The date was
14th November. Known to most as the Children’s day, it was made more special as it was
Guru Nanak Gurupurab (Birthday of
the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak) and also the Super Moon day (The full moon hadn’t come this close to Earth since
26 Jan 1948 and won’t come this close until full moon of 25 Nov 2034). Well I
guess there were enough reasons for it to be a 'special' day.
For me, it is and will always remain
a day and date when I saw the worst and the best of my entire life in a span of
two and a half hours.
It was a Monday morning and at around
8:30, as I was getting ready to go for some work, I got a call from my
beloved wife who was into her ninth month of pregnancy and had just attended her surprise
baby shower a day prior. Since the day we came to know that we were going to
have a baby, I had only one wish. To be present with my wife at the time and
place to see my baby when he/she is born. I guess that’s what every
father-to-be wishes for and it’s a pretty reasonable wish. Something even God
wouldn’t mind granting.
I had made only one request to my
wife and that was to give me a notice of seven hours as that is the least
amount of time it takes under ideal conditions for a person to reach Delhi from
where I was, though I knew it was not in her control. So when the call came and I was told
that she was going to the hospital, I knew that the clock had begun. I had to
make a few calls and pack all my stuff which I thought I may require. By the
time I started from my house it was 9:45.
Though my GPS had calculated my ETA
at the hospital to be 7:17 in the evening, I told my wife that I will reach by 5 as seven
hours was what I had promised her. Had someone used an instrument to measure my
heart rate and blood pressure from the moment I left my house till I reached
the hospital, that instrument would have blown off.
The approximate distance was about
450kms. I connected my phone to the bluetooth device of my car, switched on some music and left. I
kept in touch with everyone at the hospital through out my journey to make sure
that I was constantly updated. I had covered most of the distance without any
halts, with the air conditioning of my car switched off and windows all rolled
up to ensure that all my engine power was devoted to get me to my destination
as soon as possible.
It was around 4:10 in the afternoon. I had about
60kms to go and my GPS had brought my ETA down to 4:45 from the initial 7:17. I was cruising in my
Hyundai Verna on the Yamuna Expressway with the aim of covering up as much
distance in as little time before hitting the traffic heavy, smog filled Delhi.
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| The day she came into our lives |
The car went over a bumpy patch on
the highway and the next thing I knew was that I had no control over my car.
It was a car me and my wife had chosen after testing almost every car available
in India in that range over a period of six months. It was a car with which we had the most
amazing memories attached. It was a car my wife used to kiss every time she sat
in it. It was a car which was our first love. It had everything I ever wanted
from a car. It was a car I loved.
My car and I went from the centre of
the road to extreme left and we banged head on against a well dug in iron pole reading
‘No U turn’.
The engine took the brunt and the impact was such that the pole
could not withstand and it broke. Thereafter, me and my car were swivelled
across the entire highway and the rear wheel banged on the divider and brought
the car to a halt. I saw it all happen helplessly from within and when the ordeal finally ended, there were fumes coming out of the crushed engine. My engine oil
was spread all acrosss the road. My air bags had been deployed. I was tucked on
my seat with my seat belt. The entire impact had shattered the wind screen,
crushed my bonnet, broken my engine, pushed the pedals and steering wheel back,
bent my doors, broken my front and rear axle.
I had a scratch on my
arm. My dear car had taken it all upon itself to save the man
who was on his way to witness the most beautiful event of his life.
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| There used to be a pole here |
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How I managed to reach the hospital
with all my luggage is a long story. What happened at that moment was nothing
less than a miracle. I was told by the gentleman in charge of the highway patrol, that four
accidents had taken place since the morning at that very spot. Most of them
were fatal. He along with many other so called well wishers and curious
travellers came to me and told me how lucky I was while my mind was only trying to
find a way to reach the hospital.
I finally did manage to reach the
hospital at 6 instead of 4:45 as shown by my GPS. We were blessed with the most
beautiful baby girl at 6:28 on that day. I was lucky to be able to meet my wife
before she gave birth to our little princess. I don’t think I have ever been
more happy to see my wife and my family than I was at that moment.
Holding my daughter and seeing her staring at me with her beautiful eyes open was the most unbelievable feeling I have ever had. She looked into my eyes
and I could see the luck she had brought with herself. Papa got a second life
because of her. And that’s the reason I will remember it as a day when I got a
new life.
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| The most amazing moment of my life |
It was a truly special day.
I will
never forget that spot on the expressway.
Ø What has to happen will happen. We
have no control over anything but ourselves.
Ø When you really want something very
badly, God helps you.
Ø Life is too precious to be wasted by
being sad, upset or disliking someone.
Ø Love your dear ones. They are the ones who matters.
Ø Holding your baby in your arms is the
most beautiful feeling on Earth. That moment made me forget my entire life. It
felt I was holding my life in my arms.
“ Live, Love and be Happy J "
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