It definitely wasn’t love at first sight. They went to the same college in North India and saw each other regularly. How the casual friendship blossomed into love, they didn’t notice. Then together, they planned their future – career, home, marriage, and family.
Their marriage had been a huge issue. He came from a middle class family, whereas her family owned lands and businesses. People say that her family’s land in India is so widespread that a train traveling through one of her grandfather’s fields would take several hours before it reaches the other end.
But they were madly in love and persistent. Eventually, their families gave in. The wedding took place in his hometown. The bridal entourage flew in their private jet.
A couple of years later, the young couple migrated to Canada. They had everything – an adorable son, a rewarding career, a home and a blissful marriage. Together, they visited their families every summer. Everyone back home spoke of their unconditional love. They were inseparable.
One fine morning, they decided to go for a long drive in their new jeep. The weather was perfect, and so they packed their stuff and drove off for the weekend. The countryside was breathtaking! They took hundreds of pictures and had a fabulous time.
On their way home from the refreshing trip, she offered to drive. Their son was fast asleep, exhausted. He played soft music and closed his eyes. Moments later, he thought he smelled something burning. He opened his eyes and saw sparks – where exactly they were coming from, he didn’t remember. Next thing he knew, his wife was shouting at him to jump off the jeep! When he didn’t, she managed to open the door and pushed him out herself. It happened so fast.
He saw men in white when he opened his eyes. His head hurt terribly and he couldn’t seem to move. “It’s alright. You’re in the hospital. Try to get some sleep,” said one of the doctors.
A month later, he was staring out of the window, his eyes blank and his mind numb. “Why us?” he thought. His mother, very much worried with his health, brought some lunch, which he refused. His son and father looked at him silently. He was there with them, but all they miss him terribly.
He had lost so much in such a brief moment. The jeep caught fire, and though his wife pushed him out to save his life, he sustained third-degree burns on his left arm. The doctors had to amputate the limb in order to save his life. The blankets that wrapped their son while he was sleeping at the back of the jeep saved his live; he was unharmed. His wife, however, couldn’t make it. She died before reaching the hospital.
For an entire year, his parents looked after him and his son. He refused to go back to work. He refused to move on. He refused to live life without her.
His parents, frustrated at their son’s unwillingness to help himself recover, decided to leave him to fend for himself. One day, they packed their belongings and returned home – just like that. And he was left alone with his young son.
That’s when he finally got up from besides the window, where he had spent several days and even nights, hugged the innocent little boy, and vowed to move on for his son’s sake.
It’s been five years now since that incident. He still lives in Canada with his son and works for a health care company. He spends time with the
kid, going out to movies and zoo. He is working hard to be the best father he could be. But he refuses to remarry; won’t even entertain the thought.
He might have moved on, but he definitely hasn’t fully recovered yet.
This is a true story. Names have been withheld and places changed, respecting the privacy of the people involved. Pictures were taken from Google images.














Baby Girl was born prematurely at 22 weeks in June 2004. I was an intern at the Department of Pediatrics in a public hospital, where there were 38 premature infants, who needed intensive care, and only 20 incubators to help them survive. She was rushed in from the emergency room at 6 pm, accompanied by her anxious grandmother.
Life was going smoothly for her, until she got pregnant by her 17-year-old boyfriend. When she broke the news to him, he left her. Being pregnant, ashamed and not knowing what to do, Ana decided to abort the baby. She took some pills during the fifth month of gestation to rid of the life growing inside her. None of her family members knew she was pregnant, not even her mother, who would later feel the most guilt in this entire ordeal.
Baby Girl’s grandfather rushed out and returned with some clothes for her. He kissed her forehead gently, held her tiny finger and whispered in her ears, “We love you so much. I’m sorry for what your mother has done. If only we knew, your grandmother and I would never have let this happen to you. You’ll always be our special baby, no matter what. We know you’re a brave girl. Go to heaven, my love, for you’re too pure for this world. I love you.”
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