A Silly Mistake

By Manya Agarwal

Sakshi lived in a small apartment with her mother. She was a college-going student. Her mother was a heart surgeon and often spent her nights at the hospital and came home in the morning. Sakshi’s father passed away when she was ten years old due to cancer. Sakshi was fearless and bold, but a little casual about life.

One fine day, as usual, Sakshi was sleeping when she suddenly heard- “tring- tring- tring”. Her alarm had gone off. She woke up. It was fifty past eight and she had to be in her college at nine-thirty. She freshened up quickly, made herself some tea, and left in a hurry. Her mother, like always, was in the hospital. Sakshi was driving hurriedly when she encountered busy traffic on the road. She reached her college at sharp ten and had missed half of her economics lecture. She joined the following lecture at eleven fifteen. Amidst her lecture, she got a call. It was from the landlord of their house. She thought that he might be calling for the rent and declined the call. But the landlord called again and again. Sakshi finally accepted the call after her lecture.

The landlord said, “Sakshi, your mother’s in hospital.”

Sakshi said, “ Sir what is new in this? I know she will be at the hospital till noon. Kindly don’t disturb me for such obvious things. I have--”

The landlord interrupted her, “Your mother is in the hospital as a patient. The neighbors have taken her to the hospital.”

Sakshi was about to say something when the call disconnected abruptly. Sakshi became worried. She wondered what had happened. For the next whole hour. Sakshi absent-mindedly attended her next class and waited for the day's last class to get over.

As soon as the class finished, Sakshi rushed to the hospital. When she reached there she saw her neighbor, Mrs.Kapoor there. She asked what had happened and if her mom was okay.

Mrs.Kapoor said,” I had gone to your house because I heard the voice of someone entering. I saw that the door had been locked but I saw Dr.Asha entering the house. So I decided to ask whether everything was alright as she doesn’t come home so early. When I rang the bell, I heard a blast-like sound from inside your house and it caught fire. Your mother was inside the house. And the rest is in front of you.”

Sakshi was speechless. She recalled that in the morning, while making tea, in her hurry she had left the stove knob on. The house must have been full of LPG and when Mrs. Kapoor rang the bell, it caught fire and her mom encountered a drastic accident. It was all her fault. She sobbed in a corner. It was the second time in her life that she had cried so heavily after her father’s death. Just then, the doctor came out.

He said,” It’s a miracle. Dr.Asha is alive. We had lost all hope but suddenly her finger started moving and a minute later she opened her eyes. Her life has been saved by God.”

Sakshi became ecstatic. She realized that it was her regret that God accepted her apology and helped her.

By Manya Agarwal