Accident

From ages million stories told and written, ages to come many more to be written and told. Turning million chapters within fraction of second never seems exhausted the worldly author keeps writing on and on. Poor living beings continue to act accordingly without trying to unfold the mystery.

The following true incident is not a mysterious one but a simple act by a sober person Hariom. In his late twenties, slim statured, ever smiling, candid in heart and soul, thinking always of helping somebody needful. He had recently suffered with some losses in his yet another business failure. Thinking of a bad phase passed by, he kept on moving in his life.

One day he received a call from his paternal aunt requesting his presence to guide her elder son in his newly established fast food centre. Eventually he asserted as he was also desperate to have a change in his routine. So with his regular usable belongings he migrated to his aunt’s place. It was neither a developed city nor an under-developed village, so presume it a rural-city. No air, no rail route only little bit of a 3 K.M. highway stretch passing through the rural-city. In between this 3 K.M. everything was available. Some 1 K.M. away from her house, Hariom’s aunt owned the highway facing shop. Hariom on reaching the location came to know that the shop was totally vacant. Not even a chair to sit on, he realised the fact that aunt was totally depended on Hariom to start the Hotel from a scratch. Never minding he happily accepted that after all he will be guiding his own cousin. He was lastly doing a Hotel business, so there was no hurdle for him to start up with his cousin’s fast food centre.

For next one week they bought everything right from a fork to the refrigerator to start the fast food centre. With Satyanarayan pooja to initiate and availing blessings of lord, the inaugural took place.

Within a day of opening they employed a male servant to wash the spoiled utensils and couple of waiters to attend the customers. Three days passed but they cannot find a chef. This was the only burden on Hariom as his companion cousin couldn’t even light up the gas burner properly. In these situations Hariom had to act chivalrously or aunt will be disheartened.

Both cousin brothers daily opened the Hotel shutter at 6 in the morning and closed at 10 in the evening. They were getting excellent response for the south Indian and regional dish as well. The primary school and college nearby helped them with their customer base from morning till early in the evening, as the snacks were relished by the professors and the students similarly. The tea was famous with the customers and owners of the garages lined to the right and left of the Hotel. Eventfully, a week passed, it seemed as if they were running the Hotel from months. His cousin was struggling hard, but was trying to learn and that was an appreciable attempt of his. As all know teaching is easy and learning the toughest.

One afternoon perhaps it should have been 12:45 in the noon with only a couple of customer in the Hotel. Cousin had gone to the market with one waiter accompanying to help picking the vegetables. Hariom was on the cash counter busy watching towards the highway. The school had resumed with its afternoon shift as the tail-ender students of morning shift were happily returning towards their respective homes. Suddenly a scream, screech, and a thud sound with dreaded visuals jolted his brain membrane.

Without wasting a second he ran towards the highway and firmly stood in middle of it. Vigilant eyes staring towards his left to get a glimpse of the auto-rickshaw number which had just run down the two-wheeler riders. The auto-rider was in no mood to stop as he knew he was a culprit now. Hariom surely should have noted its number but another passing two-wheeler rider unknowingly dashed into him. Injuring his leg calves, wounding him instead, with just an apologetic gesture moved on. Forgetting himself, Hariom ran towards the accident spot. Responding quickly first he pulled aside the bike which was weighted on the victims. Two senior couples without any movements were lying on the highway. The impact was such that the pillion lady was thrown above the rider with her saree fall fully covering his torso. Hariom gently pulled her leg aside to check the under-lying male victim. He was unconscious lying with his face resting on the tar road.

He yelled towards his Hotel for somebody to bring some water. The lady gaining consciousness, started to react. Seeing the opportunity Hariom with a little help from her made her rest of the road. Quickly he returned towards the male victim, turning him over to face towards the sky. With blood rolling down his face the male victim was comatose. He tried every position and all his energy but cannot lift the male victim an inch. Thank goodness there was no heavy traffic on the highway; hence, people were surrounded all around Hariom and the victim watching the act. Elderly male victim was not responding and he cannot leave the person to die so definitely he has to change his stance. He screamed towards the circled mute stand-in onlookers.

Peacefully if nobody will help me lift this person and retain him safely off this road, I will be bashing each person standing over here.

Outrageous Hariom did what his conscience told him to do as it was the want of the situation. The above sentence proved spirited and 3-4 youngsters realising the fact came forward to help him. They all were trying to lift the male victim, when Hariom saw a vacant auto-rickshaw passing by, he instantly halted it.

These are elder couples gone through with a serious accident, so please take them to the hospital.

No sir, leave me alone I don’t want to get into any police matter, please help them with some another transportation.

Come on, dear, there will be a police matter if you don’t take them to the hospital instantly. Hey boys put the gentleman and the lady into the rickshaw.

Within no time the youngsters followed Hariom’s instructions placing both the victims into the auto-rickshaw. But the rickshaw driver really looked worried, so making him at ease Hariom said,

Listen, Brother, I could have come along with you, but I am alone here to attend my Hotel, so please excuse me. And if police interrogates with you, send them to my Hotel. My name is Hariom and I will be here until 10 P.M. So no need to be worried now please act fast.

With Hariom’s surety the auto-driver’s fear vanished and he quickly took the victims to the hospital.

No single person from the adjoining neighbourhood garages joined Hariom in the rescue operation. Instead all of them forming a coterie were going through with some important discussions. Couple of them followed Hariom into the Hotel.

We could also have done this rescue, as it doesn’t need any efforts. But we know the accident rules, as the department will start bothering us. You are new to this place and now you have to handle this matter on your own.

On humanitarian grounds a life should be saved whenever in distress, this is my prime motto brother. And the laws are the same in city and village of India. So don’t be worried about me, I may be new to this place but I am habited with saving lives. The Police know their duties and I will be standing here itself, helping the investigation in all possible ways.

They didn’t know that Hariom was a hard stuff to swallow easily. They even tried to fill the ears of his just arrived cousin from the market, but he also neglected them.

Humaneness don't requisite literacy, it comes from within. And this stuff of persons doesn’t comprise either of it. Hariom applied some antiseptic cream onto his wounded leg calves and relaxed on the cash counter.

One hour had passed when the department vehicle halted right in front of the Hotel. Wickedly gesturing one of the garage owners came towards Hariom.

See the police have arrived, now go and talk to them.You will come to know the rules of our country.

Surely, they’ll call and I’ll go, talk to them. If they intend to come they are welcome but what’s the problem with you brother? I’ll manage with them; you please go and manage your business.

A civil attired person alights the vehicle and enters the Hotel. After some brief conversation both accompanying reach towards the patrolling van. The inspector sitting inside the van starts his interrogation,

Did you note the culprit’s vehicle number?

No sir, I was trying to note it when another bike rider dashed into me from behind, injuring my leg. But sir, are the victims okay?

Do you recognise them? Do you know who they are?

No sir, actually I am a new arrival in this place.

They both are married couple and professors in the college near to your Hotel. Their son is a bureaucrat, posted in Mumbai. You have been a timely help for them, the lady is recovering, but a minute late to the hospital for the elderly male person should have been fatal. The lady told us that the culprit is the rickshaw driver and we have also found some links about him, so soon he will be behind the bars. It was really a good effort from you.

Thank you sir, have I got to come to the police station for further enquiries.

Who said so? You have done a lifesaving job, so nobody will harass you.

Thank you very much sir.

The advocates of rules and regulations were astounded to see the police van U-turn within short interval. Now it was Hariom’s turn for social pretensions.

See it was simple interrogations. The police even thanked me for this deed, and promised not returning and harassing anybody. Is everybody happy now? They will also be honouring me with some bravery emblems. You’ll miss the opportunity, but how could you help distressful when yourself you are fearful.

Some weeks passed, smooth and fine with the Hotel. Hariom's cousin learned enough to run it on his own managements. True with Harioms pretensions there were no further enquiries by the department.

Another afternoon when Hariom was in his own thoughts of returning to his home place, some customers arrived to have some coffee. One of the customer enquired Hariom,

Do you remember this elderly gentleman as he also doesn't remember you? But he was pursuing us to meet you.

Extremely sorry sir, I really don't remember him.

He is the same person who was saved by your timely help. He was unconscious at that time, now he is fine. As soon as he re-joined the college he firstly wanted to meet you, and hence we brought him here.

Dribbled eyes, pleasing smile Hariom immediately rushed towards the elderly person and tightly embraced him. It seemed as if he was embracing his own life. This was the happiest moment of him and he really wanted to cherish it.