“I don’t know how I survived that massive accident. It led to 4 surgeries and 500 stitches in my body and made me truly aware that life is unpredictable.”
I am a man of the navy as well as a professional biker with a permit to ride all over India. I have been to different states and crossed mountain ranges on my bike. I do not say this to brag but to justify my case of being an alert rider out on a bike ride and not under the influence of any substance abuse.
I was leading my group of 4 riders on the mountain ranges near Maharashtra. Things were going good – the weather was great, the wind was pleasant. And then it happened. A bus appeared on the turn in a thunderous speed. The road on the mountains is narrow. The bus driver supposedly ignored us all as and came with full force on the road without any concern about the other people like us. I tried moving to the far inner edge of the road but the bus came closer to me with every second and then, it hit me straight on my head.
I have glimpses of what happened next as I floated in and out of consciousness for the next 48 hours – my friends urgently called up an ambulance, put me in with the help of a nurse, admitted me in a hospital where doctors began my treatment, called my parents who rushed to the hospital for me.
This was the start of the toughest yet the most meaningful month of my life.
I was confined to a wheelchair for next 2 months straight as surgeries were scheduled and doctor visits were made for innumerable times. In the following months, I had 4 surgeries which put 7 screws in my knees and two plates in my arm. I was treated for multiple fractures and torn knee ligaments – all leading to 500 stitches. There were weeks when I couldn’t swallow food morsels. The pain of my wounds wouldn’t let me sleep nor would let me lie awake peacefully. I was breaking down internally, especially when I saw how my parents looked devastated at the possibility that I might never walk the same way again.
I realised that showing my despair would only increase the pain of my parents. Hence, I convinced myself to smile and assure my Mom that I was fine and this entire incident was just a phase that would pass. Once while dressing my wounds, her protective instincts for me grew stronger than her benevolence. She asked me amidst tears – “Why did it happen to you out of so many people out there in the word biking at the same time as you? Why?”
I remember being silent for a while and then thinking out aloud to her, “Maybe because I am strong enough to bear this.”
Days passed and I began to heal. I truly realised the importance of friends and family in that time. Also, I understood that life is a very fleeting experience – it can go away in the blink of an eye, without a prior warning. Hence, it is important to be grateful for every moment we get here, it is all such precious time.
Now, considerable time has passed since that incident and I am trying to regain the health I had prior to the incident. I am sure that with regular exercise, I will be fine. I am also going back to the Navy soon.
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