it for a couple of times, then slowly wake up, ave a quick bath, wear something and go to the bakery outside have a tea, if i am more than 15 minutes late, it becomes half tea, and then vrooommm...

This day the first alarm had rung and I snoozed it and continued my sleep.before the second phase of alarm, I heard Hari's voice calling me..I tried to believe that it was a dream or rather a nightmare and ignored Hari's voice..but it kept haunting my sleep....I slowly opened my eyes and looked at him...He face had a wierd expression and he was standing with his hands on his stomach.He had severe stomach pain and wanted to go to the doctor.

I woke up.Hari again lay on his bed and asked me to bring breakfast for him.Now, that's Hari for you.Whether he has night shifts, or stomach pains, he never skips breakfast.I went to a nearby mess and bought Idly for Hari.Hari, sitting beneath his furry blanket, was in a hurry to finish the Idly and curry.Once his breakfast was over I took my bike and we started off.

We decided to go to St.John's Hospital.We reached there in 10 mins, but when we went inside, we came to know that there was no doctor at that moment and we have to wait till 9 AM.That was not a feasible option for us.So we decided to go to Acura Hospital in koramangala.
We entered Acura and it was not a crowded place as St.John's.And the doctor was avaiable as well.We entered the doctor's cabin and Hari explained about his stomach ache.He also told it was a bit less then, when compared to what he had in the morning.
The doctor asked him to lie down, then lifted his shirt and used his fingers to press different areas on his stomach to identify which part had more pain, based on the sound modulation produced by Hari.
The doctor finally uttered, "It might be due to kidney stone..Anyway we will do a scanning."
Scanning?
"But as we do not have that facility here, you can go to 'Magnus CT Scan Center', just about half a kilometer from here. He gave me a piece of paper referring Hari for the scan and the backside of the paper had the map drawn from the hospital to the scan center. "

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I woke up from my dream.I had reached in front of Magnus CT Scan Center.
I remembered that the other day, me and Hari came back home from the hospital, whithout going for the scan.He did not have any medicines and by evening, his stomach pain had disappeared for ever.

Today anyway, I have to come for the scan.Just before starting from the hospital, the girl's colleagues had joined us.We explained them whatever happened and they told that her parents are on the way.In the mean time, the scanning was performed and the results also came.I paid the scan charges and we started back to Acura hospital to show the results.

Just as we entered the hospital, a nurse just stood in front of us, looked at the girls face and said"Oh!!! the swelling has increased, isn't it???"
I never felt so.But I remained quiet.

The scan results were shown and the doctors examined it carefully.Atlast now, have they found out that there is no problem?I thought.

Someone in the reception called me to pay the bill.Oh! all tests are over, I thought.
Consultation charges for 3 doctors including one dentist. Why had a dentist checked her??Was it acci'dental'??

Anyway, I paid the whole amount and waited for the girl's parents and they arrived in a few minutes.

The girls father, mother and younger brother had come.They looked calm.We explained them everything.The girl remained quiet.The girls aunt reached there in 10 mins and she was a doctor as well.I thought it was a good sign as her aunt will never be looking for business and tell the truth.
She went to the doctors cabin with the scan report.The doctor had not decided to leave me.They referred her to a different doctor as they were still not assured, even after seeing the scan report if anything was serious.

The girl's father said that they will take her to that doctor and call me if anything required and took my number..I remained silent, so did Adarsh and Hari.
Finally can I leave?I really needed to go home and take some rest.It's already 5.30 PM.

They granted us permission to leave and thanked me for my big heart to take here to the hospital without leaving her on the road.I was thinking about my 2000 rupees which was lost for no reason...

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The girl's father came with me to the police to take my bike back. The police handed over the key to me and asked to him, "Any comlaints?"
"No"
On hearing that, he gave me the key and said to him, "Actually it is not his mistake. Everyone standing there were telling the same.These people who cross the road will never take care, always will be talking on mobiles and all...anyway ask your daughter to take care."


Adarsh and Hari went back home in Hari's bike.
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I took the key, thanked the police again and drove back home for taking the rest I was longing for, since noon…..
While driving back, the day flashed in my mind….I was relieved that finally everything was okay. It is the past. Just think it as a dream. Anyway whatever happened is over for ever and will never come back… But, I was wrong….!!




Next Part: The Red 'happening' Shirt