The occasion was a conference at Raichur. My colleague, myself and 2 lady doctors (both post graduate students) were travelling together. First lap of the journey was to Hyderabad by flight. It was a pleasant journey and was uneventful. We were supposed to reach Raichur by road - an Innova was arranged for the purpose. We had to wait for some time at the airport for the arrival of the vehicle. It was a new Innova.
After about an hour's delay, the vehicle reached us and we got into it.
The driver hit the road and was travelling at a speed of about 120 Km / hour when an unforeseen incident happened. It was a 8 lane expressway 4 lanes on the either side of a broad divider in the middle with plants planted in it. . A huge truck was slowly travelling on the extreme right lane slowly. In fact, he should have taken the extreme left lane - but that is how the truck and the bus drivers drive with no rules followed and no civic sense. My colleague who was sitting in the front, turned back and started talking to me (I was sitting on the backseat). As I was speaking to him, I could see the road at the periphery of my visual field. I thought I saw a small dot which moved. To my horror, I suddenly realized that it was a human being. I saw it at a distance of about 2 KMs and it took us barely a few seconds to reach that area at that speed. He must have felt that we are fay away and must have tried to cross the road. He came right in front of our vehicle, hit the windshield and was thrown off bleeding from the mouth,nose and ears and was deeply unconscious. We stopped our car. Reflexly, I knelt down to examine him for signs of life and to try to save hi till he reached a hospital. After checking him for 3 minutes I found only a feeble pulse and no respiration at all. I frantically called the patrol police and they scoffed at my suggestion. I also realized that I was on the same road exposed to the same risk as the person who just died.
With nothing better to do, we stood at the roadside hoping for some vehicle to take us. To our bad luck, KSRTC buses were full and Andhra buses were running full. A burly gentleman stopped his car and held me by my arm and invited all of us to travel with him. He looked like a antisocial person but then, was the only hope for us. I persuaded my friends to get in. He promised to drop us at the next station. To our continuing bad luck, no vehicles were to be found in that place. He voluntarily took us to 2 more stations where the same fate awaited us. The he took us to a toll gate where all vehicles had to stop compulsorily. He saw to it that we got in. We had to stand. We offered the 2 available seats to the ladies.
Then I asked him the million dollar question - why did he chose to help us? His answer was simple - you tried to help my man - all along risking your own life! He went on to add that we would have been promptly robbed of all our cash and valuables in the next 30 minutes by a gang of highway robbers. When I asked him how he knew all this, his reply was short and shocking. Her was a reformed member of the gang! The person who died was a current member - a petty pickpocket!
Most of my professional career I worked at the Wenlock Hospital - drawing a salary 25% of what I would have had I worked in the corporate side. I enjoyed my teaching job and treating the poor patients. I think these poor patients bless us from the bottom of their hearts and the blessings do work. There were many instances in my life where I got this feeling repeatedly. I do not have any other explanation for the timely help that we got that day. Do you agree?
After about an hour's delay, the vehicle reached us and we got into it.
The driver hit the road and was travelling at a speed of about 120 Km / hour when an unforeseen incident happened. It was a 8 lane expressway 4 lanes on the either side of a broad divider in the middle with plants planted in it. . A huge truck was slowly travelling on the extreme right lane slowly. In fact, he should have taken the extreme left lane - but that is how the truck and the bus drivers drive with no rules followed and no civic sense. My colleague who was sitting in the front, turned back and started talking to me (I was sitting on the backseat). As I was speaking to him, I could see the road at the periphery of my visual field. I thought I saw a small dot which moved. To my horror, I suddenly realized that it was a human being. I saw it at a distance of about 2 KMs and it took us barely a few seconds to reach that area at that speed. He must have felt that we are fay away and must have tried to cross the road. He came right in front of our vehicle, hit the windshield and was thrown off bleeding from the mouth,nose and ears and was deeply unconscious. We stopped our car. Reflexly, I knelt down to examine him for signs of life and to try to save hi till he reached a hospital. After checking him for 3 minutes I found only a feeble pulse and no respiration at all. I frantically called the patrol police and they scoffed at my suggestion. I also realized that I was on the same road exposed to the same risk as the person who just died.
With nothing better to do, we stood at the roadside hoping for some vehicle to take us. To our bad luck, KSRTC buses were full and Andhra buses were running full. A burly gentleman stopped his car and held me by my arm and invited all of us to travel with him. He looked like a antisocial person but then, was the only hope for us. I persuaded my friends to get in. He promised to drop us at the next station. To our continuing bad luck, no vehicles were to be found in that place. He voluntarily took us to 2 more stations where the same fate awaited us. The he took us to a toll gate where all vehicles had to stop compulsorily. He saw to it that we got in. We had to stand. We offered the 2 available seats to the ladies.
Then I asked him the million dollar question - why did he chose to help us? His answer was simple - you tried to help my man - all along risking your own life! He went on to add that we would have been promptly robbed of all our cash and valuables in the next 30 minutes by a gang of highway robbers. When I asked him how he knew all this, his reply was short and shocking. Her was a reformed member of the gang! The person who died was a current member - a petty pickpocket!
Most of my professional career I worked at the Wenlock Hospital - drawing a salary 25% of what I would have had I worked in the corporate side. I enjoyed my teaching job and treating the poor patients. I think these poor patients bless us from the bottom of their hearts and the blessings do work. There were many instances in my life where I got this feeling repeatedly. I do not have any other explanation for the timely help that we got that day. Do you agree?
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