My father suffered a fall on the street 13 years ago leading to fracture in shoulder rendering his hand immobile. The orthopaedic asked him to get admitted in the hospital for an operation.
AB, my senior colleague, was in constant telephonic contact with me right from the day of the fall and asked me to confirm the date and time of the operation.
As I confirmed him about the date and time of the procedure after receiving necessary information from the hospital, AB didn't say "OK, may the operation be successful"! Also he didn't querry "Will I go to the hospital"! Rather he uttered just 3 words "AAMI POUNCHE JAABO" (I WILL REACH)! Such was the ANTORIKOTA (sincerity) and conviction in those 3 words, emanating from the deepest core of his heart, that I could not even say "No need to rush here, I will manage" or "OK come, only if you have no serious assignments elsewhere"!
On the D-day, even before I reached the hospital to attend the operation of my father; AB and another senior colleague of me SD reached there on a rainy day!
Right from the transfer of father to the Operation theatre till the ultimate declaration from the Doctor "Operation is successful", AB waited for hours outside the OT mainly standing due to scarcity of seats! Only thereafter did AB start for his home many kilometers away and yes he devoted that day for me and father despite that particular date being his son's birthday!
2 years later, father got admitted in a very critical state for a nerve-related problem again requiring a very complex operation of more than 3 hours. The same thing got repeated with AB firmly declaring
"AAMI POUNCHE JAABO" after getting reported of the date and time of operation with myself in no position to desist him from to do so early in the morning! And just as the first daylight started to enlighten the dawn, AB reached the hospital and waited in the OT area constantly for 3 hours till the Doctor's declaration "Operation successful"!
On late January father got admitted in the same hospital following brain haemmorage. Admission and operation happened between midnight and dawn. On the morning, I was asked to arrange 2 units of blood. When AB learnt about it as he was in constant touch with me following father's admission; not only did he liason with others how to arrange blood, he also insisted that I do not donate it amidst the physical and mental turmoil. However I was adamant that I must give an unit of blood and also did it on early evening. As I came out after doing the needful, saw AB reaching the Blood bank hurriedly. He asked me to take adequate rest and took possession of the the medical-related file from myself, ordered coffee in the hospital cafeteria and only after he got assured that I am fit and fine, we started towards respective homes.
And on the date of demise of my father in late night, AB reached the hospital early morning after getting enlightened of the news. And throughout the day, without any rest proper food or medicines, AB remained in my side as I was negotiating various protocols formalities and process here and there till transport of the mortal remains back home and eventually to the final destination ie crematorium. And most importantly, he endured this immense physical toil throughout the day despite pain on an operated knee not recuperated fully!
Be it during operations, Blood donation or death - - - never had I specifically asked him to come to my side! Yet he did it and does so in his own accord.
Few weeks ago, received a "Good morning" message from AB. Innumerable "Good morning" messages have I received from various sources since years. But in rarest of rare cases, do any message hit my soul as my logic and belief treat 99.99% of such messages as highly superficial without any practical relevance. But this message from AB simply moved me to the utmost, that too coming from such a folk who follows that message to the full in practical life! The message imparted had borne more or less words :- "I may not succeed in solving your problems. But I will always remain there to share the burden with you"! And since decades, AB has followed the spirit embedded in that message ie he leads from the front in sharing the burden of the people, landing in dire straits, through physical financial emotional or moral support.
Actually what separates AB with the selfish brigade is presence/absence of an invisible thing named "Karuna Dhara" which is fast getting relegated to oblivion. Kindness and compassion are in great rush to recede to some sort of "antiquity" in these times of national jingoism, religious muscle flexing and crude selfish existence.
Even the dreaded Corona, which devastated the world for almost two successive years, could at last be tamed somehow. But when can "Karuna" ( compassion) be revived in this society and reinstated to its rightful place!
On the occasion of Good Friday, will the society take resolve to turn a bit Good from this Friday by making the likes of AB as Role model to whom "I remain indebted for ever" is too small a word as the largeness of the heart of AB is beyond all norms of measurement. But my inner eyes do certainly see his unfathomable compassion in an Apolok (blinkless) mode! Yes, AB has certainly lived up to his first name 'Animesh' in the most perfect way possible.