Secret of God's bounty

- by KParthasarathi 21 Aug 2008
http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=ed120066-f5a3-41dd-96e7-3e7dec0e34a4

This story has been read 37 times. Sunita heard the ring of the cell phone twice when she was taking her bath. Even as she was dressing herself there was another call. It was her son-in-law Manoj. “Ma, Sonali as you know was having mild pain since early morning. As the labour pain increased in its intensity and frequency, I have admitted her in the nursing home. The gynaecologist feels a caesarean may be necessary. They will wait for some time more before they begin the procedure. Please come immediately. My mom is also not here.” Sunita replied “I am on my way and will be there very soon.” The doctor had predicted delivery only after two or three days and it was a surprise how they could go wrong.

Even as she was rushing out of her house in her car, she heard a shriek from a woman from one of the huts in the bustee opposite her house. She asked the driver to stop the car. When the shrieks continued at intermittent short intervals, she asked the driver to ascertain what it was about. She thought someone was hurting the woman. The driver came back running and said “Memsahib, some young woman is in labour pain. There is none around. All the nearby huts are locked as the inmates must have gone for work.”

Sunita thought for a moment.Sonali was in the safe hands of a doctor at the nursing home and Manoj was also there. A few minutes delay should not matter.Sunita rushed to the hut and found the young woman on the verge of delivery. She was around her daughter’s age. Her maternal instincts did not allow her to leave her there in that condition. Without giving a second thought, she took the woman with driver’s help to the car and rushed to a government hospital nearby. The doctor in the emergency realised the urgency and took the woman directly to the labour room. He came out after a while and said “The case seems complicated. We are tying our best. The head gynaecologist is attending on her. Please fill up the forms meanwhile.” She could have left the hospital then but decided to wait in view of the likely complications. May be they would ask for some payment and it was better she felt that she stayed there. She rang up Manoj and found that Sonali was still in the labour room and the doctors are waiting for some more time.

It was a long and an excruciating wait for more than an hour in the smelly corridors of the hospital and her thoughts were around Sonali. When a nurse came out to announce the birth of the baby, she was relieved to hear that the woman had given delivery to a baby boy after a complicated caesarean procedure and that everything was fine. She saw her from near the door and waved at her telling her that she would see her in the evening.

Even as she hurriedly climbed the stairs of the nursing home, she saw Manoj rushing towards her. ”Ma, I was about to call you on cell phone.Sunita is fine and gave delivery to a twin, a boy and girl. The doctor, who came out of the labour room, said with a broad grin “Congratulations. You have become a nani of two good looking babies. I expected some problems initially but luckily everything went smooth by God’s grace. You can see her after thirty minutes.”

Sunita knew that it was her act of prompt help to the woman must have pleased the God and helped Sonali in safe delivery. "Paropakaram Idham Sareeram" says the scriptures. Paropakaraya vahanthi nadhyaka, paropakaraya duhanthi gavaha, paropakaraya palanthi vriksha, paropakaraya sareeram ethath. Sunita had after all sacrificed her time and her desire to be with her daughter when she needed her most for the sake of helping the hapless woman. This selfless act had not gone in vain.

Kpartha12@hotmail.com