I too had my fair share of failures in my life and yet it was different.It was so peculiar how clearly I knew we were about to lose,that it was inevitable,but still we couldn't bring ourselves to cease our attempts.How could you not try to save someone so pure and innocent?
                                                                                                                                 It was really odd how we could still hope,the eighth  sin the Almighty left out.....
                                                                                        The beeping of the monitor callously,with uncaring force sauntered towards the end.With a last jolt,everything became dead silent.The battle was lost.And I was left to ponder in horrified silence-which was seasoned by dissapointment at our defeat-this gruesome verdict of fate.
          That night even Mother Nature shed her tears of anguish for the little bud which was callously squashed at the alter of our misogynst  society,before it could bloom.....

THIS STORY WAS DEDICATED TO A LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS TORTURED BY SOME CHAUVINISTS.SHE SUCCUMBED TO HER INJURIES AFTER GALLANTLY FIGHTING A FIERCE BATTLE WITH DEATH FOR MONTHS.

                                                   I was snapped out of my horrified reverie by the brisk voice of DR,Raghavan,who had his eyes glued on the monitors to which the child was attached.
"DR..Arora,snap out of it and prepare for an operation.The girl was tortured by some excuse for human beings...Undoubtedly some misogynsts.We cannot afford to wait for the police.Her condition is deteriorating."
                    That's when the doctor in me kicked in and I immediately launched into action.The operation began,but the hope was bleak.Already there were too many complications,still each one of us tried to save the precious life.
                         Her hind brain was badly damaged and her wounds were pretty deep-her soft flesh brutally ripped and clawed at.She was bitten and branded savagely at several places.The child had lost lots of blood and was also suffering from internal bleeding.Even after four hours of incessant and tireless efforts,there was not a seam of hope to cling on.

PART1

A GRUESOME VERDICT

 I drove on the freeway with windows rolled down.The gentle breeze embraced me warmly,playing with my hair.Birds chirruped merrily as buttery sunshine illuminated the green expanse and crowns of myriad of primordial trees.Another glorious morning of picturesque Karnal.
                                                                                                My bearings were a precise reflection of the balmy weather.As I smoothed in the Parking lot of the hospital,I sighed dreamily 'What could go wrong on such a chherful day'.But apparently I was  about to find out soon. I entered my cabin after exchanging pleasantries on the way with my collegues and soon I was so busy with my patients,going round the wards and treating the ailing that every other thought flew out of my mind like bats out of hell.Time passed in a jiffy and it was only in the afternoon that I got some moments  free to sip coffee in the confines of my room absolutely unaware of the storm brewing outside.
                                                                          Suddenly the door of  my room flew open with a loud crash making me to jump a foot in the air and splash the scalding coffee on my hand.Nursing my burnt,I looked up angrily at the newcomer,ready to give him/her a piece of mind, only  to find Sister Marianne doubled   up with breathlessness and looking dishevelled.She clutched the door for support and gasped half-formed sentence.
"Down...E.R.....baby injured.....DR.Raghavan.....calling you.quick."
I jumped up immediately  and chased her out in the cooridor pell-mell.I had always thought of sister Marianne as one of those people who are almost incapable of doing any sort of intense physical labour but now as I tried to keep up with her,Iwas struck by her agility.We ran down the corridor and a flight of stairs,taking two at a time.Finally we burst into the E.R. only to find it bustling with activities.Tension was palpable.I hurriedly made my way to the center of all the efforts only to stop short on seeing the most gruesomest  sight I had ever seen which would continue to haunt me till my last breath.                                                                                                                                  There on the vinyl sheets lay a baby girl,badly mutilated.Her soft skin was covered in bruises and burn marks as if she were branded.Her right leg was lying at an odd angle as if it was broken.She was callously bitten at several places and had sustained head injuries.