Chapter 40 - A Ray of Hope
Mrs Mehta, the head of the women's shelter led an elderly woman down the hall to the very last room. Both women quietly peeked into the room to find a figure sitting listlessy in the chair by her bed.
"There she is", whispered Mrs. Mehta, "just as I told you". She shook her head as she and the elderly woman backed into the hallway. "Bechari...bauhat sad case hai uska (Poor thing...she's really a sad case). She was in a car accident right here in Kasauli. That single accident changed her life for ever. The boy she was in love with was driving the car. He was apparently from some rich family, who didn't approve of her. They came and took him away. He never came back for her. To top it all off, no one came by to claim her...no parents...no family. When the doctor at the hospital contacted her family, and told them of the extent of her injuries, they begged him to excuse them of her burden. After two weeks, she was forced to clear the hospital bed. A nurse at the hospital referred her to our shelter. She's been here ever since. Do you think you can help?"
"I don't know", said Mrs. Malhotra. "But I'd sure like to. May I speak with her?"
"Of course", said Mrs. Mehta. She knocked on the door, but got no response. "Good morning Meher", she said, as cheerfully as he could. {Silence} "How are you feeling today?" {Silence} "Sheila said you refused to eat your breakfast again".
"Drink", corrected Meher, coldly. "I didn't drink my breakfast. I can't eat with my face covered in all these bandages. There's nothing but a little cut out space for my mouth, remember? Oops! I forgot...I no longer have a mouth".
"Uh...precisely", sighed Mrs. Mehta. "Look Meher, Tumse koi milnay aya hai (Someone has come here to meet you)".
Mehr turned to see an elderly woman dressed in a simple but elegant looking off white sari and pearl jewelry.
"This is Mrs. Malhotra", said Mrs. Mehta. She's a very important supporter of our shelter. {Silence} I'll leave you two alone to talk".
"Hello Meher", said Mrs. Malhotra. "How are you?" Stupid question, she thought as soon as she had uttered it. "I mean...uh...Mrs. Mehta was just telling me all about you and..."
"What do you want?!" demanded Meher. "To see the freak that lives in Mrs. Mehta's shelter?! Come back in the evening when they change the bandages! Oh...maybe, you're looking for an extra in your next horror film...I know...you're making a documentary? Well, I'm not interested! If you want to make a donation, fine, else be on your way! I'm not going to be the poster girl for this shelter...you get that! I'd leave this place right now if..."
"If only you had somewhere to go?" replied Mrs. Malhotra calmly. "Look Meher, I'm not going to pretend and say that I know what you're going through. But I would like to help if I can. And I'd like to start by offering a hand of friendship and a shoulder to cry on".
Meher looked up at the kind elderly woman, before lowering her face into her hands and breaking down and crying.
"Good", sighed Mrs. Malhotra. "Let it all out...it's the first step in the right direction".
As the days passed, Mrs. Malhotra became a daily visitor for Meher. She prodded Meher to talk and express her emotions. She quietly and calmly put up with all of her mood swings, until Meher's bitterness, finally gave way to tolerance.
"Hi Meher!" said Mrs. Malhotra walking into the room.
"Your're late!" complained Meher. "And why do you sound happier than normal today? What new trick have you up your sleeve?"
"Trick? Oh...Don't tell me you're in one of your moods today", said Mrs. Malhotra.
"Moods?!?" cried Meher. "I think I'm just a little justified in the moodiness department don't you?!? Do you have any idea of what it's like to have your whole world turned upside down in a matter of minutes? To be abandoned by the very people you thought loved you! To lose your identity...your face...all in the blink of an eye! To be reduced to being nothing but a monster! You can never know!" She began to sob, as the reexamination of her situation exhausted her.
"I'm sorry Meher", sighed Mrs. Malhotra. "Believe me, the last thing I wanted to do was upset you. Let's start again...Hi Meher...Sorry I'm late today. Hey! I actually had some good news for you. There is someone I'd like for you to meet. Rajveer..."
Meher turned her head to see a tall, handsome, jolly looking young man walk into her room.
"Meher", said Mrs. Malhotra, "This is my grandson, Rajveer. He's also the reason I was late today". She pulled her grandson's ear playfully.
"Ow! Dadi!" cried Rajveer. I'm not a little kid anymore!"
"Oh right", remarked Mrs. Malhotra. "Rajveer is a plastic surgeon...a damn fine one too. I think perhaps he can help you". She nodded towards Rajveer.
"Um...Hi!" said Rajveer, extending his hand to Meher. "I'm Dr. Rajveer Malhotra, but you can call me Raj...Raj Malhotra...you know like from DDLJ. You're Meher right?"
Meher turned to face the other way.
"Um...Hey! Why is it so dark in here?" asked Rajveer. {Silence} He walked over to the window and yanked the curtain open. The sudden entry of light made Meher jerk. "See that's so much better", he smiled. "Um...My dadi seems to be very fond of you. {Silence} I think she'd adopt you if she could. {Silence} Anyway, she insisted that I come down here and look into your case. She's my dadi, so I couldn't exactly refuse. {Silence} Well now the first thing I'm going to have to do is have a look under all this..."
"Don't touch me!" cried Meher as she pushed Rajveer's hands away from her bandaged face. "I don't need your help! Just go away and leave me alone!"
"I'm sorry I was just trying to...", said Rajveer.
"What do you want from me?!" demanded Meher. "Who sent you here?! Is this another one of Daljeet Singh's tricks?!"
"Um...Uh...No", said Rajveer, "I was just trying to..."
"Help?!?" cried Meher as she began to cry again. "No one can help me!"
"You're right Meher." said Rajveer. "No one can help you unless you want to be helped. I know you think no one can understand your pain...no one can know what it's like to have your whole world turned upside down in a matter of minutes...To lose your family...your face...your identity...all in the blink of an eye! To be reduced to being nothing but a monster".
Meher looked at Rajveer in surprise.
"Uh...I was listening at the door", said Rajveer apologetically. "Look Meher, believe it or not...you're not the only one in the world this has ever happened to. But with the advancements in craniofacial surgery today, we've been able to achieve some amazing results.
I don't know who this Daljeet Singh is...and I'm not part of any trick. I am, however, part of a very prominent group of plastic surgeons that specializes in facial trauma reconstruction in patients suffering from burn or accident related injuries. Every year our practice chooses a deserving candidate from around the world for which we handle the case pro bono.
I'll be honest...I came down here because of dadi's insistence. But even if that wasn't a factor, your case certainly has merit on its own. Anyways, I'm here to evaluate the potential success we can achieve in a case like yours...which I won't be able to unless you let me take a look under those bandages".
"I just want you to be happy again sweetie", said Mrs. Malhotra.
"Happy?" whispered Meher, as if she was hearing the word for the first time.
"People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be, Meher", said Rajveer. "I'm offering you an opportunity to get back your life". He looked around the room thoughtfully. "I know this 8'X10' room with a bed, chair, reading lamp, and singular window has a lot to offer, but you have to decide whether you want to spend the rest of your life here, feeling sorry for yourself or if you want to get up and fight and reclaim the life that was once yours. The decision is all yours".
Meher watched in silence as Dr. Rajveer shrugged his shoulders and then got up to leave.
"Wait", she said quietly. "You really think you can help?"
"Yes", smiled Rajveer. "I mean, I'll have to examine you first, and of course we'll need to get as many photographs of you as possible..."
"Photographs?" asked Meher.
"Yes", said Rajveer. "Of what you looked like before the accident".
"But I don't have any..." said Meher.
"Surely your family must have some pictures of you. You know...family pictures, birthday parties, weddings, etc", said Rajveer.
"But my family...", said Meher.
"Rejected you?" interrupted Rajveer. "Dadi told me how they thought you wouldn't recover and you had to move here so as not to be a burden on them. But don't worry, just give me their contact information, and let me take care of the rest".
The next few days were spent in examining Meher and photographing her from all angles. Meher felt ashamed and bare without her bandages to hide behind. And although she saw his nurses wince every now and then, Dr. Rajveer seemed positive and focused on his work. A few days later though, he came to see Meher, looking visibly upset.
"What's wrong doctor?" asked Meher.
"Meher, I'm afraid there's a problem", sighed Rajveer. "I tried calling the number you gave me multiple times, but there wasn't any answer. So, yesterday I went down to Ambala. But there was no one there either".
"What?" asked a confused Meher. "I don't understand. Maybe Papaji was in the fields, but Ma is always at home. Wait! Perhaps they went to Ludhiana. I have a chacha in..."
"No Meher", sighed Rajveer. He passed his hand through his hair in frustration. "Damn it! This never gets easier!"
"What are you talking about?" asked Meher.
"I don't know how to tell you this Meher, but according to the information I got from your neighbors...your father...your father has passed away", said Rajveer.
"No...", Meher whimpered in disbelief.
"Your family never abandoned you Meher", continued Rajveer. "In fact, they were told you died in the accident. Your father took the news quite hard and became very ill shortly thereafter and then...
You apparently have a married older sister. She came by and took your mother with her. Where, I don't know? That's why no one was answering the phone at the farmhouse. I'm so sorry." He placed a caring hand on Meher's shoulder and got up feeling guilty about leaving her to deal with another painful blow by herself. He met his dadi at the door. Both turned to watch Meher sobbing quietly by herself.
"Poor thing", sighed Mrs. Malhotra. "She's such a sweet girl, yet she's been burdened with so much unhappiness at such a young age. But who would have lied to her family like that? Is bechari ka kaun dushman ho sakta hai (How can someone so sweet have enemies)?"
"I don't know, but I'd sure like to wring whoever is responsible's neck" said Rajveer gritting his teeth. "I'm sorry dadi, I don't want to give you or Meher any false hopes, but without the photographs, I won't be able to do much here".
2 weeks later...
Meher was staring blankly out her room's window when someone plopped down a large manilla envelope on the table before her. Meher looked up and was surprised to see a triumphant looking Dr. Rajveer Malhotra smiling widely at her. "Dr. Rajveer...aap?" She said.
"You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily did you?" grinned Rajveer. "Guess what I've been up to other than reporting that lousy Dr. Khanna and his staff to the ethics committee...go on... guess".
"Dr. Rajveer...I'm really not in the mood for games", sighed Meher.
"No more games Meher", said Rajveer. "And no more let downs. I promise". He reached out, opened the envelope, and dumped its contents on the table before Meher.
She gasped in surprise as she saw various pictures of her, as well as her passport, fall out. Rajveer picked up a few photographs and looked from Meher to the pretty girl so full of life in the pictures he held. "Not bad Ms. Maan...if I do say so myself", said Rajveer, offering Meher a cheeky grin.
"How? How on earth did you manage this?" Meher asked in amazement. Rajveer pointed towards the door and smiled. Meher looked up to see Shampa standing there. "Oh my God! Shampa!" cried Meher as her friend rushed over and hugged her.
"Meher...I just found out about everything...I'm so sorry", cried Shampa.
Shampa explained to Meher how she and Manmeet had arrived in Ambala a few days ago to sign papers so they could legally take possession of the farm. They wanted to assure Teji Chachee that she was welcome to stay on for as long as she liked, but found that she had already left with Heer. She had also learned of Meher's demise in a car accident through the neighbors. With no knowledge of Teji's whereabouts, Manmeet had decided to put the farm up for rent. She had been at the farm sorting through things when Dr. Rajveer had shown up (in a final effort) with the incredible news that Meher was injured but very much alive.
"You can't imagine how happy I was", said Shampa. "So I got together as many photos as I could find and of course your passport. Don't you worry about a thing Meher. Everything is going to be just fine. You're going to be fine. And most important of all, you're not going to be alone anymore".
"Thanks Shampa", sobbed Meher. "You don't know how much this means to me".
"Um...Uh...see that's the problem with you girls...choti choti baton pe rona dhona shuroo kar dete ho (you start crying over the slightest things). Ab sab batein chodo...aur packing karna shuroo karo (Now stop talking and start packing)", ordered Rajveer. "Dadi is excited as hell and so am I. I've coordinated everything with my team back home. And the sooner we get started the better results we'll see. You leave for Toronto in a week's time".
"Where?!?" asked Meher.
"Toronto...Toronto, Canada. That's where my practice is based. Didn't you know? Look Meher, I've got a meeting in Delhi later today and then I have to head back home tomorrow, so I can't stay", said Rajveer. "But dadi will be here in a few days to pick you up for the flight over. Everything is going to change for the better now, so no more looking back."
Meher nodded quietly as she watched Dr. Rajveer leave. Shampa clasped her friend's hand and smiled at her reassuringly.
Would everything really change for the better? Wondered Meher. She didn't want to give herself false hope. Kismat ne uska saat to jaise chod hi diya tha (Especially since fate had all but abandoned her). But now...Toronto? Was it just a coincidence that Dr. Rajveer's practice was based in Toronto? Her family thought she was dead. That's why they never came looking for her. This was all probably Daljeet Singh's doing. Preet, Heer Didi, Prem Jiju...wait until they find out! They'll make sure she gets what's coming to her, especially Preet, thought Meher excitedly. Things were indeed going to change for the better.
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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