"Wait dad, i am comming"! I ran down the stair's but found the door shut. I kicked myself for taking so long to bathe. "I am leaving, close the door nani". "Where are you off to, you barely got cleaned up after several hour's of playing Holi, don't you get tired Ayesha? Besides there are going to be alot of hooligans on the road," nani screamed in the background. I barely heard her and raced out of the door in hope to find dad mid-way.

I was so happy that evening as i ambled towards the park, humming my favourite song. I felt extra excited as i was wearing my new bright yello t-shirt my momee got me for doing well in mid term exams. I was a few seconds away from the park and BOOM !!! Blackout !!! The next thing i know, i am crying out for help. There is not a soul on the street. No women in the balconies, no children playing on the steet, no car's moving, none of the old grandparents strolling on the road. I could barely open my eyes. The blood poured out of my head like a fountain, blinding my vision. I tried to rub it off but it didn't stop. As i tried to suck some of the blood in my mouth to be able to shout out for help i realise i could barely talk as the side of my lip tore into two. Despite the excruting pain, i got up which seemed like an impossible task at that moment. Considering, there was nobody in sight i decide to help myself. Just then, a blue santro stopped but seeing my state the man inside was left aghast. With little option left, i opened the door's of the car and requested the gentleman to take me home. Am i putting myself in further risk by sitting in a stranger's car? All those numerous times when my mother had asked me to be alert and vigilent in the company of stranger's, i had listened to her carefully, all ear's. But today this stranger was my only hope.

Even before the car reached the big black gate of my house, the same gate i had left so happily just a few miniutes ago, not forseeing i would be back just miniutes later, covered not with the bright red Holi colour but drenced with my own warm blood. Don't know where i got the strength from but the thought that my mother would be around now, i felt comforted. I screamed, perhaps a little too loudly for her to know my pain. She came. I expected her to howl, or cry, or worse - Faint. I know how much my mother loves me. To be precise, she lives for me. At that point in time, i couldn't have seen her falling apart. But i should have known my mother better. I realised that day she is made of steel. She looked at me, i saw her frightened but that was it. "Baby, dont worry", she said as she hugged me tight. "We will take you to the best doctor". I felt reassured.

But not for to long. The doctor at a hospital near our house told us they couldn't do anything for me as the cut on my forehead was way to deep for them to treat it. That ment something serious had happened. Sounds silly now, but for a second i questioned myself on weather i would ever be fine again. Even before i could give myself an answer, i was being taken to a bigger hospital. It being Holi day, the usuall doctor's weren't around. Thankgod for these big fancy hospitals, and there emergency services. By then my face was numb. I felt as if i never had a nose or a set of lips.

You know how it is sometimes when even without saying anything, people can scare the living day lights out of you. "We will need to get a CT scan to see if there is any kind of internal bleeding" said the doctor. I was like "What? Why? No ways, I am perfectly fine". Next thing i know the wheel chair carried me to the CT scan room, that lonely quiet room where i could hear myself breath loud and clear. As the machine began to dragg me inside itssef, i jurked to see if my mother was looking, but she couldn't have, the doors had no windows. I had to do this myself. I have never prayed so hard. All i wanted were the reports to be normal. What if in sometime i became mentally imbalanced or lost myself, or developed a handicapp? I rememberd all those times i had taken life for granted, and had fussed over little, mundane irrelevent things in life. I had so much. Too much to appreciate.

"The report's will come only in the morning, in the meanwhile we'll stitch her up". "Great, so that means i am spending the night here". "Not here," said the doctor. We have to shift you to the ICU and monitor your condition. I can confidently say that was the fianl blow. It was one place i never wanted to go, let alone so early in life. It was a place i associated with sick dying people. Soon i needed to go to the bathroom but that wasen't possible seeing my critical state. My worst nightmare-using a bed pan. I was completely and utterly startled when the nurse began to strip me, that too without my permission. I understand a patient has to wear different kind of clothes in an ICU but i hadn't imagine it would be done in full public view - well almost. I had little choice in the matter. I didn't go to the bathroom hense forth due to obvious reasons.

It was almost 1 in the night, as the attendent put me on a bed between two terribaly sick patients. One had suffered a liver failure and the other old gentleman had had a heart stroke if i am not wrong. I looked at the both of them and prayed to God to make all three of us fine by morning. Some where down my heart i knew i was being unrealistic but i couldn't have possibaly paryed just for myself knowing fully well the other two were on the verge of death and had families who would be devastated if something were to happen.

At 2 the ENT specialist came in. Ohh Man, i have yet to come across a worse doctor. I rarely curse anybody but that women has been the reciepient of several of my curses since that day. Apprently, becides my tooth i had also broken my nose. Oouch !! I agree, there will be pain involved in straightenig it up but hellooo !!! Like you dont shove a one foot surgical sizzor into somebody's nose. It's not excatly the most comfortable thing on earth you see, so i am bound to resist.

Anyways, the pain was allready unbearable but what made it worse was my mothers absence. She wasen't allowed into the ICU. Only mother's of young children are. That's crazy. I am a child to, and at that point a vulnerable one. I wanted to cry out loud but that wasen't a luxury i could enjoy as the coldhearted doctort warned me not to. If i did, the colossal bandage would role itself out and cause me more misery than i had ever imagined. I had never felt so lonely.

I waited impatiently for the clock to tick 9. That's when i would be able to see my mother. 10 more minutes to go. For the first time in almost 15 hour's i tried to smile but obviously could not as my lips were stitched. As she come in i din't care anymore about the dam cotton roll. Let it come out for all i care i told my self. She held back her tear's only till i held back mine. It's as though we are still joined by an invisible umbilical cord.

Thankgod, i was shifted to a regular room soon after. For the next couple of days i failed to recognise myself as my colour had changed to purple. Sounds funny but at that time it was scary. I looked like a small ghost. I went home in two days but the nightmare didn't end there. I couldn't talk, could barely breadth, thanks to the humongous cotton roll inside of my small nose, Remember !!!!!

A year later, i have come out of it a much more thankfull, greatfull and appreciative human being. There is so much to be thankfull for, so much to be greatful for, so much to rejoice, so much to discover, so much to look for, so many questions to be answered, so many special times to be remembered, so much to forgive, so much love, so much to give. Why do we get stuck on one negative experience? Not worth it. Believe me !!