Trust with Destiny!

Planning for a journey, even if it means travelling within Delhi, can take a toll on your senses!

One night prior, the car is all set with the required stuff. With all set to go, bags packed for the weekend and as it day already, we plan to rush out. The last checks reveal that the car key is missing. So the mad run around takes place, with me rushing to the car itself, just to see if I left it there!

My machine!

No. It isn't there. I get a call back from home confirming they have been found. I heave a sense of relief. Heading home, I tell myself of the traffic that we are about to get into. Anyhow, we picked up our bags and reached the car, almost losing out good 15 minutes.

Ignition on and AC running, as we are about to start, I am reminded that one mobile phone is left back itself. Whew!! Should we let it be or collect it? We decide that we will take it along. So another 15 minutes gone!

We finally start off our 46 kilometer journey, on a Saturday, in our car, from East Delhi to South West Delhi. Traffic, against expectations is smooth and we put in just over an hour to reach the RTR flyover, towards Dwarka. On the descend, one can see cars and taxis lined up for their respective passengers coming in at the Airport.

Moving at a comfortable 50 kmph, we realized that there had been an accident, with the rider lying face down next to his motorcycle. It looked terrible, so I asked my wife not to look that way. I slowed down to 10 or may be 5 kmph as we came near him and saw his right hand moving. It was like, all of a sudden that we shouted...he is alive! And felt good.

The motorcycle with people standing around..

I have seen accidents before. And I have helped accident victims before. Having learnt the art of first aid, by administering it to myself whenever I got hurt, and for my fear of my mother beating me up, I have applied it invariably. Now it was time to showcase it on the road, just one more time!

My wife, as gentle as she is, never stopped me from any such noble cause, in fact prompted me all the more. I parked my car of 3 months at about 50 metres, opened the windows a bit, took my phone, locked the car and gave her the keys. And said "I will be back in about 25 minutes."

I started running towards the man, planning a strategy, which may not work at all, given whatever situation. I still had my basics. On reaching there, I saw a young man of about 25 years, lying face down, in a pool of dark red blood and turning his face either ways, writhing in pain and what not. There were 4 to 5 other motorcyclists there, planning a strategic strike, covert operation or what!

Time was running out.

My first priority was to attend to the man. I went down on my knees and got to him. I remember asking a gentleman standing there to help me turn him over, who was extremely reluctant and cautious to help me but did so after I cleared my throat with few unpleasant words. On turning him over, I placed his head onto my hand to ensure it isn't placed very high. I looked into his eyes and said:

"Don't worry my friend, whoever you are, now are in safe hands. I will not let anything bad happen to you!"

With a few polite words, I cleared the crowd and asked only those to remain who were willing to help. What came out were about 5 men. So I knew my team and the plan was clear. I asked if anyone had informed the ambulance and got an affirmative, so half work was done.

As blood was trickling down his face and his wound had ripped apart his face, I had to apply my FA skills. I, generally don't carry a handkerchief, so asked for one and got around 5. People were generous to give water bottles, even Tupperware! I carefully washed his wound and cleaned the blood, with my fingers checking for a head injury. To my relief, I didn't find any obvious ones.

People cross by, some slow down and ask, few stop and look. But the ones who come down and take charge are what i was looking for. I, a middle aged taxi driver, a young man, a body builder and an old man were the obvious team that I saw around. It was enough.

In the meanwhile, I asked the young man to check the victim's pocket for a phone. We found one, and luckily it wasn't locked/coded. Another word of caution for all of us is to keep our phones unlocked, especially while travelling. Had the phone been coded/locked, I would have taken out the SIM card and inserted it in another phone, so another word of advise is to keep save important numbers in the SIM card itself.

He was quick enough to call the last dialled number which happened to be the victim's younger brother. He was informed to reach A.I.I.M.S. (trauma centre).

Now over to the police story. Over 50 accident victims who I have attended to, the police have been extremely prompt and I never landed in a tight spot.

There were ambulances passing by but no one stopped. Finally came a car, in which there were 3 policemen and 1 police woman, all in civil dress. They were just passing by after their duties and heading home and took up the task of taking the young man to hospital. They were sent by God it seems, just to fulfill the mission I was on. God bless them!

Now it was turn to lift the man into the car. It was as if Pandora's box had been opened, so much of chaos, shouting, who was doing what, no one knew! I again cleared my long pending throat, this time a little louder, saying:

"Calm down everyone, let us not hurry it through. It's the final step but the most crucial one."

It is imperative to know that while lifting an accident victim, more damage can happen. Especially when the lifters are inexperienced, like in this case. No one knows which bone may be broken and what can we end up breaking!

They asked me how they could help. So I suggested 6 men, 2 on each side with hands from below the back and legs, 1 each supporting the head and toes. It worked well, as the idea was to keep him straight. We lifted and placed him into the car.
http://saferoadfoundation.org/how-to-help-road-accident-victims/

Now all seemingly being set, out of nowhere did I decide to take down his number. And the best way was to dial my number from his phone. He was taken away and we congratulated and thanked one another.

I came back to my car and realized that my new Kurta Pyjama had turned to red from white. It was pure sense of achievement that time, with few praises, to which I said:
"Only if 1 or maximum 2 people stand out and decide to help an accident victim, who we would never know otherwise, perhaps their loved ones will be able to see them alive again."

My Trust with Destiny had become stronger, because had it not been for the 30 minute delay, a young man, full with energy, may have left behind a single mother and a wailing wife of 2 months..but we all were the chosen ones..