My Next best thing could have been the last best thing of my life, if what happened today with me would have happened a bit differently.
3rd September 2009. Time 8:30 a.m.:
The day was bright and sunny. It was the time for me to go to the office. I had never thought that such a bright day might end up in a bad shape. The office was as usual, nothing new. For people who dont know the latest in my office, here it is. We are still not having the licensed version of Microsoft 2003. So in our office things are going haywire. My boss was also upset of the fact that he was still not having a laptop to work on or a permanent place to sit (unlike us). In the course of the daily routine he had given me a cheque to be deposited in Standard chartered atm the last day, but due to pausity of time and lack of knowledge of the Gurgaon city I ended up deciding that I should deposit the cheque the next day (3rd september) definitely. So here I was in the evening of the day which was bright and sunny in the morning to a little gloomy in the evening.
Time 7:00 pm:
I just checked that I coudnt clear the NTPC interview, as the result showed on the net after a good two months. I was sad and then decided to go to sector 14 to have a walk and also deposit my boss's cheque there. God, as people say, has his own ways of teling that He is still there watching us. He makes all arrangements himself and makes everyone realize that he is there, somewhere. As I was about to leave Ashutosh called and we made a decided to meet at the sector 14 market. To my surprize when I reached there I came to know that he had also called Mayur there.
We met and I bought some dayly stuff like soap etc frm the market. But as I was busy doing this, God was planning something different for me that evening. It started pouring like cats and dogs. Heavy shower poured from heaven. We decided to sit on the stairs of one of the shop and talk. It was a relief for me to be among friends that evening. The sadness seemed to be disappearing form me. We talked and talked. But the rains denied to stop pouring. I asked them to excuse me for a while so that I could get my phone recharged. In the lane on the market where we were taking shelter I could find no mobile recharge shop. I realized how difficult it can be sometimes, not to be able to find a such shop in in the most popular markets of the city. One shop was there, but on the opposite lane and for that I was to go through the heavy rains, so I decided to return to where Ashutosh and Mayur were sitting. We again got engrossed in chatting. I must confess it was raining heavily that night. The night which I would never forget.
We then decided to have pizza at dominos. Looked in to the menu and ordered some pizza and pasta. Suddenly I realized I had to go to get my mobile recharged. Before this I had already fininshed depositing my boss's cheque in the SCB atm. I again asked the two to excuse me in the meanwhile when the order was being prepared. I was waiting for my delicious pizza to be presented to me, garnished with oregano tastemaker.
I quicly had a look around outside the outlet. The rain was light by now. I took long steps and crossed to go over to the other side of the lane. It was still dark and people were few. I was thinking something in my mind while I was heading towards the recharge shop. I was to take a left turn from the last shop, and I was walking in leaps and bounce, not realizing that those steps could have been my last steps, last leep, or simply stating the last lap. As I approached the last shop from where I was to take the left turn, from the far I saw that there was a pillar almost 4-5 feet from the shop's entrance. It was dark there because there was no electricity, the rains started pouring heavily again. Beyond the pillar was no shed and it was all rain. I decided not to go through the rain but be safe in the shade while walking briskly. As I approached the front of this last shop I stepped forward, and to my surprise my right foot couldnt find the ground to rest itself. The next moment I plunged my self flat in a 6 feet deep square earth dug in front of the shop. I can only remember that when I took the wrong step I fell flat 6 feet from the ground. I was wearing my glasses and as I fell my face went in to something that tasted as a mixture of mud and water. In reaction as I stood up I again slipped in because of the liquid mud inside the ditch at the construction site. I was all coverd with mud on my body. As a took the step towards the walls of the ditch I slipped and lost one of my floters in to the mud some where. In my pocket were recently drawn 1000 Rs, my gifted ipod, my mobile. My wrist watch got covered by mud. I shouted for help from inside. While still understanding if I was alright, have I lost something? But with God's grace all my body parts were in place, later I realized that I had a sprained right wrist, some scratches on the left palm and a little bit of body ache.
When I called for help people gathered around on the top and two mwn pulled me up straight holding my hands. I couldnt see their faces as it was dark at that time. I did thank them and then they disappeared. All drenched in mud with one floter on my right foot I managed to remove my belongings and collect them in a polybag given to me by a tresspasser. I let the water, pouring from the nearby shop's roof, to fall on me so that I could remove the excess mud from me.
In this state I went back to Dominos and told every thing to Ashutosh and Mayur. They said, that I just had a narrow escape. Many people had died falling in such kind of unattended ditches during the rainy season.
I thank God for saving me from any mishappening, I did have my Dominos pizza in that state which I will never forget. I might not have been their to have that may be. I am still wondering that had there been even a single stone some where in the ditch where I fell, it could have been fatal for me. I couldnt finally get the recharge done, lost a floter but most of all I saved my life. I am happy today that I am writing at this time. I have learned one thing from this: We never know what might happen with us the next second, our life itself is very short so better keep it simple and live it the fullest and have good friends around.
Mayur dropped me at my house that night in his car. It was already late but I was now safe.
God bless all!
Cheers :D
