"Come on yaar Hitesh. Kabhi to serious raha karo!"- Aditi was not amused. She stared at Hitesh furiously this time- "This hour on the road isn't already very safe. Will you keep your damn eyes on the road please?" Hitesh grinned and obliged. For the previous half an hour, He was trying level best to assuage his annoyed wife but hardly any success. She was seething from the moment they departed from her brother's house in Thane at 3am suddenly. While Hitesh-the-goofball was at his usual Bollywood self during this ongoing journey back home to Pune, Aditi-the-perfect-planner had a rapidly growing ominous feeling which didn't allow her to cool down anytime soon.
This trip between Mumbai Pune Highway wasn't a first for them. Visiting friends and families on weekends in Mumbai or Pune alternatively was almost a ritual. However, Hitesh was called in for an early morning client meeting on Monday. So this extremely late night unsafe trip back home was a first one for them, that too in their 6 years old Santro. Aditi visibly was not amused- "Why can he never say no to his stupid boss? He makes Hitesh work his arse off like this and boy does he receive any credit for it? Nill. Cipher. Zero!"- She muttered to herself and he didn't have the courage to ask her anything which could have activated this volcano. He knew he had to make it up to her big time for this night. But caught between an angry wife and a troubling boss, he only had this major escalation raised on his mind for now. It was a severe issue. Kinda a Category 5 hurricane for his whole project. And it required all hands on deck the next morning.
To divert both their minds off their own frustrations, Hitesh switched off the boring FM and connected his mobile to play 'Aditi song' from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Ya Na. But even before Aditi could take notice, Hitesh steered past a man on the middle of the road with a seemingly broken vehicle off the road. Aditi too saw it all and drowned again in her own thoughts. But Hitesh stopped his car just a 100 meters ahead with a full screech.
Aditi was not amused and raised her eyes brows, as if anticipating it already- "Sochna bhi mat. Pata bhi hai yahan se kitni robbery ki news aati hain? Just driver on Hitesh." Hitesh couldn't though. He looked back at her seeking some reinforcement for his next step but in vain. Nonetheless, he drove in reverse and put his side of window cautiously down just enough to make contact- "Hello there. What's going on?"
The man rushed to them and uttered inconsolably- "My car just won't start. And am stranded with my wife and daughter here in the middle of nowhere for last 30 minutes. Usha- my daughter is having an asthmatic attack. She can't breath. We can't find her rescue inhaler as well. Can you please help us brother? It's a matter of her life and death."
"Of course, let's bring them in."- Hitesh responded impulsively. With the man gone back to his car, Aditi burst at him in a hushed voice- "Are you mad? We don't even know them. What if they overpower and rob us somewhere later tonight? Oh God!"
"Look Aditi, the man sure sounded desperate and genuine. Nothing bad will happen. Don't worry. Main hun na!"- Hitesh let another Bollywood innuendo slip. But Aditi was not amused. Fortunately enough, the man put their belongings in boot, and ushered his shaking wife and distressed gasping little girl in. "Bas thodi der aur gudiya. Uncle hamko abhi hospital le chalenge. Fir doctor uncle aapko fauran thik kar denge."- the still unknown man tried to calm his kid down.
It was 4am in the morning. They were nearly 30 km far from Navi Mumbai. For all they knew, the nearest hospital could be all the way down in Pune. Hitesh thought for a moment and turned the car around. Aditi was not amused. She stared hard at him with burning eyes. He shrugged his shoulders in return. "What about your urgent meeting in the morning?"- She inquired in gestures. He flickered away her glance with an "It can wait" look. Hitesh had no doubts in his mind at all at this point of time.
Hitesh took them to nearest hospital in next 20 minutes all the way in Navi Mumbai. Aditi was not amused much with this turn of events, but she was certainly glad for Usha. Once the doctor took her under observation and cleared her of any danger, they took their leave and restarted for Pune. By the time a sleepless Hitesh reached home, it was already past his scheduled call time and he had to get on it from home itself instantly. This guy had to work from home now today, that too with an absence recorded. Aditi was not amused.
6 months later
**************
Aditi called up Hitesh to pick her up from the mall while returning from office. He still had some time to reach there so Aditi went back into Shoppers Stop at the top floor. While skipping over the fresh arrivals by the window side, she noticed a big commotion at the signal downstairs. It was perhaps a collision between two vehicles. No, it looked as if one of the city bus had hit a blue Santro from behind while waiting at the signal. Worried with a growing ominous feeling, she called up Hitesh. He didn't pick it up. Aditi's heart sank further. She ran down and pushing past the bystanders, looked at the crashed car's number plate.
With a loud wail, she opened the driver side and found Hitesh lying unconscious in a pool of blood over the dashboard. She cried for help. She cried even harder. Nobody came forward to rescue. "Police case banega re deva. Ambulance ko call kiya na. Aur kya kar sakte abhi ham log? Driver ko dekho koi bhag na jaye."
Out of the blue, a shining red car stopped at the signal and a middle aged woman came forward to inquire. Aditi clutched her legs and begged for help. The lady looked around at the useless crowd and commanded the bystanders to help put the victim shift in her car. Aditi moved along mechanically into that fresh from the showroom Maruti Baleno and sat in the backseat holding Hitesh's profusely bleeding head. "Here, put some pressure onto the head. Try to stop the blood."- the lady threw her stall toward her while making way out of the whole commotion. Aditi was so overwhelmed with crying at the moment that the next thing she remembered was the same lady helping Hitesh on the stretcher and consoling her outside the OT.
Emergency doctor came out of the theater after what seemed like an eternity, and declared Hitesh out of danger. Hearing this, Aditi breathed her first sigh of relief and came back to her senses and noticed for the first time a rank stranger standing by her side. Hugging her angel, she sobbed with a mix of emotions. The lady consoled her- "Shhh! It's alright now beta. Call up your relatives. I will bring you something to eat meanwhile." And she went out to bring some tea and snack for Aditi.
When the lady returned, Aditi asked her about her car. She told her not to worry about it. When Aditi insisted she reluctantly told- "I purchased it off the showroom today. As a wedding gift for my daughter's wedding next week. I was on my way straight to the temple when I witnessed the accident. I could not just leave the scene, my daughter looks very much like you." "But it was a brand new car aunty. Then how did you..."- words choked in Aditi's throat.
"It could not have been more precious than saving a human life dear. Saving somebody's husband- the blessings earned with that will be the best wedding gift I can grant my daughter."- the kindhearted lady spoke in an assuring manner.
With Hitesh's family and friends pouring in soon, the lady stood up to leave. While exchanging phone numbers Aditi realized she never even asked her name. "I am Professor Usha Shukla. Call me if there is any emergency. I will check again tomorrow if you need anything. And be brave beta. This tough time too shall pass."- And with that, she left Aditi in care of her relatives.
Aditi could not help but remember their own similar situation six months back, when Hitesh had helped Usha and her parents stranded on a highway.
When Hitesh came to senses next day, Aditi explained how he met the accident. When he asked who saved him, Aditi sounded amused- "Remember Usha? the little asthmatic girl? Well, it was she who saved you."
*******
"What goes around, comes back around in this world itself."
The good, of course. The bad, all the same.
A random act of kindness- is the only type of investment with assured benefits. So invest some, whenever opportunity knocks your door next time.
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