the bottom line is...

It was evasive. It became obvious for diagnosis, only when the pulse rate was going down. He could not believe. The previous day only they did so much of traveling and now he was told that she might vanish from this planet in a matter of minutes. But she did not. He knew her will power. He knew she will put up a fight – and she did.

He was asked to do the toughest task – to tell her what she has to fight against and what are the chances of survival– against her apprehension for a major operation – much lesser issue to fear, comparatively. The issue is still more serious – it is a matter of life and death.

He broke the news the previous night of operation and… he broke down himself. She looked at him with disbelief. The brave lady comforted him by her affectionate glance overcoming her shock. She did not want to see him as a shattered man. She did not want him to see her scared and shocked. She wanted to live.

She looked extraordinarily beautiful that day.

Next day after the operation the doctor confirmed – it is matter of one or two days. He had hope – minutes had turned to days.

He looked at her postoperative figure. Got panicked. She braved to walk around the corridor, never bothered about the onlookers, and never bothered about her looks, her fragile health, never bothered about the bothering fact. She looked tall to him. She wanted to prove that the doctors were wrong. She wanted to challenge the dreaded disease itself.

God. She fought back with determination. She was discharged after a month. She had taken chemotherapy thereafter and braved the after-effects.

Days turned to months. All that he asked her is to fight –“phoraadu” was the daily mantra. And she did. The “problem” had its own game plan and she countered with positive attitude, grit, and medicine and good food intake.

The "problem" took the lead.

They went to the clinic and met the doctor. ‘It is a matter of 10 to 15 days” he said. “This is it”. He buckled down. He heard her angry footsteps. She left in an auto on overhearing the diagnosis, leaving him to admire her courage. “Can a person, who is furious and can take an auto to go back to her home on her own, will be no more in 10 days. Unbelievable?” he wondered.

“Cancel the booking of the new car we had dreamt to purchase”, she ordered. “Let us have the funds for treatment”. She still fought. She fought for another 100 days.

The brave lady finally departed – leaving a trail of memories to recall for the rest of his life.

Not even on one occasion they talked of death. They had only determined talks on fighting against all odds.

She was expected to depart in a matter of hours. But she lived for one year, even though the diagnosis and treatment had started only during the third stage.

His friend, who was similarly diagnosed, more or less during the same period, still survives. Had she been diagnosed at the first stage itself, she would be editing his write ups now.

The watchword is early detection. Rest is the determination of those brave people – and all cancer patients are determined & brave.

The bottom line is…Cancer..We Can Conquer.