Aware

A 56-year old perfectly healthy guy. No diabetes, no heart problems, no cholesterol. Just BP. Loves his son. Loves his 2 daughters more than the son.

Is pronounced dead on arrival.

While the military van’s (that hit his bike) driver and the traffic police haggle and while others pass by, cursing the stupid accident that has brought the traffic to a standstill and caused them delay, he fought the battle, for two hours. He’s rushed to the GH, where he is not attended to for over half an hour, but somehow they had time to rob him of his gold-chain his loved one had once gifted him.

A perfectly healthy guy. Gone. Just like that. Poof.

Yes, I cursed the system where hospitals still ask you to file an FIR before an accident patient can be admitted to trauma care. Where a person is given NO first aid, but is robbed of his gold chain first. Where people cowardly turn a blind eye to the horror that faces them in the eye. But, before I cursed, I was suddenly VERY aware of the loss. Aware of the fact that it could happen to anybody. To people I love.

PS: The man is my colleague’s father. The only thing she said when I met her was, “why him? HE could’ve have called me”