His terminal wish
Dr. K. Hormuzji ,MBBS, MD , MRCP London was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
With all this , he was still the humblest of men He never married , and believed he could make a difference in the world .
Having passed every examination in medicine , he specialized in the most depressing and demanding branch ..Pediatric Oncology , the diagnosis and treatment of children under 12 with cancer .
Of his personal wealth there was nothing left. Along with other philanthropists of Mumbai he had built the largest and most advanced medical center for children with terminal cancer.The worst and hopeless were kept in a large room , designed like a toy palace from Disneyland , USA.
At the age of 60 , he had received every honourable award , including the Padma Bhushan. But all these meant nothing to him .
Tonight he was driving back from the hospital , more depressed than ever , he did not know it was going to be his last drive .
However it was not his last round with his patients .
Dr. Homi as all his adoring patients called him, spent most of his time with them , always kept his beaming smile on while in the hospital.
If anyone saw his face on his way home ,it was the face of despair , more tonight than ever .
As he drove , he mused about his life . What had he really accomplished ? Nothing really .Although he was born a Parsi , he had been an agnostic all his life . He had studied every religion in depth . He believed there was a purpose for humans beings on earth .
Instead of driving home , he drove to Chowpatty beach and sat down in the sand under a palm tree . He was alone . The whole city was in revelry , parties everywhere beyond midnight into the new year .
As he looked upwards towards the heavens and its countless stars , he recalled all the sweet , beautiful children with inoperable and incurable cancers of the brain and other organs, looking shyly up at him as he made his daily rounds .
There was blind faith in their innocent eyes in the beginning which would change to hopelessness towards their last days .
As each child died , a part of him seemed to die piece by piece ,until he felt he was nothing but an empty shell.
It had been his regular nighttime habit to walk on his terrace and talk to this Power , this Creator of the universe by telepathy , demanding some explanation for the tamashas in this world .
Tonight was no different .
“Here I am again, Lord with our one way talk .Where are you ? Busy creating more misery for some other planet ? All this Karma and rebirth is nothing but an excuse you planted into our beliefs , isn’t it . We say that children are dearest to God . What mercy have you shown your children ?I can’t go on living anymore . Jut take me out of this miserable existence . “
It was the hour of midnight going into the new year .Someone was listening up there .
The first pain started in Dr. Homi’s left jaw, then radiated along his left shoulder going like a burning knife into his chest.
Being a doctor , he realized it was a massive heart attack and that he was going to die . His wish was being granted .
But in spite of the pain, in the last minutes of hi life , a vision seemed to creep up in his mind .
At the same time , a strange phenomenon was taking place at the children’s cancer ward.
The watchman , the nursing staff all felt an over bearing drowsiness , almost going in to a hypnotic trance .It was as if time stood still.
Through the door of the terminal childrens’ ward strode Dr. Homi. One by one every child became wide awake and alert .
“ Look look , ! Dr. Homi has come back. “
There was something different tonight , however ..
Although he was their same old beloved Dr. Homi , with that compassionate smile , he seemed to walk.. almost float inches above the floor .
He seemed to have a golden glow coming from within , lighting him up , almost as if the stars from the sky were clustering in his body moving in fluid motion .
As he went from one child to another , he passed his hand like a blessing over each one ..some of the star dust seemed to settle over each child and get absorbed in each body .
As he went from one child to another , he passed his hand like a blessing over each one ..some of the star dust seemed to settle over each child and get absorbed in each body .
The ache and pains within each child started evaporating and a tremendous feeling of well being filled one and all.
Some started smiling, laughing and crying at the same time .
The debilitated ones felt a new energy within and started hopping and jumping out of bed .
All hopeless feeling was gone , replaced with a burst of new energy and joy as any normal child displays .
As the last child received the stardust out of Dr. Homi’s hand , he turned around , lovingly looked upon all the children and seemed to dissolve through the wall , never to be seen again .
At that moment , the nursing staff woke up to the pandemonium in the terminal children’s ward . They were all on their feet jumping with joy , running around , doing pillow fights and what not .It was unbelievable .
Although the kids did not know it , they would live a long life . All tests henceforth would show that their cancers were shrinking and would be permanently gone .
The following morning , as a cleaning woman started collecting garbage on Chowpatty beach , she saw Dr. Homi’s dead body against the trunk of the palm tree.
The police came and the body was identified .
Dr. Homi had the most beautiful smile at the time of death.
Perhaps someone up there was listening after all .
© jaijui., all rights reserved.
In case you missed...
Some other recent posts by jaijui
© 1998-2008 Copyright Sulekha.com Connecting Indians Worldwide, All Rights Reserved.
Recommend
votes