One life for another. Life Line. How Fair?

I had written this post after the intense situation of 24 hours that I underwent and now am filing this post, written long back; under the Indiblogger contest.

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Time: Almost 0200 hours.

Date: 12.09.2009

Day: Technically Sunday, from my perspective - extended Saturday night.

Place: Panvel Bus Depot - Maharashtra, India.

The situation:

Me and a couple of my Friends partied out and were having Anda Bhurji (kind of scrambled eggs). The bhurji was delicious and adequately spiced to bring in that mouth watering sensation. The artist, yes that guy makes an art form out of eggs rather than cooking actually, a master, had created a gem of a dish. A taste that does not fade away so easily and it lingers on. It holds you captivated in its ethereal form or edible form. Whatever.

We paid the bill and everything and were walking towards a sort of empty plot where we had parked our cars. Recently, Panvel has been bestowed with a humongous hospital; it looks directly to the Old NH4 and Bombay - Goa Highway. Its specialty is orthopedic and accident cases. It’s so huge and so vast and with so many beds that half the hospital - seems empty.

Sometimes I have wondered, would Hospital managements hire services of reckless drivers around the periphery of highway - say 20 Sq. kilometers and endanger other lives so that business would be good? Lot of twenty something aged freelance drivers would make good money, I thought. Recession hai bhai. You have to create jobs / opportunities. Did you guys know that hospitals pay Ambulances lavishly to bring in accident cases in to their hospitals alone? The business is tough you know.

Usually while driving I'm fairly pissed off at rickshaw drivers for actually breaking all written and implied rules of driving on the roads, but, I have observed that Ambulance drivers are the rashest of them all - a simple justification is enough for all; If we don't reach quick, people die.

Now back to my ranting - We were walking back to the parking area and a site fascinated us, which in India is as common as the tumblers in the lavatories. Couple of dogs were chilling around and one small puppy - probably 4/5 weeks old was following them everywhere; apparently the sole survivor from his lot. And mind you this is not the highway I am talking about, a sort of service road that runs parallel to the highway for about 500 meters.

From straight ahead an Ambulance came revving on the empty road with full lights and siren on. The hospital was 20 feet way. The strays noticed the danger to their fragile lives and ran hither tether. We yelled at the ambulance to stop, but, he did not pay heed to it. "Madar$%^& Gadi rok". I yelled. He stopped. The front tire had gone over that small puppy's hind portion. I tried to adjust the puppy, so that vehicle would not totally go over him. The Ambulance revved off.

Initially I behaved like a coward and started walking towards my car. Knowing fully what the fate of the puppy was going to be. The puppy dragged itself to side of the road. I came back to it. The driver came back as well, this is what transpired:

Driver: "Arrey Gali diya - woh javan ladka kafi serious tha (this we are talking 10 feet away from hospital).

Me: Isiliye Bachhon ki aap jaan loge.

Driver: Arre kya kare sahab 

Me: Kuch mat karo. Ghar jake so jao abhi - sirf yaad rakho, ek jaan bachane mein apni dusri jaan almost le li hai.

*He walks away*

I am now holding the puppy. I call up my friend and ask him to take me to the only under equipped, understaffed veterinary hospital managed allegedly by the benevolent government authorities. The sleeping watchman is well, sleeping. I wake him up and this is what transpires:

Me: Any Vet is there?

Watchman: No. The hospital has shifted. 

Me: So, Dr X does not come here daily?

Watchman: Yes, he does.

Me: So hospital has not shifted?

Watchman: No. It has not. 

Me: When will the doctor come?

Watchman: Tomorrow morning, but, it’s a Sunday. Sorry.

I ask my friend to take me home. I am still cradling the puppy. Mom wakes up and asks what this is? I tell her everything. Usually I consider myself to be a strong man. Strong men don't cry, they say. One time I was not strong at all.

I prepare a mixture of water and milk and try to feed the puppy with a dropper. Billo's (our family's pet bitch- I mean female Dog, err) milk bottle is nowhere to be found as it was displaced - say 3 years ago somewhere in the oblivion of what mom calls as her "Store Room". Things go there usually, not to be found later. Billo is now 4 years old in this September.

The puppy hungrily drinks a two or three refills of the tiny ink dropper. The he starts letting out the milk from his mouth. Looking at his abdomen, it was clear he had gotten pretty nasty internal wounds and both its hind legs were lull. There was no bleeding as such. The puppy moaned a little. Meanwhile mom prepared an empty carton box with towels etc and we kept the puppy in it, he moaned away to his sleep. I think.

Morning 0800 clock Mom tells me he is sleeping. Dad checks him and tells mom "Aga ha gela hai". "He is no more." I buried the puppy in the garden besides our house and put a small flower befitting his age and size.

I don't know whether it’s fair or not. Doctors and Hospitals allege they are in noble profession. Ye fucking ah. Is it justified to take one life for another? If you talk about value. Life is priceless for one and all. Do not attach the money part with component of Life I say.

My only request to all of you people who drive around and are pretty busy people all the while. Please do not be ignorant of surroundings and give due respect to all creatures around you. Because the jungle rule might be survival of the fittest, the urban jungle rule for animals is survival of the luckiest. The alpha male is unusually lucky, thus. Hence, my request. Every Dog has his day. Give him a chance to earn one. To live. To be Man's (and woman's) best friend.

Please also see these sites if you wish to adopt a pariah, do something for society:

http://www.wsdindia.org/pets.htm

http://indianpariahdog.blogspot.com/