A Day in the ICU

Shalini looked at the clock for the hundredth time in the last one hour. She did not know what to think and what to do. She had already called Shreya’s school about half an hour back and had been told that her daughter had left with her dad at the usual time. Shalini has been continuously trying Ravi’s cell since then, but the response was always the same – not reachable. She even called his office number at regular intervals, though she knew it was pointless. Yet, she did it to tell herself that she was trying to do something in the given situation.
Shalini was wondering if something dreadful had happened to Ravi and Shreya. She kept praying to God to keep them safe and let this be just a traffic delay. But her mother’s instinct told her something else. She could feel her daughter’s tears; she could hear Shreya calling out to her for help. But Shalini could do nothing; she felt so helpless for the first time in her life. She was one of those people who could find something positive in every situation, but today she just grew more and more desperate with the clock ticking away.
Just then, her cell phone rang. Shalini ran to get it. She knew this was some news about Shreya and Ravi. Indeed, it was; but the news was not a good one. It was Ravi on the line and he asked Shalini to catch a taxi to the Emergency of the City Hospital. Shalini was shattered and asked him if Shreya was alright. Ravi said, “Shalini, just come here. Shreya is in safe hands.”
Shalini grabbed some money and rushed to the road. She literally ran out of the residential compound. Thankfully, as soon as she exited the main gate, she spotted a taxi. She called for it and asked the driver to hurry to the hospital.
One thought kept returning to her throughout the drive. “Why did Ravi say ‘in safe hands’ not ‘fine’?” Shalini prayed so intensely that she felt everyone could hear her plea to God. “Please make her well. Please let her not be hurt. Please let her be fine. Please…” Shalini did not realize that she was actually praying aloud. When the taxi stopped at the traffic signal near the hospital, the driver turned back and comforted her, “Don’t worry sister, your baby will be fine. You will take her home tomorrow.” Shalini looked at him gratefully and tears rolled over her cheeks. She managed to say, “Thank you.” When she got down from the taxi at the hospital, she handed over a 100 bill to the driver and asked him to keep the change. He returned the money and drove off. Shalini was amazed, but she did not put much thought into it.
She hurried to the reception where Ravi was waiting for her. He led her to the ICU. Shalini was devastated at the sight of Shreya. Her little frail frame seemed even smaller. Number of strange medical instruments were attached to various parts of her body. Shalini collapsed on the floor. She kept crying and kept repeating, Ravi, she had not wanted to go to school today. Why did I force her?” Ravi tried to calm her down but Shalini was not able to hear anything. All she saw was her daughter’s colorless face; all she heard was the beeping of the machines.
After some time, Shalini stood up and walked up to Shreya. She held her hand and started singing to her. She sang Shreya’s favorite songs, lullabies and poems. Ravi felt Shalini losing it, but he knew Shreya meant the life to Shalini. Shreya had been born after 3 miscarriages and 6 years of marriage. Ravi’s mind kept going back to the accident scene. If he had not tried saving the idiot underage driver in front of his car, the truck would not have hit him from rear, and Shreya would be safe. In that accident, Ravi was the one following all the rules, and he was the one losing lives. Ravi wondered why life was being so unfair to Shalini.
Shreya’s voice broke Ravi’s trance. He did not comprehend what she was saying, but it looked like she was trying to sing along with Shalini. Ravi saw the light on Shalini’s face. She started singing with enthusiasm while Ravi looked on.
In next 5 minutes, what he saw made him cry. Shreya looked at Shalini and said feebly, “Mama”. That was perhaps the most emotional moment of his life, since he had first seen Shreya, minutes after she was born.
The doctor examined Shreya and announced to the couple that their daughter was out of danger, and she was perfectly alright. The doctor wanted to keep Shreya under observation for the next 24 hours. He said, “Mrs. Singh, your daughter will be up and walking by tomorrow. She might be a little week for a few days because of the blood loss from her head, but she has no other injuries. All her reports, including MRI scan are OK. So take her home tomorrow if she shows good signs during the next 24 hours.
Shalini was overjoyed. She hugged Ravi and cried on his shoulder for a long time. Both of them kept thanking the Lord for this blessing.
Next day, when it was time to go home, Ravi refused to enter the car in which Shalini carried Shreya; he said he would meet them later at home. Shalini was baffled but did not get a chance to ask the reason. Ravi sent off the cab. Shalini does not know till today whether she imagined it or it was the same driver, from the day before, giving her thumbs up sign when she came out of the hospital, carrying Ravi in his car. But what she knows is, Ravi never came back. There was a phone call later that night that gave her information about Ravi's body lying unclaimed in the very hospital Shreya had been the day before.