That particular evening, I was in the garden with my four year old Muskaan and year old Noddy. Muskaan wanted to play on swings while Noddy wanted to walk on the grass, as he was enjoying his first steps, and had a whole new world to discover, with a completely different perspective. So I made Mussu sit on the swing with the seats on both sides, which rolls on sides, with a little older kid, thinking it is a safe swing and I am just a fence away.

After some odd 5-7 minutes I heard Mussu crying all of a sudden, very badly. I just rushed with Noddy in my lap and saw her index finger of left hand full of blood. I asked the other kid, and she told me that Mussu wanted to get down so she held the swing from a rod near the hinge and the swing moved and her finger got crushed between the two iron hinges. I could not breathe for a sec. I tried to see her nail but it was’nt there. Apparently her finger was almost crushed till the end of nail.

I rushed to home, luckily my husband was back by then. He did’nt took long to understand the graveness of thing and we rushed to Jehangir hospital. Somehow I picked some ice in a napkin, water bottle, biscuits. On our way we talked to our Paediatrician, he immediately told us that an orthopaedic surgeon will be there for her.

Those 10-12 kms were the longest journey I had. Muskaan was tired and feeling drowsy after crying continuously with pain, Noddy was crying because he was not able to bear the expression of fear and panic on our faces.

As told surgeon was waiting for us at the emergency gate and took her immediately in, my husband went for the paperwork and formalities. Muskaan was not ready to let me go away from her. She was holding me so tight. I even went with her to get her X ray done.

The moment X ray was out, doctor immediately suggested us surgery, with a possible bone grafting. We gave the immediate consent. My husband went for more filling more papers and I accompanied Muskaan to the Operation Theatre area, with Noddy in my lap. At the entrance, nurse tried to take her, but she refused to go. She suddenly moved from the wheel chair to my lap. I was sitting there on the floor with Muskaan on one side and Noddy on other. I requested nurse that I may go further in, but she refused, she instead told me she will give her a shot so that she is unconscious and they can then take her.

Muskaan was to terrified to go. Soon the nurse came and gave her the shot. Within seconds I could feel her body loosening up, her eyes getting closed, the words getting blurred, I made Noddy sit on floor so that I could support her......that was the worst moment of my life. The reaction made my heart sink. I was reluctant to let her go off my arms. Nurse tried to take her but I was not leaving her, then she looked at me with some assurance in her eyes and I loosened my grip. Mussu was still holding my dupatta, nurse tried to outgrip her and she started crying in that state. I told her to let her have it.

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