Manipal days I

That day, 28th of May, myself and Three of my friends were going for lunch. I rode on my new bike along with Kamal. I was proud of doing that. Rajeevan rode his pulsar with Vipesh behind him. The food we got in our canteen was not of good quality. We had the food court near our building, but that was an option, which emptied our pockets! So we used to go outside in search of Kerala meals. This was our usual practice for past Two weeks. That day Rajeevan had no breakfast and was hungry so that we left earlier.

Even though our destination was to the right, we had to turn to the left, go almost half a kilometer and then take a U-turn. I used to go through the left side of the road so that I had to take care of vehicles from one side only. However, that day I tried out something new. After taking the U-turn I kept along the side of the divider which also had the same advantage. As I moved on a car came from behind and was overtaking me. I did not keep my foot on the brakes as it had enough speed to go away. (Such things should come as a reflex action, while I was doing everything after a thought! After all, I had very little experience of riding it. But it was improving day by day and that was the day on which I rode to office the best way I ever did. Vipesh had also accompanied me in my morning journey). As the car was overtaking me, it came closer to me and I went closer to the divider. Suddenly my vehicle stuck with the divider, and I fell down. I went ahead skidding along with the vehicle with my right leg beneath it. I tried holding the grass on the divider with my right hand. It was of no use but gifted my palm with a deep wound filled with mud. It all happened in the wink of an eye. When the vehicle stopped moving I saw Kamal coming running from behind. He tried lifting me, but I asked him to lift the vehicle. He did the same; I got up, removed the helmet and sat on the divider. I looked at my vehicle, to see if anything happened to it. Nothing serious was visible. I realized that the wound was on my right knee where my trousers were torn.

Kamal seemed confused of what to do. He immediately called Rajeevan and asked to return. People stopped their vehicles and came to see what happened. I found that I was sitting opposite to my office's entrance. There were auto-rickshaws parked outside the gate. But none came to take me to hospital, as they also had to take the U turn and travel about a Kilometer! By the time, Rajeevan and Vipesh reached there. Suddenly a taxi car stopped in front of us and my friends managed to get me in. Vipesh also got in along with me. Kamal got in into the front seat. By the time, somebody had informed my colleagues in office, and they came rushing. Rajeevan along with them took care of the vehicle.

We rushed to Manipal Hospital, the nearest. Vipesh seemed much tensed seeing blood on my hand and knee. I told him that I lost a biriyani that Rajeevan had promised me. The mud inside the wounds prevented them from bleeding much! I had seen this hospital many a times while going to office by bus, and had wondered how big it is! Now I was just inside it. I was taken to casualty in a wheel chair and Kamal walked in. One person came and put a collar around my neck. He started cleaning the wound on my palm. He poured hydrogen peroxide into the wound. I felt deep pain. But I was happy to see the dirt coming out leaving the wound clean. I asked him to check if there were any stones inside and he found two or three. Then he turned to my elbow. He poured the same thing there. That was a terrible experience. I felt as if kerosene was poured and fire was lit! He told it is still contaminated, covered it with bandage and removed my trousers with scissors. He used H202 for cleaning there also and covered it with bandages. There were small aberrations beneath the knee up to the ankle. Those were also cleansed and bandaged. Then he left.

I laid down alone. My mind was blank. I accepted that I was wounded and will have to take rest for some days. I thought of ways to get rid of the pain. That reminded about Bhagvan Ramana Maharshi. He had cancer and observed it as if it was on some one else’s body. I tried to look at me from above as if somebody else was lying on the bed wounded. I understood how great Ramana Maharshi was! But it gave me some sort of relief. I found that some wire was connected to me through one of my fingers on the left hand. I heard a beep-beep sound from behind and turned my head there. I learned that it was from the machine connected to my finger. I could see uneven waves on the screen. I had seen such an instrument in films, connected to highly critical patients. As per my understanding, it is for measuring heartbeat. I wanted to know if it really was. I tried to inhale and exhale slowly; it had some influence on the graphs shown. I tried very fast breathing, which could also influence the graphs. Now I wanted it to be uniform and harmonious. I used some breathing techniques that would relax the body. I could very well hear my heart beat. Slowly it came down. Now the waves seemed beautiful. My naughty mind made me hit my finger against the thigh and found that the waves became disturbed.

I was taken to X-Ray room. Vipesh also came along. One of my colleagues Krishnan had also reached by the time. I asked them about Kamal, was happy to know that he was fine, and had only a small wound on his leg. Both of them also came into the X-Ray room with special dressing. I was not able to shift on to the bed there. Therefore, they had to adjust their equipments, bringing it near my body to take the snaps. Different photographs from different angles were taken. Once everything is ready, the leader of the team would cry out “EXPOSE”. Suddenly all of them expect my friends went behind a wall. It reminded me one of the games that I used to play in my childhood. I made comments about Vipesh wearing that dress and he smiled. All the formalities were over and I was taken back. I asked Vipesh to call Shameer who was my roommate. I was taken to the casualty and other friends who had arrived by that time came to see me. One of them told me not to look at a foreigner lady lying next bed. I looked at her and told that she was beautiful. The situation turned very relaxed. Vipesh collected my username and password, to take some printouts required for medical insurance. Rajeevan told me not to inform home and make them tensed. He explained me the pros and cones and left the decision to me. By the time Shameer had reached. Others went back to office and he came to me. Now it was about 5.30. He looked very serious and tensed. I told him about the lady next bed. By that time, the view was curtained. I told him that it was done to rescue her from me. He too smiled and told he had called Rajesh, who also lived with me.

In between, some doctors came and examined me. Thee or Four of them came, opened my wound and dressed it up. Two of the junior were speaking in Malayalam as if it was alien to me. They wondered whether X ray photographs were taken or not. I replied in Malayalam and they were surprised to hear that. I asked them to remove the collar around my neck as it was annoying. He loosened it and asked me to never tell his name if somebody asks. It gave some sort of relief. They told me that my wound was contaminated and there was no enough facilities in casualty to clean it and I will be taken to Operation Theatre(OT as they pronounced) to clean it. A doctor senior to them came and opened the bandage. He told me that he would clean the wounds next day morning. I wanted them to be cleansed that day itself. But I agreed to him. After a few minutes, a more senior Doctor came to see my wound. He opened it and exclaimed “this is a very bad wound!” He asked the junior doctor to do the surgery that day itself. And he agreed.

Rajesh reached around 6.30. I asked him to call home and inform the situation. He dialed my brother’s number and kept the phone on to my cheeks. My brother was playing cricket in a nearby ground. Still he picked up and I explained him the situation. I asked him not to worry and told him that there were no fractures. I was told that I would be given a room by 7'O clock. I wanted to have a piss. I waited for the room. It was 7.15, I asked for a bedpan. I was not able to do it lying down, as that was not the habit. I sat up and again failed. I stood up with the attendee holding me. This time I succeeded. I felt great relief in spite of increased pain on my leg. I was shifted to the room around 7.30.

I called my father. He was on the way. I told him not to worry, and reminded him to bring his medicines. I was not allowed to eat or drink. I had a glass of water almost 8 hours ago. They wanted me to wear their uniform before going to OT. I told trousers were not needed, as they will be removed anyway. Still I had to wear that too. I wore a uniform after Six years. I was taken to OT around 9. There I spoke to the doctor about where my wounds were. I asked him to give at least local anesthesia. He assured me that I would be given full anesthesia. That instrument got connected to my nose. The pain was haunting me. So I took breath as fast as possible and slept. When I woke up, all the wounds were dressed; the wound on the palm was stitched. I wore no uniform. The clock showed 11. I was shifted back to room. Shameer was waiting sleepless. I had vomiting, but nothing except air was there inside. I was told that I could eat only after 2'O clock. Shameer had bought some bread. I waited until the prescribed time, took permission from the duty nurse and had them. After that, I tried to sleep. I woke around 3.30 and found Shameer sitting on his bed starring at me. He was afraid that I might fall down. I asked him to raise the gate like structures present on both sides of my bed and sleep. I was touched by his love and dedication. I felt sorry for him. I could not sleep that night…