Incredible Indeed!
This is my entry for the Mahindra XUV500 Incredible StoriesContest at IndiBlogger. The topic for the contest demands an ‘incredible’ story
to be told; an ‘incredible’ experience that I have had. Well, it’s been almost
a month since the contest started and even after my constant insistence that I won’t
delay my entry, here I am writing my ‘incredible story’ on the very last day of
the contest.
‘Incredible’? The dictionary meaning of the word is ‘beyond
belief or understanding’. I have been thinking about this term since the past
few days a lot. Does ‘incredible’ really have to be some ‘life-changing’
experience that I have had or does it have to something related to travel or
any journey? Can it not be any simple incident or for that matter, some extreme
situation that I have been in? The answer goes beyond my comprehension and so
here I am with a story that not many people are aware of and which I haven’t
ever talked about in my so many rambling blog entries over the past four years.
‘Not talked’ probably because I never had the idea how to go about it. But
since the time I have been thinking about something ‘incredible’, nothing else
has come to my mind. Here’s an attempt:
It was the 29th of May. The year is 2008. I was staying
at Bhubaneswar with my grandparents and cousins and eagerly waiting for my 10th
board results to be out. I moved here ten days ago when my parents had taken my
younger sister, Akankshya, to CMC Vellore for diagnosis and treatment of some
problem she was having since the past few months.
My results came out. It was Akankshya who called from the hospital
and told me my score. I got to know that I had stood second in my class. It was
an amazing day for me. The same day also happened to be the day when Akankshya’s
diagnosis results were to be out. The doctors did announce the results to my
parents. I was not told about it till the next day probably because nobody
wanted to destroy the smile and happiness on my face that my exam results had
brought in. Akankshya had been diagnosed with Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic
Leukaemia, the medical term for a condition which she described to me over
phone in simple terms, the way the doctors had explained it to the 14-year old:
“Mere blood mein infection hai.” (My blood is infected)
Although the term ‘blood cancer’ was used in family
discussions and everywhere else, it was common understanding that Akankshya
shouldn’t get to know about it. She was not told anything more than a ‘simple
blood infection’. Now when I think about it, I guess probably this was the
reason why I didn’t write anything about her condition on my blog in those
months. I didn’t want to give her even the tiniest affirmation to the questions
she ‘might’ be having in her mind.
Over the course of time, I have got to know what exactly was
happening in those days with Akankshya within the walls of CMC. Mostly it has
been my mother, the strongest lady I have ever seen, who has told me everything
sometime or the other. Akankshya was in the ICU for a long time and might have
entered into coma. My parents were there with her, all the time witnessing how
the condition of their daughter was deteriorating with each passing day as more
and more drugs entered her body due to the chemotherapy.
This was also the time when I had to move to a new school, to
meet new people, to a new city altogether. It wasn’t easy for me, a complete
introvert by nature, to accept so many new things at one go. Hostel life
brought in many problems right from the beginning. It took me a real long time
to adjust to my new environment. After almost 5 months, during the diwali
holidays I went to Vellore. It had been a real long time away from my family. When
I saw Akankshya, I was left speechless. She stood on the top of the stairs and
was smiling looking at me. Had I not known that it was her, I doubt if I would
have been able to even recognise her. It was difficult for me to believe that she
was the same girl I had said goodbye to at Bhubaneswar airport back in May. She
had lost so much weight!! More than that she had been depressed when she lost
her most lovable part of the body- her long hair! I spent just a week at
Vellore and then was back at Delhi. That one week is unforgettable. I knew that
I didn’t want to be back at this place again. Ever. The air at CMC was always
so much full of sympathy and negativity. Probably that is how all hospitals
are, but for me, this was the first visit to a hospital this huge. On the
contrary, my sister is in love with this place and its people.
After 7 months in Vellore, my parents and sister (with occasional
visits from my other family members) returned home. The treatment was not over
yet. The journey to complete cure would take almost another 2 years of
chemotherapy.
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Akankshya at CMC Vellore. I think this photo is dated somewhere around 20th May 2008, her first days at the hospital |
Today, Akankshya is fine. I haven’t seen any other person
who has had such a strong will power. She was in class 9 when she was diagnosed
with cancer. She has just appeared for her 12th boards and
(probably) aims to become a chemotherapist at CMC, the place which gave her a
second life. She has fought bravely. She loved talking about her disease as if
it was some fun kind of thing, which we always found weird. Is this actually
her innocence and ignorance or is this her intelligent behaviour so as to make
the people around her feel better? We might never know...
This is my ‘incredible’ story: The story of my sister who
bravely fought the cruellest battle life could bestow upon her at such a young
age and won it.
This is for the first time I have been so open about this
topic and talked about it at this large scale. I have always been at the
listening end of all conversations relating to this in my family plausibly because
somewhere I believed that this was just another phase and it would pass soon
and I would be doing what I loved to do: fighting with Akankshya. And yes, I
was right! I love fighting with her even now. And Akankshya, if you are reading
this, which I am sure you will, then beware of the upcoming days when you would
be with me for such a long stretch after so long. Tera kya hoga Akankshya? Hehe… :D
PS: Akankshya has her own blog and has often written about
her experiences with leukemia. If you have come this far, then I would urge you
to head over to her blog and go through her first-hand anecdotes. A quote from
one of her entries:
“Once my mom said that why did God choose her daughter to
have this (the disease), to which I replied “Papa is working and he is getting
the money for my treatment, you are my attendant and take care of me in
hospital and Bhaiya just passed 10th and getting sick may ruin his life
where as I am not working, I am not big enough to be anyone’s attendant and I’m
in just in class 9th and studies are not so much necessary right now, So
if it had to come to our family then, I was the perfect one to be have it” And
my mom smiled slightly at my answer.”
Click here to visit her blog.
PS2: I am not sure if the purpose of this blog entry has
been attained. I am not sure if I wrote what the topic of the contest demanded.
But I am happy that after so many years for the first time I have been able to express
what I have felt about this incredible person that I call my sister. Hats off
to you Akankshya! Chal khuus ho ja, teri
taarif kar raha hun and tere blog ko free mein promotion bhi mil gaya! [:P]
nice :)...finally not just "leave bio and study math" stuff :D :P hehehe
ReplyDelete:P
DeleteThis was an exception. Otherwise its going to be the same always :D
n thanks :)
hats off to akankshya..truely an incredible person..
ReplyDeleteALL is a disease i recently studied about,in pathology..n realising it was a part of some1 i know is disturbing.
the story makes me realise that not only medicines but the patient's n doctor's attitude towards the disease n life matters even more,coz not all the patients make it thru life with the same drugs.
this 'incredible story of the bravest grl' will surely have an impact in my life,practising as a doctor. :)
God bless u Akankshya.hats off to u girl! :)
PS-the fyting part!sach mein,1 of my favourite passtyms too!n maggi is most of the times the reason for the fyts! :D
Glad you liked the post Vartika! :)
DeleteI had no idea that you know your sister so well...and even her love for her long hair...seriously buddy I'm still wondering if it's really you who wrote all this...I thought you were never comfortable talking about this and I had assumed you would never be...anyway thanks mere blog ki promotion karne ke liye and tarif bhi...and seriously dude...your writing rocks...and I'm all set to shout and fight with you...mujhe to tere apartment mein rehne walo pe abhi se taras aa raha hai...and this post would not have been so beautiful if someone else would have written..So thanks bhai...oh sorry thanks Idiot..bas itna hi emotional ho..kyunki jung mein emotions se kaam nahi lena chahiye... :P :P :P...and yes I hate you again because this post made my eyes gila before making me smile(probably coz u wrote all this)...you know its very hard to mk me cry thru posts or videos and you did...huh? chal aur ni pakana tujhe..ab jhelega hi mujhe fr a long time...good luck coz ur bad days r back...!
ReplyDeletekeep blogging...& ofcourse smiling!!!
Pinky :P
PS: kafi lamba ho gaya nai?!
Naaa... didnt write this. My blog got hacked! :D
Deletewho said you are an introvert?
ReplyDeleteand even if u are!! it hardly matters. you are one of those who are so family bound that no one in the world can ever!! try to get you away with it.
and akankshya!! all the best to you too!!! :P :D
hehehe...:D
Delete