Another Chance Received - III

For one who can see with his eyes, is blessed and cursed - for he does not know the power that sight beholds. And when taken away; what misery it is bound to cause. 

This happened some years back, when I traveled to Mussorie (Uttranchal), with my extended family (folks and uncle/aunt cousins) for a little time off from the plains. Mussorie is an extremely beautiful hill station, yet over the years with hoards of people coming to enjoy the cool weather and locale of a colonial town - the charm has kind of waned, the people remain uncouth (as they are Indians) and the place becomes more crowded than the cities on Indian plains during the summer months. Everyone out to get some sort of reprieve from the scorching sun. But end up burning in the hill station none the less. 

But this is besides the point, I got a good resort to put up, and as per my understanding it was the highest point of mussorie. The road leading up to the resort was almost at a 60 degree angle and our cars could not climb em, the hotel arranged the only cars which could go up and down on this road - maruthi omnis, which have the lightest bodies so they can accelerate on tough climbs. 

So my family and I put up our luggage after a long grueling ride through the indian heartlands, and we decide to go out and see the sights and smell what this little quaint town could offer. We start climbing down slowly and surely on this slope, I give a bit more attention to the women in the group as they find it difficult to traverse down, the omnis are engaged for a bit and it would take some time for them to come to drop us and hence we decide a sure slow walk would do us no harm and let us make use of our time to unwind. 

About three fourth way down, I am walking next to the edge of the road which winds like a snake (all hill roads do), and I am paying no attention to anything much, and out of the blue a boomerang comes at me, I do not have any time to react - and the boomerang comes straight at my face; hits my left eye with full impact and I am almost unconscious by the impact. The boomerang hits my left eye ball directly. Its not light either, its definitely metal! 

I really have no clue of what is happening at this point. I cover my eyes, and then I slowly open them, there is a trickle of blood from my left eye, and as I open both my eyes in a slow yet frenzy attempt to see the damage, I see what struck me lying at my feet. It was the bottom portion of a cheap ass broom - made of cheap plastic and the ends with rusted heavy metal, the metal which struck my eyeball at an alarmingly fast pace. This is not good, No good at all is what races through my damned mind. 

My family congregates next to me, trying to see the impact and as I tell them this - "I cannot see from my left eye", I skip a heartbeat, It is unheard of in my world, one minute working all fine; and the next sight disappears itself midst unending darkness or blinding white light. I felt like breaking down and crying. The pain is sharp in my eye, and there is only white light seen from my left eye. 

Panic rises fast, my folks are deeply concerned and we head out to get a local doctor in this pathetic town up on a hill away from any real medical facilities. I pray fast, pray hard. Pray for giving myself another chance to mend myself (in all ways possible)

Apparently there was some garbage collector who flung this piece of rusted metal from the garbage canister below to the road above, and it was quite a good shot; for without seeing where he flung it - he flung it at my own very fucking eyes!

We head out to a lady doctor (possibly the only one in town), she gives me an injection for tetanus and some gauge for the eye - her only comforting words, give the eye rest and see in two days time. What the fuck kind of deal is this; storming through my head, I feel twisted almost on the verge of dying. Without the day to day comfort of full sight; I would be no longer the person I was. I would not be able to see and abhor the filth of the world. The same filth now would be missed by my vision. 

I could not believe it, this is how the world is; we dare not upset one single thing before it becomes way worse. How unfair, How cruel and yet how precious is this life. 

Over the next two days, I did not open my left eye (shut thanks to the bandage). I was praying and my off time on some hill station became my test to mentally survive. Yes I did get my vision back. I do not know who exactly to thank for that till date - yet I know that it was duly another chance received, to solemnly change my glutton human ways; and appreciate something as simple as eye - sight. 

Peace and Steer Clear!