Life and Beyond
Everything about her was a lie. The shadows of my past experiences seemed to echo, as I walked on to confront my present.
*
In Room No. 12, Mrs Menon had collapsed beside her son’s lifeless form. An accident had left him brain-dead. Mr Sandeep Menon hunched by her side. Their puffy, bloodshot eyes looked up at me and I knew I was unwelcome.
The irony of my profession is that my most opportune moment is their worst.
" Please accept my condolences. I know it's difficult. Navigating through this grief could be your first step toward healing. You can save lives through organ donation. " I suggested gingerly, concluding twenty minutes of my initial counselling session.
"Leave us alone. How can you be so insensitive? "Mr Sandeep bellowed, his face flushed with anger.
Turning towards Mrs Menon, " There are moms like you, praying for a miracle. It is in your hands, ma'am to make their dreams a reality. Please do give it a thought. You cannot change the past but can profoundly impact someone’s present."
Mrs Menon looked up with a flicker of hope in her eyes before succumbing to another bout of tears. Walking up to her, I patter her back.
" I want his soul to rest in peace. I ha-ve heard, it affects them in their next bi-rth. I want him to be happy, wherever he is. " Mrs. Menon stuttered.
" It’s only a blind belief." I clarified. Gauging the impassivity in the air, I decided it was time to unveil my Brahmastra- a photo from my pocket.
“This is my son, Vivaan. If that considerate lady had chosen to immerse herself in sorrow, then he would not be alive today." The twang from my arrow garnered the required response. Their eyelids blinked rapidly unveiling an inner turmoil.
" Vivaan suffered from a renal disease. A kidney transplant was the only hope. My prayers were answered when a lady agreed to donate her brain-dead daughter's kidney. Today, Vivaan leads a healthy life. She finds solace in his company.” I shared, hoping to inspire.
Mrs Menon turned towards her husband and gave a slight nod. Mr Sandeep’s shoulders shuddered as his wife rubbed his back.
They spoke in whispers. With half-closed eyes, filled with tears, they stared at their son for a brief moment.
Mr Sandeep signed the organ donation form with quivering fingers.
" By agreeing to donate your son's organs you have shown immense courage. Your son will now live on. "
*
The Brahmastra, I used to coax people to donate organs was always fabricated. Yes, I lie. But if a lie can save lives, why not?
My son, Vivaan died 10 years ago. I drowned myself in a counselling course to keep afloat in the ocean of grief. Being a grief counsellor has helped sediment my pent-up emotions.
Each time a life is saved through organ donation, Vivaan gives me a 'thumbs up' from above. I reciprocate by raising mine.