Watching helplessly, his life slipped away; Dr. Induchandra reflects on the irreparable loss.
He was one of the twins. Soon after birth, he was abandoned by his mother and ended up in an orphanage. The other twin had died at birth. For some reason, I felt an urge to bring him into my life.
It is impossible to sum up the losses he endured in his short life. Life itself is a heap of losses, isn’t it? Now, I am about to write about such an irreparable loss. I can never pen this down without a heavy heart. What is the most selfless bond in this world? The answers may vary. The depth of relationships cannot be measured. Today, I want to share the story of how I became Rahul's mother without ever giving birth. From my childhood, my greatest desire was to adopt and raise a child. In European countries, even those who have biological children often adopt one or two. Western culture, which I encountered through English movies and books, fascinated me deeply. When I was in school, I used to tell everyone that I would adopt a child, and they would laugh at me. Even during my medical studies, this desire remained strong in my heart. All the children in the hospital wards during my medical college days were my friends. During my pediatric postings, there was always a child by my side. When I was in the labor ward, I would have newborns in my arms. That’s how my postings were spent—with children. Everyone thought I would specialize in pediatrics. While I loved children immensely, I was convinced I couldn't bear to hurt them, so I didn’t pursue that path. Time brought me to where I am today, and I carry no regrets. During my MBBS studies, I came to know about an orphanage called "Cristina Home." I soon became a regular visitor there. It was there that I first met the little one called Saneesh. Though he was their Saneesh, he became my Rahul. He was one of the twins. His mother had abandoned him at birth, and he had ended up in the orphanage. His twin had died at birth. For some reason, I felt that I needed to bring him into my life. I requested Father Franco at the orphanage not to give him up for adoption to anyone else. Since I was still studying, adopting him was not easy. I was in my final year, doing my house surgeonship. So, I asked the Father for some time. The baby was just two months old then. Every Saturday, I would visit him at the orphanage. Later, I started bringing him home. I would bring him home on Saturdays and return him to the orphanage on Monday mornings. This became my routine. Emotionally, I quickly became his mother. His playfulness and laughter brought immense joy to me. I hadn’t told my parents or anyone else about bringing him home. Being the only daughter, I was sure my actions would not be approved by my family. Even my elder brother became very fond of him.
