One of the Memorable Days of My Life! (23 Oct 2010)

Day started @ 3.00am with Arun message Good Morning note (earlier evening we have proposed to go to Srisailam), I was already awake by then and after receiving message from Arun, made calls to Sameer & Lakshman to wake them up aswell. Sameer was also awake and no response from Lakshman for multiple calls. Got ready and picked up Sameer on my way to Sameer house Lakshman called back stating he was also ready, three of us went to Arun house to pick him aswell.

@ Arun house I moved to back seat and Sameer took over the wheels as I wanted to rest (but couldn’t), till we reached Sunnipenta it was really fun time, Lakshman and Arun were teaching Telugu to Sameer and the conversations were really entertaining. @ Sunnipenta we met Mr. Rami Reddy (former trust board member of Srisailam Temple) and he was supposed to help us for good darshanam to temple, from our discussions yesterday evening.
We first visited to Sakshi Ganapathi Temple (this was not the regular way I used to go, I always used to visit after darshanam of My Shiva), I feel myself walking behind power where nothing can stand in front of it, we had good archana in no time everything finished and we came out of temple. On way to Srisaila Devastanam from Sakshi Ganapathi Temple there is check post where every vehicle supposed to pay toll tax, as per predetermined rates. Mr. Reddy just waved his hand to the personal standing there and we were let to go, by now unknowingly my expectations were set very high by Mr. Reddy for darshanam.

We reached temple vicinity and observed almost every small or big vendors who resides there knows Mr. Reddy well and after reaching temple all we need to do is simply follow Mr. Reddy and first of its kind we went straight into "Garba Gudi" and we got an opportunity to offer great puja to My Shiva with Panchamrutham (Cow Milk, Curd, Ghee, Honey and Sugar) and followed by Sandalwood, Kumkum, Pasupu, Flowers and Coconut. I couldn’t expect anything more than this, my heart was heavy... I bowed to My Shiva touching my head to him and asked for “moksham” (freedom from bondage) before I could get out of that great feeling. This was my 23rd successful month visit to Srisailam on 23 Oct 2010. Followed by we completed Sri Bramarambha Devi Darshanam and collected Pulihora and Laddus as prasadam.

Started back to Sunnipenta to drop Mr. Reddy back after good breakfast, spent some quality time with him. Unknowing onto how to thank him for the most beautiful help in my life, I touched his feet to thank him as my gratitude. And we started back to home; actual plan was to stop at Amangal and have some fun time (arrangements were made by Lakshman) and move back to home after lavishing lunch.

Arun took over wheels from Sunnipenta and in middle of forest I took over the wheels. It was almost 3.00pm and I was feeling very hungry had to take break for lunch and again Arun took over wheels, had Pulihora and dadojanam (curd rice, got as prasadam), may be because of having dadojanam or may be lack of sleep went to second show earlier day and was back to home @ 12.30pm got sleep.

Facts are Facts....

I was sleeping in front seat beside Arun, Lakshman and Sameer were behind, It was around 4.30pm and was raining had a bad dream and in dream I see my car (Tata Safari VX) met with an bad accident and my car is rolling on the road and I suddenly feel acute pressure and pain on my chest and the fact is it was reality, whole car was on my chest I was half inside and half outside the car from window of the seat I was sitting in, rest of them were in car, my back and chest was getting suppressed badly by the car, I wasn’t able to breath, talk, call or shout.... all I could say was aaaaahhhhh.... aaaaahhhhh....aaaaahhhhh., in fraction of time people gathered there and men inside the car have also come out and pulled me out. I was bleeding from mouth (I bit my tongue badly), head (few dents), injury on my neck, behind left ear and scratches on my right leg... these were visible. As I recollect I was laid on the road and too much of gathering at the action spot and lot of noise by the people gathered there. I was literally not able to breath and was begging for oxygen with whatever I could manage to talk or act. My friends were in great trauma, as I was the only one injured badly and all of them were safe and fineby grace of god and ofcourse credit to Safari aswell. They were trying to organize for an ambulance.

Reality....

Accident happened 10kms away from Amangal and it happens to be an isolated place, my friends did their best to organize for 108 (ambulance service in Andhra Pradesh) but being a remote place the response was it would take 4hrs to reach (Hyderabad was 60kms away), so my friends managed to organize for a seven seated auto! The idea was to remove the seats in it and carry me in, by then it was almost 15-20min and I was still placed in the same place, pain was gradually increasing and my breathing level was also going down.

Initially I was against the decision of going in auto, as I was afraid that by back will be really put for a task which was already scratched by the mirror of the window and bad pain due to hard-pressed, but I started losing the confidence seeing my deteriorating condition and knowing the fact about ambulance I have agreed to travel in auto.

Travel Experience in Auto:

People around there slowly moved me into auto and Lakshman accompanied me to government hospital, which was 4-5kms away. I never knew journey of 4-5kms would take almost 45mins, I know I was the one shouted to go slow, but my wounded back and my condition of not able to breathe properly, even going slow showed hell to me in that 3 wheel monster. Also bad road condition was added asset to my journey, all the way when I was in auto I was just screaming, screaming and screaming out of pain. Finally destination has come and for me it was like heaven after such journey and was in high anticipation of oxygen.

Govt. Hospital - Broken into Tears and Lost hope of Life....

There was no one to help Lakshman and the auto driver to move me from auto into hospital, seeing me in that condition few people gathered there and they helped to move me on to an iron cot (without any mattresses or pillow on it) which was put in front of main door of hospital and I was not able to bear the pain which was increasing and my neck was also not supporting me.

Not sure what was happening inside but I could hear Lakshman was trying to call someone to look at me for first aid, I think first it was compounder/office boy who was there has attended me, and he was very stout with no common sense, his expectation was to explain the whole scenario by me in that condition so that he can treat me and on other side I was loose control on my breath. While Lakshman narrating the situation, this fool try’s to pull me up and down to see if Lakshman was stating true on wounds front, I regained some energy and shouted at him, on his acts. Finally comes the intelligent doctor to treat me, while I was not able to move an inch, doctor wanted me to turn upside down so that he could give injection on my back.

I couldn’t take this anymore, I just asked them to give me oxygen and leave me to my fate till the ambulance comes, but doctor coolly replied “oxygen ledu, meru oxygen alla expect chestunaru ikkada?” (oxygen, not available and how are you expecting oxygen here?) And simply walked away, asked for pillow multiple times but NO response. I could do nothing more, I was broken into tears and was realizing this was my last minute and I could think of my sister and my niece first, who will be all alone without any help once I leave this heavenly earth, followed by mother and my wife, poor girl married just 3 months back. Nothing else was going in my mind and my eyes started watering, I simply closed my eyes and said sorry to all of them and was waiting for my “moksham”.

Then latter few minutes I hear a voice Anna, Anna, Shastry Anna, and Arun was trying to wake me up, he came to hospital by taking lift. As I see him my first ask was” PLEASE HELP ME WITH PILLOW” and in no time he has arranged for it and I think Arun has sensed what is going on with me, he started boosting me saying Anna ambulance is on its way nothing will happen to you, I have organized for a private ambulance locally, since 108 has restrictions of area (till then even I was not aware of that fact).

But I was in no mood to get that, as I was already prepared for my last breathe, but wanted to pass on message to my people, asked Arun to convey apologies to my sister and mother and as my last wish I asked him to convey my wife to get married again and I broke into silent tears. Gave him a piece of advice not to trust politicians, but I think he couldn’t sustain to all that just walked away from me, probably he also had same gustier in mind about me and didn’t want to express.

My health started deteriorating more with every minute spent there, pain was getting more and was unable to breathe literally, added to that individual’s best guess, judgments, sympathy’s, criticism and what not everyone there had their own perceptions and comments on me.

Private Ambulance Service:

Finally ambulance has arrived Maruti Mini Omni; the ambulance driver was well versed and knows the rules of game. When people tried to lift me seeing the pain what I was going thru he just asked everyone not to lift me and brought equipment (stretcher kind of stuff, which can be made half in length and again rejoined) which helped me in lifting without minimal pain I was put inside the ambulance easily (probably first slight hope of existence). While I asking for oxygen driver rushed the car out of Govt. hospital vicinity and stopped the car after 100mrts from hospital and helped me with oxygen (and was saying Anna was not feeling comfortable there, so thought will first move him out from there and then given oxygen, presence of mind is very important in those kind of situations, which he had).

Ssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh finally I got what I wanted, I was feeling really better and I regained by confidence back, now I know for sure that I will survive, by then I see Sameer was also into the ambulance and it was raining heavily, but driver was at no compromise to go slow with heavy siren (I always wished to travel in RED light car, but now in this passion :-( , probably should be more precise in wishes) and people in the car started making calls to all important once, I pulled the mobile from Arun’s hand and dialed Suri Babu number and just handed over the mobile back to Arun, I know he is the one person I can trust and depend on at any given point of time and he will also ensure that I will be safe for sure once he is aware of situation come what may. I could hear and understand that Suri Babu cross questioning Arun, like how did you get this mobile (it was my mobile), who are you etc etc. and the conversation continued. (My bad, should introduce all my good friends to each other to avoid these kind of unpleasant interactions)

Sameer was religiously, actively and patiently checking my existence for every 5mins by calling Shastry kay bhai agey haa, bus todi dhoor hai haa, bus sambal naa (brother we are about to reach, just little distance more, just hold on OK) or he used call Shastry, Shastry and I remember couple of times he told I love you aswell. I either used to say ok bhai (brother) to him or use to make any signal (by raising hand, thumb, nodding head etc) and many times I have shouted at him not to disturb me, but he never stopped. Later I was told Arun was also one of the driving force behind Sameer. I had to answer every time not only for Sameer, but if I don’t respond Lakshman used scream from front seat calling Shastry hey Shastry and that was more disturbing than anything else.

I remember when the ambulance reached Shamshabad airport couple of more friends joined and took information about me and incident and headed towards the accident spot to take care of the vehicle and other legal formalities. Added to heavy rain, lot of traffic jam when the ambulance entered city, by then Suri Babu already called multiple times to know my status and where are we located, in how much time I would reach hospital (BTW I was taken to Apollo Jubilee Hills). As he was already at emergency counter @ Apollo.

@ Apollo:

We reached Apollo at 7.58pm (that was my admit time, may be couple of minutes before we might have reached) so many friends gathered at the entrance, everyone was saying don’t worry you will be fine, even I wanted to answer them yes I know I will be, but I was on oxygen mask. For a movement felt looks like the news spread rapid fast. I was rushed to emergency wing and in no time more than 3 doctors 2 nurses surrounded me and in no time many equipment’s were fixed on my whole body, Dr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal asked me multiple question after couple of tests and said don’t worry everything will be alright. I smiled and replied back don’t you worry doctor I know I will be fine for sure, even he smiled and left (don’t know what did that smile mean or he thought probably confident guy or over confident guy, whatever, I was sure but). Anil and Seenu (Arun elder brother) were the first to see me in hospital and Anil told me that Arun was weeping outside hospital and have no guts to see me, I insisted to see him and ensured he came in, on his arrival I told him, Arun I am still alive and don’t you worry, he broke down with loud cry saying Anna I am sorry and he went away outside in no time.

Behind scene doctor has said NO Guarantee for 24hrs and asked Suri Babu to sign NOC to get admitted, he was guarantor for me in the hospital. As soon as he was asked sign NOC post completing the formalities he kept Mother informed and asked her to come to hospital. Than before Mom, Sister came in I still remember her face and question she asked enti bujji edi, memu emi kavali (what is this bujji – my pet name, did you think about us in your absence) and she broke down badly and seeing her I was totally lost and I broke down. But in NO time I realized she is in 7th month pregnancy and she shouldn’t cry for long, to build her confidence I promised on My Shiva that I am alright and I will be fine soon, requested her to handle mom who was on the way. She is good at handling Mom in these situations. When Mom came in the situation was worst, on her way to see me she yelled at Suri Babu for sending me alone to Srisailam and not taking any responsibility of me and when she approached me he was inspecting me top to bottom in floods of tears, thanks to my sister she handled my Mom and Wife well and controlled the situation. Before Sis and Mom, Prasad Anna came in and he accompanied me on that night. Finally I was admitted for 4 days in Apollo and was discharged for complete bed rest till I recover.

On the whole Suri Babu did not see me when I was awake (I am sure he would have seen me when I was in sleep) and did not talk to me a single word in first 3 days, on the day of discharge he spoke couple of words that too unwantedly. I was told by Mom that he broke in front of her, he was angry on me and hence he did not talk, but knowing him I feel it was not that easy for him to stand in front of me without breaking out, so he didn’t.

But one thing after seeing movies I have some negativity on Govt. hospitals, but never knew that what shown in movies was very less than factual. I wonder how many lives have passed away without proper help in time. Now that I am alive made up my mind to work around this issue sooner or later. I am adamant that no sister, mother or wife shouldn’t lose any leading member of their family for no cause of them. Let me see what best I can do, I trust in him.

Finally "HE" wanted me to do something more still, so NO “moksham” was given!

- Shastry MVN