Precious moments of life...

We touch & create history at many turns of our life but we often ignore them as the real turning points until one day when we rediscover them as the most precious moments of our life when we really touched someone's heart at the core. Korba is the place where I spent 10 years of my life. I have many precious moments here to cherish about but all of them were surpassed when I rediscovered this particular precious moment one day. Since the Ripur zonal office was yet to be made fully functional I was roped in to help the project for this task. This time after 10 years I came back to korba plant for conducting this meeting. Since most of the issues were not known to me I reached the project four days in advance. The little picturesque township was always at the core of my heart. While in the morning walk I was passing by the very same quarter I used to live , I felt a thrust of sweet memories filled in my heart. The same old soft morning light as if has returned again. The weeds and the jungles are everywhere shows a mark of negligence and poor township maintenance. This portion of the township was handed over to M/S Starlight industries ever since the BALCO plant was sold off to them 8 years ago. Today is Sunday morning. This part of the township is still sleeping lazily. The staircase below which I used to park my motorcycle is still there and what more another motor cycle is parked in the same place. This was time when I used to come out with my small daughter Aki on my shoulder and we would roam about the township on motorcycle. In the morning 16 years ago I would go to fetch milk from a nearby milkman's house just outside of the township . Aki would come along holding on my lap and chewing the collar of my shirt in full concentration. Today I find another man rushing down the street with a milk can and a small girl following her on a bicycle. This part of the gate is closed so they are going by the other direction.

The lazy young engineer merely a boy who went to bed late last night after partying is kicking his motorcycle to rush for the morning shift duty. Another engineer who is at the plant now is cursing this boy for relieving him late. It's all the same acts being reenacted again only with the different actors and at different time. I know this same lazy young engineer when will be asked for collecting a rear AB- blood for some unknown attendant's son who has been beaten by snake bite would drop all the mediocrity and would move in lightening speed to organize man and money for everything. It's all there in our mind and spirit here in korba to get the humanity moving. I remember a similar day twenty years back here in this same plant. I was in third night duty on a triple night trail. Moreover last evening we had a party at club which I had to organize staying awake all the previous days without sleep. Time has come after this night shift and I was about to kick my motor cycle for the long waited sleep when our supply labor Raghu came crying to me. Sir, save my son, he's is snake beaten What happened ? Even before Raghu answered anything I picked him on my motor cycle and told him to show the direction. In less than 15 minutes we scouted along the canal side road and reached Raghu's home which is in the lower side of the right bank canal of the HASDEO river. Snake bite is very common in this area. The boy has been beaten by the nasty snake in the left calf muscle. Profuse bleeding has taken place . The local 'gunin' did more harm to the boy in his effort to save him. The little boy is hardly 10 years of age lying senseless on the pool of blood. My sixth sense says Raghu's son is still alive. I told Raghu to pick up his son and together I rode my bike at the top speed along the narrow road on the right bank canal. On a normal day I would not dare to ride that narrow road . A small sleep would have been enough to send all three of us into the canal but this moment is different now. In less than half an hour we reached the Korba project hospital emergency ward. One look at the boy and the experienced Nurse immediately knew it was a snake bite case. She called the doctor on duty who along with some other nurses rushed the boy to the treatment room. Raghu holding my hand started crying. I told him to have faith in god because he has eyes everywhere. One nurse came back and asked me that we need AB- blood immediately as the boy had a good amount of bleeding. ' Good god, I am AB- , take my blood' , I almost shouted on excitement. ' not one , we need at least three bottles of blood..' I called Ankush at Unit no-2 whom I know is a great party organizer. Ankush , our supply labor Raghu's son is snake bitten..... We need three bottles of AB- blood here in emergency, I'm AB- but that's only one bottle...

I was led to another cold bed for blood transfusion. The young nurse was little hesitant at the beginning when he knew that I had three night shifts in a row without rest during the morning hours but the boy's life was more important. In less than one hour time two more people arrived at the hospital for blood, all organized by Ankur .. One more bottle AB- blood was collected. The anti venom serum administered by the doctor did the work. The poison in the little body got neutralized but the doctor was in doubt whether the little brain was fully functional or not as the nuroresponses were not ok. He also warned us that we may have to shift the boy to Bhilai hospital in case the brain does not response properly. It was a very painful wait for Raghu. I assured him not to worry for money as Me and Ankur had already talked on that and Ankur collected RS:1000 from all the B group people. The drip was continued. In the waiting hall Raghu was praying silently while I slept on the chair beside him. The little boy regained sense after 12'O clock. The doctor broke the news that the brain was functioning alright and he will be OK by evening. Wah ! I shouted for Raghu and Raghu silently made a salute to an invisible god. However, the doctor needed some costly medicine which were to be purchased from market. I picked up Raghu on my motor cycle and went to 'Drug Deal' the popular medicine shop. I did not have so much money but the shopkeeper has seen me earlier so he gave it on credit. After dropping Raghu to the hospital with the medicines when I thought it was time to go for my much needed sleep, Raghu holding my hand started crying silently. Tear was rolling down all along his torn face. I told him to go and sit beside his son. Meanwhile I told Ankur to detour hospital after completing his morning shift duty which he agreed readily. The boy was released next day. Since then time has rolled on relentlessly to months and years and then two decades later today here Raghu has come to meet me with his son. The little boy of that day is a strong young man now. On Raghu's instruction as the young man moves to touch my feet I moved back and stopped him. Raghu, requested me to let his son to touch my feet as it was his privilege to be here for me. I asked Raghu what his son was doing now. Sir, my father has always told me about your generosity years back in saving my life, he has always inspired me to be a person like you. In fact my father has always set you as a benchmark for me to be in career , The boy expressed shyly. And because of my father's persistence , I don't know when you became my mentor and benchmark , The boy touched my feet.

Raghu told me that his son, Ramu has become engineer from Raipur College of engineering. Now he is doing job of junior engineer in the chhattisgarh state electricity board. I chuckled at Raghu and his son. I said , Ramu , that day what I did was all normal, if it was not me somebody else would have done it, I was fortunate that I became a part of the history that day. Sir, rather I'm even more fortunate , since that day I got a direction for my life and my lovely father taught me a dream to aspire for , Ramu was extremely generous. Now I patted on Ramu's back. Raghu was standing motionless , his eyes were moist. Silently he hold my hand and touched his forehead. Raghu, that day you spoiled my shirt by crying but don't do that today. Go and bring sweet for all, This is a day to celebrate the success of your son. Ramu opened up a bag and extended a big box of sweet towards me - This is for you, Sir. My father has brought it specially to suit your test. He knows that you don't like too much sweet, Sir.

Oh! thank you ,Ramu I took one sweet and then return . As I had a meeting to attend I told Ramu to meet me together with his father at guest house in the evening. The proud father and son left , leaving behind an all encompassing aura of happiness. Unknowingly I don't know when my eyes became moist. We create history all the while we live on this planet only later when these moments of history gets reevaluated we understand how big the moment was in touching someone at the deep of the heart. Nothing can be more rewarding than touching someone so deep that the moment turns some life even brighter , better and higher. I know that Raghu , Ramu & I will cherish this memory for all our life. Life is so beautiful & rewarding. S.Bera Powai