Accidental (short story).

This is a short story written by me.

In the state of Kerala, that lies in the southern part of India. One unfortunate afternoon, two motor cars collided with each other on a deserted road that runs along the stretch of a river. As some of the passengers of the cars lay bloodied and injured inside their respective cars, a police officer passed by. The police officer was dressed in civil clothes at that time. He tried his hand at helping the injured passengers out of the partially damaged cars. Two boys who were doing their higher secondary course in a school happened to come by that way. They were returning home after taking examination at school. They too joined in and soon the trio was able to bring the accident victims out of their respective cars and also give them first aid. At that time a bus full of passengers happened to pass through that road. A young man sitting near the bus conductor’s seat in the bus requested to the bus conductor, “Sir, I know that this is not the bus stop. Still, will you please stop the bus here for a few seconds? I wish to help the injured people lying over there. Seems to be a car accident.”

The bus conductor was known among all his acquaintances for his human nature. Here also, the bus conductor showed his human side, by ringing the bell for the bus to stop for a few seconds. The young man, who requested for the bus to stop, got down with his bag in tow and the bus resumed its journey. The young man also joined the police officer and the school boys in helping the accident victims. The police officer telephoned an ambulance. It was only when they heard the conversation between the police officer and the person at the other end, did the students and the young man realise that this plainclothesman was in fact, a police officer. The police officer asked the school boys to tell him their respective names and the telephone number of their school, which they readily gave. The police officer jotted down the same on a piece of paper. The police officer had made up his mind, to inform the school authorities later that day, that these two boys readily came forward to help accident victims and, to request the school authorities to appreciate the duo in school assembly. When the ambulance came, the police officer thanked the school boys and bid them bye for the time being. The police officer and the young man got into the ambulance alongwith the accident victims and started their journey towards the hospital.

After getting the accident victims admitted to the hospital and completing the necessary formalities, the police officer and the young man had a small conversation. During the conversation, the young man told the police officer, “When I see a policeman or a policewoman in their khaki uniform, I am reminded of my own elder sister. She passed away when I was in lower primary classes.”

Police officer: “I am so sorry to hear that. My respects to the braveheart.. In which police station was she posted the last time? And how did she pass way?”

Young man: “She was not in the Kerala Police. She worked in another state, outside Kerala. One day, on her way back home from work, she met with an accident and died on the spot. Her husband – my brother-in-law –was not even twenty-five years of age at that time, and their son just one and a half years old. My sister’s untimely demise was unbearable for my brother-in-law. He could not bring himself to believe that she is no more. To my brother-in-law, my sister was as dear as his own life. She also loved him as deeply as her own life. They were friends right from their NCC days. Later their friendship progressed to romance and they got married. He worked, and still works, in a private firm in the same district where she was posted the last time.”

Young man: “One of the reasons why I always try to help accident victims, is my dear brother-in-law. After my sister’s death, my brother-in-law was completely broken from inside. Somehow he was unable to come to terms with the fact that my sister is no more. He spent three or four months in tears, completely sad, feeling hopeless. At first, he even refused to have food and one of our elder relatives had to spoon feed him with her own hands for some days, gently talking to him and consoling him with maternal affection. One of my male cousins slept in my brother-in-law’s room daily to console him. For four months, he even did not go to office. His seniors understood his situation and gave him loss of pay leave of absence. His friends occasionally visited him and talked with him. Finally after four months, my bother-in-law decided to go back to work. In the morning, he left his son at a relative’s house for the day and rode his motorcycle to work. On his way to office from the relative’s house he met with an accident. He was thrown off his motorcycle and fell on the road. He lay there unconscious, injured, bleeding and with broken bones, till a school boy came and took my brother-in-law to hospital. The boy saved my brother-in-law’s life. That road was deserted. If that boy had not helped my brother-in-law, I would have lost my brother-in-law. That day, I also decided that, in future, I will help accident victims on the road and take them to hospital. My brother-in-law spent three months in hospital and the next three months recovering at home. By the end of six months, he was recovered completely from all injuries and was back to his former self. He is fine now. ”

????????? The young man’s words made the police officer thoughtful. The police officer remembered the time he was a school student and the day he wrote his higher secondary examinations for the first time. The police officer asked the young man the name of the latter’s brother-in-law and the place and year where the accident took place. The young man answered correctly..

Police officer: “I am the one who saved your brother-in-law...”

Hearing this, the young man was overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness.

The police officer continued, “... My father was employed under the central government. So, I have studied in different schools, in different states. When I did my higher secondary course, my family and I were staying in the same state where your sister and her family were staying, in the same district. In fact, your sister’s house was at a motorable distance from my house, but we did not know each other. One day, I was cycling to school, as usual, in the morning, to take my higher secondary examination. I had already took the examination in four papers in the previous days and that day, I was to write the fifth one. On the way, I saw your brother-in-law lying injured, unconscious and bleeding on the road. His motorcycle was also lying nearby, on the road. In those days, there were no mobile phones. So, I cycled to the nearby telephone booth and telephoned a hospital for an ambulance. When the ambulance came, I accompanied your brother-in-law to the hospital. After leaving him at the hospital, I was not able to wait till his relatives come. I took a bus to my school from the bus stop near the hospital, but I was late for my examinations. When, I reached the school, only half an hour was left for the examination to end. I was happy that I saved the life of a human being.? So, I failed that year, and had to write my higher secondary examinations all over again the next year, but I scored high marks. After graduating, I joined the police, and here I am.”

Young man: “Sir, I am so grateful to you. You saved my brother-in-law. It is due to you that my brother-in-law is alive and fine now. My brother-in-law and I are good friends now. You are great. I am greatly obliged to you for what you did that day.”

Policeman: “What is your brother-in-law doing now? How is your nephew doing?”

Young man: “Sir, My brother-in-law and nephew still lives in the same city. Five years after my sister’s death, my brother-in-law remarried. My family and I also attended the wedding. The couple have two more children now. My nephew also lives in the same house as them. My nephew is attending college now. I will telephone my brother-in-law and tell him and my nephew, that I met you today. They will be happy to hear this news. He has always wished to meet the person who saved his life that day.”

written by

Anju K

Email: [email protected]

Address:

'Sreyas', House no. 7/296, Pulliodi, Kathiroor, Ponniam east, Ponniam west. P. O, Thalassery, Kannur, Kerala - 670641, India.

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person or incident is purely coincidental.

Please write here your opinion about this story.