Sunny Gulmohar afternoon

The sunny Gulmohar afternoon.

Juicy treats, self-pampering sunbath and kid’s camps kept me high on spirits. A season that made my body light from both within and outside. The sweat seemed to flush out all the burdening toxins from the head to toe. The daily dose of the essential vitamin D, given to me, free of cost from the most benevolent sun. The sun without which we are doomed. With high regards to the sun god, my daily routine started with the small prayer “ Om Bhur buva….”. The summer solstice was a time for the family get-together. This year, the solstice seemed not just hot, but brutally parching.  The rays penetrated my endoderma with such scrutinising heat that could rip my skin apart. The kiss of the sun today, gave me jolting shock wave down my nerve. This made my mind go on a retro travel to one such summer afternoon that capsized my life. The impact on my mind and soul it made was an almighty smash.

It was on a hot summer afternoon, of 2013, I moved out of office early, to catch up with my mother for lunch. My car broke down in the middle of a deserted residential area. No sign of any moving creature. The hot waves sure was not a contusive environment for people to move out. I wanted to rush back home, have a chilling tree-scope vanilla ice cream with nuts and a short siesta of course. As I walked in search of some help to fix my car, I saw someone creep into the shade of the huge Gulmohar.  I noticed a shadow moving. Cautiously tiptoeing, I stepped forward. Was it the hawkers or some animal? Should I scream or just run away? With my mind wobbling with all the recent alarming news, I opted to move back.

Just then, a meek voice calling out “Help, please don’t go”. Instantly turning back, I saw a young lady leaning behind the bark, with a muddy scarf draping her hair and a long bloody gown. It sent me a chill down my spine. She was bleeding from a wound on her back. To add to my astonishment, she was pregnant. I stood there speechless and still. What was she doing here, in such a pathetic state? I wondered what was the reason she looked so helpless and lone, in this condition. I examined through the double road path, to see if she was accompanied by someone. She must have had an accident I thought. Or was she a crook acting her best to loot me (Though I had left the wallet in my car, but would these hawkers keep quiet, if I’ve been marked) My judgemental thoughts started running wild, when she called out “please help me”.

She kept calling out in a feeble, yet steady and stern voice. It sounded as though she was ordering me for help, rather than requesting. My gut said I ought to help her out, come what may. With baby steps I pushed myself forward. She held my hand so stiff, it hurt. I looked into her eye, she starred with a slow, bold voice. “My baby, my baby, I want my baby to be born, live life happily, away from these cannibals. Please help me deliver”.

I wanted to call for help, when I realised my mobile and wallet both were in the car. I held her and started to walk. I screamed with all my strength “ HELP HELP” in an effort to get some help from the houses nearby. She instantly thrust her hand against my mouth. This made me red. What the ___” I am trying to help you,…but you are… “. With vigilant eyes scrolling down the lane, she looked back and forth, came close and uttered ”There are many people in search of me, they will surely find us. The next minute, I’ll be down dead.  “What? “ . I thought “This seems to be some kind of trouble, what do I do?????”

“I’ve left my mobile back in my car, I can’t see a single soul around, you can’t move a bit, I should ask for help. What do you want me to do?. “ I asked. She responded “I can feel my baby, it’s time to come out, please help me deliver.” I said “What? Are you nuts?  you need medical help, leave me I’ll run and get some help. You are already bleeding with multiple wounds, you sure need medical help, even to deliver”. Saying so, I turned. She gripped my wrist, and pulled me down my feet. “I do not want to be noticed by those killers. They have surrounded me. They slaid my husband right in front of my eyes, they have pierced my back. Banged me against the wall. They want to kill me, in turn my baby too.” …. She had bouts of pain, making her breathless and tired, yet didn’t scream. She slowly dropped down leaning by the tree. She whispered very quickly. “I do not have time. You must help me get my baby safely to this world. These insane idiots who want to kill my child in the name of religion, are hooligans. I am a migrant from the neighbouring land, please help. My husband and mother have been killed brutally for frail reasons. We have been stamped as “anti-nationalists”. My father was an army officer and I’ve been trained scout of the eastern regiment of India. But things were framed and situation turned against our side. Dad unable to bear, committed suicide”. All these was told to me with frequent sighing, screaming and agonising pain. “I am sharing all this with you for the sole reason that I want you to save my child. I am neither a terrorist nor a rebel. Please save me to save my child”. My back is hurting and I may collapse. But I need to bring this child to the world. He/she should be raised to serve our nation. It’s the least I could do at this dying hour.”

I had mixed feelings, but all that I knew was this lady (genuine or fake) needed medical attention immediately (at least on humanity grounds). I was still engrossed in the whirlpool of thoughts, when suddenly, two masked men pounced out of nowhere. My thighs trembled. Instinctively, I grasped the lady and pulled her out to escape the knife attack. With no time to waste, I tried to support her by my shoulder, but the men surrounded with encircled hands. This lady, stepped forward and with a firm hand held one of the attackers by his collar and pulled him down, rested her knee on his chest and gave a powerful smash on his head, simultaneously tuning her neck to pull down the other man who had by now, had my neck against his sharp knife. (An inch of movement could have slit my throat in no time). Knocking down both men in a wink of an eye, she seemed to be a true warrior. As a consequence of this attack, she sustained few injuries on her hands and face. This added to her already existing back injury.

She was bleeding from all sides. I screamed loudly at her pathetic condition. Ran madly down the road. The sun was piecing so harshly and I knew, the lady would be burning with pain. I barged into a house, dialled the emergency number for ambulance send the location details and rushed back to the spot. She lay there still. Was she gone? Subtle tears rolled down from the corner of my eyes. I approached close; I could see her tummy moving. The baby inside seemed restless. I went close by  her side. I could feel the low intensity air breathing out from her nostrils. A sign of relief, she’s still ON. Uh!...

I jolted her. She feebly opened her eyes. “Don’t worry, the ambulance is on the way”, I assured. Soon the ambulance arrived and we were off to the hospital. The doctor in the ambulance enquired “Why is she wounded so badly, and bleeding heavily. At this rate, it is surely difficult to save both lives. Let’s pray for the best”. She continuously groaned in pain. Deep, heavy breath, she took. She held my hand firmly, “I….wish to …..bring….my child to this …world. I want my child to serve the nation. Come what may. My child will have no one but you”. She turned to the doctor, “I give…. My child to this person……You are the witness…”. Turning towards me, she said “I have nothing to give, thank you for being kind. God be with you.” Saying so, she took out the sharp knife, that she had managed to grab from one of those masked men. She transferred it from her right hand to the left.

What happened next was the most terrifying incidence I would witness ever. Holding the knife with all her strength, placed it in the lower most portion on the right end of her abdomen (within a fraction of a second), slit it pass to the left end. She screamed a dreadful scream. The blood oozed. The doctor open-mouthed stood in shock, while I fell back against the door of the ambulance. I cried out, shrieked, banged the door and fell near her. The doctor held her tummy and pushed the upper part of her abdomen, he screamed “Come here and help me, we need to get the baby out “Both of us pushed, pushed and pushed….. and the baby came out, drenched in total blood. The first cry of the baby silenced us. I held the little one in my hand and quickly placed near the mother’s face. The eyes opened wide and a drop of tear fell on the baby. I smiled and looked up to her and said “Hey, your baby is born, congrats, you made it.”

The Doctor said “we lost her.”

Oh my God!, No No No… I squeezed myself with the baby in hand and cried cried and cried …….”

It took me more than a year and a half to finish off with the legalities – police , court, community, etc..  but, ultimately I did take full custody of the baby… Today this little angel (I named her angel) is the apple of my eye.   Angel has a scar on her left cheek, that incurred during her birth, due to the sharp knife that her mother used. Em…. She’s an adorable darling of 8 now. She is a bright child, jovial, yet a very deep thinker. Bold and beautiful.

Her mother’s name was_________, Well! What difference would a name make. A man is known by his deeds not by his name, isn’t it? This woman shall always be known for the valour, courage and exemplary daring act that she portrait. One woman who has made a deep impact in my life. A great solider, A daring women. Above all, a truly sacrificing mother.

Today, the scorching sun and the harsh rays remind me of the day when I met her under the Gulmohar. As I stand here, a bright Gulmohar flower falls on my head. That sunny afternoon shall forever be bright in the depth of my heart.

Lives go…. Traits remain.

Yamini P.S. Balan