By Aashish Thanki
Signal was about to turn Green. God knows for what reason, a biker slaps tight on face of a bagger boy! Many people ignored, some even smiled... while the boy was broken into tears with some blood coming out of mouth and nose.
Ramila turns-on the parking light. Ignoring all the honking, she ran to the boy. The boy was so afraid, he moved two steps back, trying to escape. Ramila said "Don't fear, I am not going to harm you. Let me clean this first, come with me in car."
Ramila started the car, and parked it to a safe place, on the side of road. From the first aid box, she took some cotton, some tincture and cleaned the face and nose of that boy. Not inquisitively, with lots of care, she asked "What had happened after all?"
Boy said, "I had asked for some money or food, as I did not eat for long time..." he tried to recollect something and continued "...probably since yesterday afternoon”. The boy still sobbing.
"Oh poor soul" cried Ramila and offered him some cookies, a piece of cake and some fruits."
"I don't know, I never had one" the boy replied when Ramila asked his name.
Stunned for a moment, Ramila paused for a while. She then said, "From today your name is Vihan." The boy smiled 32 teeth wide listening to this and receiving this care.
"Are you a doctor?" Vihan asked innocently.
"How do you know?" She asked a counter question with a little surprise.!
Boy softly pointed to the symbol on the wind screen on her car. Ramila smiled. She dropped him to a place, where he used to get shelter, with some food and money on his side.
She kept thinking all the way while she drove home about that scene happened near traffic signal and her reaction to it.
For next few days she was busy at her clinic, so could not check on Vihan. On Sunday evening, she decided to check about his wellbeing. She took some food, fruits and water bottle for Vihan and drove to that signal. Vihan was not there. She kept waiting for almost 20 odd minutes and then decided to enquire to a traffic police and some nearby shops. Everyone said, they had not seen him after that day! Worried, she rushed to that place, where she had dropped him.
She found Vihan with 103° fever, weakened and shivering. She took his head into her lap and cried for couple of minutes. So did Vihan. Slowly when Vihan opened the eyes, she said sorry to him with dry eyes and wet voice.
"Doctor didi, Thanks for everything" Vihan expressed. "I am tired and hungry" with sobbing voice he added. “Didi” this word made Ramila more emotional, she lost in some thoughts and some memories of past. She forgot, Vihan was asking for some water and food.
“Didi, Doctor Didi” Vihan almost screamed. With this scream, Ramila returned to the present moment. "Eat all these fresh foods, have some water first" she said offered him water and food quickly. "We will go to my home, be comfortable first, eat first" she added.
Ramila drove her car to home with Vihan, as she had decided to adopt him. Vihan, this name was the centre of emotions for her. About 5 years back he had lost Vihan, her younger brother in an accident, exactly at the same traffic signal from where he had found this boy. Seeing Ramila’s car coming, his brother Vihan had jumped from the sidewalk to the road, crashing into a car coming at high speed. He had died on the spot, on Ramila’s lap. A few drops of tears froze on her face, as she remembered the event.
The Traffic Signal that had snatched her brother, maybe she had found him back as new Vihan now.
By Aashish Thanki
Emotional