Year 2008: I happened to read about a road accident in the newspaper. Three teenage boys (Curran, Siddhant and Devyanshu)- exactly my age- had been killed while coming from a party late at night. The usual and a very cliched reason given in such cases is that the boys were under the influence of alcohol. Thats the impression usually given and the story is closed and forgotten. And these conclusions aren’t even based on facts.
If you happen to stay in Delhi and NCR, hearing about road accidents and drunk driving don’t really come as a surprise anymore. You hear about them every second day, to say the least.
But for some unknown reason this incident caught my eye and stayed with me. It was the month of June then. I hadn’t known any of the deceased and had never come across them. But yet there was something about it that I still can’t pinpoint. Time passed but I never forgot about this mishap. It was constantly there in me, nudging me.
Finally somewhere in late August I contacted Sumir Uncle (Curran’s father) through Facebook. And I asked for all the details which he very kindly shared with me through several emails. I convinced my friend and we decided to publish his story in our school newsletter.
When it was all done, we went to give him the first copy of the newsletter. Thus finally I met the family whose story had mattered to me so much. Meeting him and Gitika Aunty had a profound impact on me. I hadn’t seen such excruciating pain in someone’s eyes like I did that day. And believe me when I say that because I have seen a lot many sad things in my life too.
There I was sitting with someone who I hadn’t known at all and feeling their pain. Well a tiny little fraction of their pain, I would say. And even that overwhelmed me.
The immensity of that day changed me.
I prayed for Curran to come back to his family. They really needed him. Because these three years, the look on Sumir Uncle’s face everytime I saw him and the words he’d shared remained with me, fresh in memory.
I remember in every text and email that I received from him ended with, “Please pray for Curran to come back to his mom and I.”
Initially I was a little skeptical of that and talked about it to my mum. She told me to believe that he will come back with all my heart and pray. And he will come back. Everyone gets to experience miracles and this would be Gitika Aunty’s and Sumir Uncle’s.
If you happen to stay in Delhi and NCR, hearing about road accidents and drunk driving don’t really come as a surprise anymore. You hear about them every second day, to say the least.
But for some unknown reason this incident caught my eye and stayed with me. It was the month of June then. I hadn’t known any of the deceased and had never come across them. But yet there was something about it that I still can’t pinpoint. Time passed but I never forgot about this mishap. It was constantly there in me, nudging me.
Finally somewhere in late August I contacted Sumir Uncle (Curran’s father) through Facebook. And I asked for all the details which he very kindly shared with me through several emails. I convinced my friend and we decided to publish his story in our school newsletter.
When it was all done, we went to give him the first copy of the newsletter. Thus finally I met the family whose story had mattered to me so much. Meeting him and Gitika Aunty had a profound impact on me. I hadn’t seen such excruciating pain in someone’s eyes like I did that day. And believe me when I say that because I have seen a lot many sad things in my life too.
There I was sitting with someone who I hadn’t known at all and feeling their pain. Well a tiny little fraction of their pain, I would say. And even that overwhelmed me.
The immensity of that day changed me.
I prayed for Curran to come back to his family. They really needed him. Because these three years, the look on Sumir Uncle’s face everytime I saw him and the words he’d shared remained with me, fresh in memory.
I remember in every text and email that I received from him ended with, “Please pray for Curran to come back to his mom and I.”
Initially I was a little skeptical of that and talked about it to my mum. She told me to believe that he will come back with all my heart and pray. And he will come back. Everyone gets to experience miracles and this would be Gitika Aunty’s and Sumir Uncle’s.
Year 2011: Three years later, 27th May’11 at 8:30 a.m. that miracle happened. At 11:52 a.m. that day I received a text from Uncle saying Curran is back as two baby boys- Curran and Arjun. Reading that, I don’t remember feeling so many emotions at once as I did that moment. I was trembling- it seemed supernatural. I was beyond overjoyed yet I was crying. Everyone’s, Sumir Uncle and Gitika Aunty’s prayers had been answered.
When I visited them I was mesmerized to see the two little and beyond adorable miracles of life. And I said to myself, “Welcome to the world, Curran and Arjun. Welcome back Curran.”
I honestly had goosebumps then. And for a moment I just stood there and watched Sumir Uncle. That pain had been replaced by such overwhelming happiness. He was on cloud nine.
Watching him, three years later, I felt a fraction of his happiness. And even that overwhelmed me.
Its odd how I could feel so much for someone I hadn’t known at all. I don’t have reasons But all I know is I feel very fortunate to have shared their sorrow and their happiness. And yes, it has changed me.
27th May 2011. I feel even more closer to God. Because I witnessed nothing less than a miracle. And its him who in the first place directed me to them. And I know, Gitika Aunty and Sumir Uncle will always hold a very speacial place in my heart.
When I visited them I was mesmerized to see the two little and beyond adorable miracles of life. And I said to myself, “Welcome to the world, Curran and Arjun. Welcome back Curran.”
I honestly had goosebumps then. And for a moment I just stood there and watched Sumir Uncle. That pain had been replaced by such overwhelming happiness. He was on cloud nine.
Watching him, three years later, I felt a fraction of his happiness. And even that overwhelmed me.
Its odd how I could feel so much for someone I hadn’t known at all. I don’t have reasons But all I know is I feel very fortunate to have shared their sorrow and their happiness. And yes, it has changed me.
27th May 2011. I feel even more closer to God. Because I witnessed nothing less than a miracle. And its him who in the first place directed me to them. And I know, Gitika Aunty and Sumir Uncle will always hold a very speacial place in my heart.
