Nearly 11 years ago, I was studying in Saint Louis school
for the blind and staying in the hostel. We were playing cricket on a Sunday as
usual. The batsman was my senior. Accidentally, the bat hit on the nose of the
junior while he was rotating. He was bleeding and sniveling. He was taken to
our warden’s room for medication. At the same time, I was also standing in
front of our warden’s room for dressing. I got an injury at my finger while
fielding was the reason.
“What happened?” he came and asked them.
“I went and hit on a tree brother.” The junior guy replied
and put an end to the anxiety of our senior.
I was quietly observing this scene with my hurting finger.
“Why are you standing here Vinoth?” our hostel warden turned
and asked me. I depicted my finger.
“Oh! Weekly injury! This time on your right hand! Very good!
But wait for a while. his is heavy.” He told me by pointing him.
He dressed his nose and said.
“Here after, be careful Kishore.”
No one threatened him but he didn’t reveal the reason behind
his injury on that day.
RS. Kishore Ram, shortly called Kishore. A visually
challenged, my friend and two years junior to me is the hero of this story. We
are friends for eleven years. I heard this from the world “a friend in need is
a friend indeed” and this story is a practical proof. Our friendship grew day
by day. He was doing his second year under graduate English literature in
Loyola College in 2012 when the period of this story was taking place.
The main branch
In the month of September 2012, the pain had reappeared. Hence,
we proceeded to the agarwal main branch on 19th of that month in
order to obey the words of the doctor. We went and waited nearly two hours
inside since these people hadn’t received any formal mail from Avadi branch
where I was treated before. Our anxiousness had come to an end by a nurse
finally. She told that we’d be called soon by the doctor promptly.
We were called inside. He started checking my eyes and
asking some usual questions. He noticed that I had little vision on my right.
“It’s good that you have something in your eyes.” He said.
“Yes sir I manage with that.” I said.
“We can increase if possible.”
“Oh, okay sir. But I’ve come for a different reason. I am
having pain over there. It comes, goes and disturbs me. In fact menaces me. Can
please prescribe some medicines for that?”
“You have the chance of getting your vision back through an
operation.”
“Sir, but what about this pain? It doesn’t appear often. All
of sudden it comes, stays for ten to fifteen minutes and disappears. Moreover,
it is not a daily process. Weekly once or twice.”
“Don’t worry man. That can be easily cured.”
While I was speaking to him in English, he was conversing
with another doctor in Hindi and asked us to wait outside. My father told me
not to speak in English. I too felt the same. When I was telling him in Tamil,
he was discussing with the doctor in English. Later, when I started in English,
he switched over to Hindi with her which made us sully them. He came out and
wagged his hands before my eyes in order to check the vision condition once
again.
“I prescribe some scanning,” he continued, “We can check
whether the vision is attainable or not. We can also proceed if there is any
possibility. Our nurse will inform you everything.” He said and went inside. I
had already denied the operational process when I was studying 11th
standard. When I was taken to another hospital, the doctor said there is only
15% chance of getting my vision that too only on the right. She also said it is
highly risky because if it fails I may lose the remaining vision. It happened
in my 11th standard, nearly 5 years ago. I told my parents at that
time.
“I cannot lose what I have which is precious to me. Sorry to
be negative. But being cautious is not the sign of negativity.” I said they
accepted.
The nurse took us somewhere and explained the variety of
scanning which we were supposed to take. She didn’t forget to tell us the
amount which we must pay for that.
“We’ll discuss and tell you ma’am.” My father replied.
We moved a little.
“How much daddy?”
“3750+500”
“What! 4250!”
“I didn’t bring that much” he said.
“What is this daddy? We have come for the pain! They are not
bothered about that and trying to travel somewhere else.”
“What to do now?” he asked me again.
“It is fine if any good thing happens to me. But not now
daddy. I have internals and semester exams soon. Moreover we don’t have the
money now.” Though I knew about their money making drama, I was slightly
brainwashed by his words. Which blind man will refuse vision if he can get it
back? I am a blind and man too.
“We come in the next week ma’am.” My father told the nurse
to justify our financial condition.
We came out from the hospital.
“Didn’t they give anything to cure pain daddy?” I asked.
“They gave nothing.”
“Okay. We will leave them then. I will manage with those old
medicines which were prescribed in Avadi branch.” I said and continued, “Or
else we shall go to some other hospital. Let my seminars and exams get over.”
“Why can’t we approach Kavanagar?” my father asked me
suddenly.
“Yeah daddy, I also thought about that. What is your opinion
about his medicines? You stopped wearing the power glass. Aren’t you?”
“Yeah Vinoth many people get benefit out of the medicines. I
will take you to him and will tell our situation.”
“When is the next meeting with him?” I asked.
“Mayhap, it will be in October. We will hope for the best.”
One month had already gone by the time. I got the
opportunity to meet Mr. Kanaga Subbu Rathinam who is known as Kavanagar in
Tamilnadu. I have no idea to introduce him in this story for he is already
popular in the world. Please watch Mega TV between 7:30 and 7:40 in the morning,
or search him in Youtube to know about him if you don’t know so far. He talked
to me on that day personally and asked about the condition of my vision. He
didn’t know anything about the pain from which I was suffering. He suggested
the kit which contained the medicines for four months.
“Sir you’ve said that many people got benefit out of this I
agree. They might have had some problem on their eyes and might not have been
blinds. But my condition completely varies from them. Will it be useful to me?”
“Obviously! You buy and use it.”
I must say an important thing to my readers here. He is not
the owner of the medicine and just a user. We spent the whole day in attending
his seminar. A man’s success, failure, mirth, melancholy, weakness, strength,
life, death, immortality are not decided by the world or fate but by his mind
and by his mind alone; was his ultimate teaching which I could take it from
him. We went to the stall which was kept inside the hall and clarified the
prize of the medicines. They said it costs totally Rs 5300 and will be
available in the following week. We also didn’t bring that much of money on
that day. However, both of us went home with the arrant joy and with the fresh
positive energy.
November came. We were busy with our semester exams. Three
of the exams had gone and already scaring me. Unfortunately or fortunately I don’t
know; I didn’t have sufficient material for the next exam and approached
Beatrice for teaching. I’ve tortured so many people for my need and she was one
among them.
It was November 12 2012
She spent the whole day with me and teaching the subject
“dynamics of communication.” I recorded her voice in my I-pod in order to study
the same thing on the next day if I forget anything by mistake.
“What happened Vinoth?” she asked me before we had begun to
study.
“Nothing Brita, the eye is aching.” I said while wiping the
tears.
“Vinoth may I ask you something if you don’t mind?”
“What?”
“Will you mind?”
“I won’t mind. Please.”
“Why can’t you go for an operation if possible?”
I almost told the whole story of my life to her along with
the recent pain which I was suffering from.
“I have to go to the hospital Brita after the semester and
reconsider the doctor’s word which gave me the positive hint.”
“Take care Vinoth. Your eye is still trickling tears.”
“Yes Brita and it’s paining too. But one thing is very
sure,” I continued, “I am managing my life with the remaining vision. If I lose
this, that’s all! And that will be the end of my life!”
The house warming day.
It was November 25th 2012. We had gone for our
friend and classmate Kiruba’s house warming function. I had started from my
home nearly at 8:30 am. I travelled along with the excessive pain but didn’t
take it seriously. I reached the college at 10:00 and went to his house from
there with my friend Vivega priyan who is also studying the same course. We
were the first one to reach his new house. Kiruba and his family welcomed us
with the astonishing hospitality. I was waiting for my other friends. All of a
sudden I recollected the bet which I had with Jezvin on the previous day.
People were arriving one after another. The house was
replete with the infernal exuberance by their presence. Kiruba and I were
friends since our under graduate for we had studied together. Hence our under
graduate students were also invited for the function. I was very happy on that
day despite the pain was staggeringly disturbing me.
“Hi Vinoth.”
“Hi jezvin. Give me the dairy milk. You are late and didn’t
come at 10:00 am.”
She cogitated about the bet and said,
“Sorry Vinoth, I was in a hurry. I will buy you tomorrow for
sure.”
We were spending taking photographs. In the mean time, I
wished Sahana a happy birthday in advance since the next day was her birthday.
One of my friends said that Lincy was on the way and
searching the house. I felt bored for being inside for a long time and went
with him to take her. On the way, I asked him to stop smoking since it was
hurting my eye and he complied. Fate has several forms. You can’t flee if it
decided to extirpate you. Somebody was burning something on the road and the
smoke slightly hurt my eyes and I closed them firmly. However, I could feel the
increment of the pain. Alwyn one of my UG classmates noticed my eye with tears
and asked me whether I had brought any medicine for the pain. I showed him the
drops. He made me repose on his lap and poured it in to my eyes. The pain
subsided after a while.
I decided not to go to the college on the following day.
However, I enjoyed the day to the maximum and took leave soon since I had to
catch the train.
Anton dropped me in Nungambakkam railway station. I got the
Beach- train and got down in Beach station. From there, I got Thiruvallur train
to reach my hometown. As wont, my father was waiting to pick me up.
“Daddy will you be free tomorrow?”
“Yeah! What happened?”
“The eye is once again paining heavy and I am not going to
the college tomorrow.”
“Okay we shall go to the hospital then.”
I reached our home at 5:00 in the evening and fell asleep
since I was unable to bear the pain.
My mother woke me up at 8 Pm. We were discussing where to go
since Agarwal was not trustworthy.
“Going to some other hospital may not be a good idea.” My
mother said.
“Why?” my father asked.
“New card, new procedure, new admission. They will delay the
process. He’s having a heavy pain now. So Agarwal would be the only better
choice.” My mother replied.
“Yeah Vinoth, we’ve already registered with them. So the
things will be easy tomorrow. Go and explain everything to them.” My father
supported my mother’s statement.
“Okay daddy, then I’ll take leave and take him to the
hospital tomorrow.” My brother said.
“Take your mother also with you.” My father advised.
“Daddy; what about this Iso tine Iso caps and the kit which
that Kavanagar suggested?”
“The seminar will be on next Sunday. I’ll buy on that day.
However, we have one fresh bottle which we bought last time.”
“Can I use it now?” I asked him.
“Anyone can use it they said.” My father said. He opened the
seal and poured into my eyes.
I was scared while he was plummeting the drops. The eye was
burning when it was dropped. What a miracle! The pain subsided within two
minutes and things were quite clear than usual. I went to the hall and watched
the television programme for a while. The cable got cut and I slept.
It was the last day of my happiness, it was the last day of
my joy, it was the last day of my luck, it was the last day of my hope, it was
the last day of my confidence and it was the last day I lived my life. From
then on, I survived and not lived.
It was the last night I slept in peace.
Click here to read the final part of this story
To be continued.
To be continued.
Anna, you have made me a hero who always have been a spectator to you and the happenings of your life and thus learning many things from you and them. Anyway, nice introduction to a hero.
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