The epitome of humanity

Suraj oh Suraj son don’t run around so much, you just had fever few days back. Take rest, come sit in my lap.
Birju shouted with a look of worry on his face, at the same time his eyes following his only son Suraj, who was laughingly chasing the three chickens running around the big fat hen trying to catch them. Suraj was falling sick off and on which was a cause of major concern for the old couple.

Living in a small hut in a remote village, with the nearest small town around 4-5 kms, Birju was happy in his small world. After being childless for so many years it was a miracle that at the age of 50 he was blessed with a son. His son Suraj was a handsome kid of now six years old. Some people of the village would even tease Birju hey Birju kaka is this your own son or you got him kidnapped from any place. Birju would laugh on them and say proudly look at him , doesn’t he looks like me. Birju’s wife Lalita was a beautiful lady but having borne a child so late in life, her health has also become frail and looking after the house, attending to the daily chores she was becoming older and weaker day by day.

One night when Birju returned late from the nearby town, he found his wife crying , panicking he entered the house to see Suraj in very high fever. It was a night when rain was falling mercilessly, it was night of nightmare for the couple, their son in high fever, no doctors around and they totally helpless. Soon Suraj started throwing his head from one side to another and mumbling something in a very low voice. Lalita panicked and told Birju please do whatever you can but go to the town beg the doctor(the only one) and beg him to come and attend Suraj, since evening I have been applying wet cloth on his forehead but his fever is not coming down Lalita started howling please go or our Suraj would die. “Suraj would die” these words stabbed Birju like a knife in his chest, he came out from his trance and started running towards the town with no vehicle in those olden days.

The rain leasing mercilessly on his face, mingling with his tears. Birju didn’t know himself how he reached the doctors bungalow at 11 in the night, he knocked at the door frantically and the doctor came at the door who is this? Why you are disturbing so late in the night? Birju fell to the doctors legs, sobbing uncontrollably, sahib please come with me to my village, you have a car, please come, my son is very sick, almost dying, I cant bring him here, please come I will sell my land, my everything but please save my son. He is all I have. The doctor getting irritated to having woken up so late in the night, shouted at him, are you mad, don’t you see how heavily the rain is falling, how can I go to the village in such a weather. Go back and I will try to come in the morning or you come here in the morning after 9 am and I go with you. The doctor slammed the door mercilessly. Birju fell on the ground sobbing, saying doctor sahib please come my son will die, I got him after so many years, he is all I am living for but his words reached deaf years. Crying for some more time and when he saw the doors haven’t opened, he walked back like a zombie to his village, walking and running with little strength left in his aching legs,

He arrived at his house around almost after 4-5 hours. There was pin drop silence inside, with his heart in his mouth, he entered the house to see Lalita sitting like a statue in the verandah with his only son Suraj lifeless in her lap. Birju fell on the ground and both cried their heart out throughout the night. Life went on for Birju and Lalita, after young Suraj’s death. They continued to live like lifeless bodies with no reason for them to continue yet they consoled each other. To console Lalita Birju would say God loved Suraj so much that HE called him back but each knowing in the deepest of their heart what was the real and bitter truth.

One long year passed to this incident. The town doctor had a son around five years now. He was the pet of his parents, a very naughty playful boy for his age, loved by all. The doctor had appointed one servant exclusively to look after his son always. Even when the boy would go to play in the lawn or the open area around their large house, be inside the house, the servant would always be there with him as a bodyguard.

It was the rainy season and a particularly very rainy day. The doctor had gone out to visit one of his patient in the neighborhood. When he returned late, he could see many people crowding his house.
Panicking he ran inside the house and saw his wife sobbing hysterically, the body of his loving son lying on the floor a little bluish. The doctor fell on his knees asking what has happened?

He was told that when the kid was playing near the bush, a large snake came and bit him on his legs. The boy has fainted and lying lifeless now. There was no medicine available for snake bite in the local hospital. The boy was lifeless another few hours and then he would have gone. His face has started having a faint bluish tinge. Suddenly, out of the crowd, one man told Doctor sahib please go to this village and ask for the person, who knows the mantra for removal of poison. When we are in deep trouble we try to find out solution in whatever way it comes.
The doctor had no alternative but to rush to the village and asked for the person who can remove snake’s poison by mantra. Finally the doctor could see an old man, with a dropping shoulders coming towards his car. The doctor immediately went to him and requested please save my only son, a snake has bitten him, can you save him please. The man nodded his head in affirmation, the doctor went closer to him to talk and find out if such things really work.

The doctor took one step back when he saw the old man and recognised him as the person who had come to his house, late at night, begging for his son to be saved. The instant thought which came into his mind was that oh no, now this man will not come with me to save my son since I did not save his dying son. But their was no such sign on the old mans face. He opened the car door and sat in the rear seat.
Without wasting another second the doctor speeded speeded to his house.

When they reached the doctors house the old man waved for others to stop outside and entered the room where the boy was lying listless and closed the door from inside. Nobody knew what he did inside the room but after sometime he came out of and told to the servant now tell the parents to go to their son, he is out of danger . Both the doctor and his wife rushed to their son seeing him opening his eyes slowly. They fell on the ground crying hysterically. The doctor gathered his senses after few minutes and rushed out to the old man so that he can pay him for bringing his son back to life.

Someone told him the old man is already out of his house and walking towards the village. The doctor barefoot ran to him and clutching his hand asked, please pardon me for not saving your son that night. But I shall always be grateful to you for my entire life for saving my sons. Please tell me what should I pay you and how much I pay you. The old man now looked at the doctor and said, sahib this is our dharma for centuries passed from one generation to another. I will never take one single paise from you. The doctor insisted please let me do something for you, I will always regret that I did not go with you to save your son but you came to save my son. The old man said “if you really want to reward me, then promise me henceforth, you will serve whoever needy or poor people come to your house those who cannot pay your fees but those who need your services” The doctor fell on the old man’s leg sobbing and saying you were God sent for me, I take this oath today henceforth I will not turn away any needy from my house but please let me drop you to your village.

The old man Birju, told I came in your car since there was urgency to reach here but now there is no urgency for me to reach my village and walked away with his head held high.

Truly humanity does not depend on anything on anyone, it has to come from within. Birju was the epitome of humanity who made the doctor realize his mistake too.