I Am With You

You need to be strong. Concentrate. You can’t break.  You can’t cry. As Raksha sat in front of the ICU with her old mother, who was almost unconscious. Holding herself together she tried listening to the surgeon, “Here is the most sever burn case I have ever seen. Krishna was burned 80 percent. Fire has eaten away most of her face. She has lost her child.” She started to feel heavy in her chest. Dizzy. Speechless. Hurricane of horrified feelings enveloped her senses. “The chances of her surviving are not very high.”

A day earlier.  Kiran 28 Year old, beautiful, mother of a girl, Ria 3 years old, had been sound asleep in her room at 2:00 AM when a loud crash awakened her. Earthquake! She thought, finding her husband not beside her, rushed towards the door. In front of the door stood her husband. Confusion and terror filled her. “I am losing it”, he screamed and pulled her into the living room and punched her hard in the face, knocking her to the floor. “I am your wife. What are you doing?” she cried in pain. He picked the glass table and dropped it on her. Raising her arms in front of her face, bring her legs close to her body, she tried blocking, protecting her child in her womb. Glass came shattering over her. Pain shot all through her body like an electric shock. He tied her hands and went inside the room. She screamed for help! Her hands trying to get free. He came with bottle of kerosene. He is going to burn me! She cried, “Please!” He light fire and left her to burn. She kept screaming, helpless, fighting, loosing. Darkness covered her eyes and she lost conscious. Her neighbors had called police, her husband was handcuffed. She was taken to the hospital. Her little daughter unaware of the intensity of event which has altered her whole life.

Raksha wearing hair nets, gown, masks and gloves entered the ICU. She saw a women lying still in the bed. Hooked up to the ventilator that was breathing for her. Wrapped up like mummy in white bandages, except for her swollen face and hands. Her face so disfigured, blackened and unrecognizable. She was horrified. Taking a deep breath, she walked beside her and gently took her hand and whispered in her ears,”Kiran, see it’s Raksha. I am here with you!”  Raksha felt slight grab in her hand, saw her sister in little motion. Kiran blinked with closed eyes and a tear fell out of her eyes. She is there, she can listen! Raksha sat there, all the memories of her sister came flashing by. How she would never lend her favourit dress to her, how lovingly she took care of her plants, sitting on branch of a tree and licking ice-cream. Her once beautiful sister, now fighting for every breath. She felt very heavy in her heart. Her throat choked. Finally she let her tears flow silently. 

But I needs to be strong, for my mother, for Kiran, for her daughter Ria. Ria! She is so young. Oh! My God! How will I make her understand what happened to her mother?? Will she ever be able to get her mother’s love? What mistake could make her deserve such a horrible punishment? Will her mother choose life over death? Will she ever forgive that hateful man who did this to her? Will she ever smile again? Will she ever hug me back?

Somehow, she managed to keep depressing feelings aside and thought as she held Kiran’s hand even tighter, we will all get through this.