Accidents and I go hand in hand. I can meet accidents whenever and wherever. Luckily, apart from two, none has been near-fatal. Freaky accidents have been the part and parcel of my life. Injuring in and around my limbs is a common place event. I’ll try chronicling few of the incidents which I can remember at this juncture.
1991: SNS Playground, Tumsar:
I was a sprightly young kid of about 6 years. My KG school didn’t have more than two rooms and a playground was out of question. But SNS had a big playground and we used to play during the lunch hours. Sometimes we played football; sometimes we just ran and sometimes just fooled around. One fine afternoon, I decided to jump over the hurdles that had been kept for a senior competition. The first hurdle that I jumped was at a lower height and I easily passed it. Buoyed by my friends, I tried to jump the next hurdle and crashed onto it. I injured my left knee badly and not to say about the scolding I got from Usha aunty first and from my father later!
1997 / 1998: The Road Outside My Uncle’s House, Ketugram:
Learning how to ride a bicycle has been one of my worst nightmares. It took me almost half a year to learn to ride. I was at my uncle’s home and decided to try my luck with his bicycle as well. The road was uneven and I was a lousy amateur. I just lost control of the cycle after riding a few yards and injured my left knee again!
2003: Board Chemistry Practical, Holy Home, Serampore:
I’m not a very bright student when it comes to chemistry. In fact Organic chemistry has been one of the biggest unsolvable mysteries of my life. I was even worst at the practicals. In the final board practicals, I poured sulfuric acid more than the required and lo there occurred a fast reaction and all the contents in the test tube flew towards me. Some part of it left a burning sensation in my left eye. Some of it burnt my upper side of my hand but the worst affected was my Hall-Ticket. A hole adorns it on the top corner. I was completely shaky during the rest of the practical examination and was lucky to finish it!
2003: Bawankar Chowk, Tumsar:
This incident again involves the bicycle. After my Higher Secondary results, I’d come back to Maharashtra for good. Before my admission in the college, I was living with my mother and brother in Tumsar. My brother used to go on his cycle to the bus-stop, leave his cycle there and go to school. One fine rainy morning, I forcefully persuaded him that I would drop him to the bus stop. He relented but I forced him to such an extent that he had to accept. It was more of a work to remove my boredom rather than sibling love. I lost control of my bicycle at Bawankar square and hit a motorcycle side-on. He also lost his balance and fell on the road. My brother fell on the road as well. The motorcycle fell on the rider and I was perched on his fuel tank. I’d lost my senses for a while and got up only when the rider said, “अब उठ तो जाओ!”. I was lucky not to be beaten by the bystanders.
2006: The Drain, Dharampeth Science College, Nagpur:
This incident by far injured me the most. My friend (name withheld) had bought a new Nokia 6600 and used to load it with video clips. In our college, there’s a raised paltform near the drain where we used to sit and spend our college hours. One fine afternoon, my friend said that he had brought some new clips and hence I hurried to see them. But the clips were not new at least to me and hence I decided to leave. When I hurriedly tried to leave, I lost my balance and fell half into the drain. The scene was worth watchable. My left leg was in the drain, right one was on the platform. My complete weight was on my left wrist which was by the way on the edge of the drain. I got up and didn’t feel pain at all in the first place. But within few minutes I was writhing with pain. There was no pain reliever available in the college and the chemistry lab offered me the IR lamp for momentary heated relief. Kaustubh dropped me to my room where my house-owner massaged me and tied the crepe bandage. For days I couldn’t tie my watch, sleep with my weight on my left side and even couldn’t wear the belt. It took me almost five minutes to dress up. It is one incident which will remain itched in my memory for long.
2008: Outside CST, Mumbai:
I had gone with Barrel to CST. Everybody generally crosses the road in front of CST using the subway. Even Barrel wanted to do the same. But yours truly decided to walk through the road, jump the divider and then get to the other side. On any other time of the day, it would have been impossible given the traffic over there. But that night the traffic was thin and was inviting such an action. So, we started crossing the road. Suddenly, we saw a light approaching towards us from the JJ flyover. Barrel stopped on his tracks but I decided to continue. The biker was speeding at break-neck speed and on seeing him approaching me with such a speed, I realized my mistake and started running towards the divider. The biker missed me by a whisker. What remained with me was a pounding heart and choicest of abuses by the rider and Barrel. That day I first saw death!
2010: On The Highway, Warthi, Bhandara
This incident is the newest and would have resulted in not one but three serious injuries. I’ve bought a new bike and learnt to ride a motor-bike only a few months back. For a month or so I drove only in Nagpur. For my birthday, I had to go home (120 Kms from Nagpur) and I decided to travel in my new bike. I reached home safely and brought it back without any hassles. That gave me the confidence and I took it back a fortnight later. From Nagpur, I took it to college (60 Kms). I delivered 3 lectures in the morning session, had my lunch and took a half day leave. I started for my home and was driving at ease down the highway. The next thing I know was that I was on the other side of the road. My vehicle had rammed onto another vehicle and its owners were shouting at me. I was totally lost about what had happened. They said that I apparently had crossed the road at a very high speed and rammed onto them. I was at my wits end as I could not remember a single thing related to the incident and their shouting was confusing me more. It was apparently clear that it was my fault and I had hit them in state of delirium. I paid for their vehicle’s repair and returned home. Luckily, my vehicle was unhurt apart from a few scratches. I was hurt though on my left ankle and right knee which I realized only after reaching home. I was lucky to survive in such an incident.
These are some of the incidents that I remember. Freaky accidents where I incur minor injuries are a regular routine and need not be chronicled!
The reasons given by different people for these occurrences are different. My mother feels that I’ve a ‘restless mind’. My father thinks that I ‘think way too much’ and that also on different topics while doing an altogether different job. Some of my friends feel that it has to do something 'wrong with my brain’ while some think that it is due to ‘lack of fitness’. Whatever may be the reasons, I hope I stay away from these freaky accidents for a while as of now. Amen.
