This incident was narrated to me by father-in-law almost 9
years back when I was a new bride. It’s still vivid in my memory - for it brings
the humanness to the fore and of course the miracle.
It was in the year 1978. My father-in-law was transferred to
the Air force base in Lohegaon, Pune. He and my mother-in-law had to share a
quarters with another couple as a temporary arrangement (which well stretched
to a few months) as my father-in-law was yet to get a quarter in his name. My
parents-in-law, by virtue of regular transfers, were very well aware that it’s
not an easy obligation to share a private space with total strangers,
especially when the lady of the family is heavily pregnant. My in-laws very
well understood the sacrifice of the sweet couple.
Days went by, things started to settle down and becoming mundane
when one early Sunday morning the pregnant lady went into labor. Sensing the
urgency her husband called out to my father-in-law for assistance and together
rushed the lady to the air force hospital. However, on reaching the hospital
the staff refused to admit the lady on the grounds that it’s a complicated case
and that they are not equipped to handle the same and advised them to take her
to another hospital. All appeals and explanation that the lady was already in
labor fell on deaf ears. The men, based on the hospital staff suggestion
decided to take the lady to another hospital and requested the air force
hospital staff to provide them with an ambulance, which was again declined on
official grounds.
Realizing the criticality of every minute getting ticked
away, my father-in-law took charge of the situation and barged out of the hospital
to get a cab / auto to take the lady to another hospital. After running on the
streets for a few minutes trying to spot some type of transportation my
father-in-law saw an air force jeep negotiating a turn. He ran towards the
truck waving his hands vigorously and shouting to halt. The vehicle stopped and
my father-in-law briefed him about the situation and the need to take the lady
to a hospital immediately. The driver of the jeep expressed empathy but
conveyed his inability to take the lady to the hospital as it required
permissions and orders from his higher ups and that he was assigned to go to
another part of the city. My father-in-law persisted and the driver of the
truck agreed to drop them (the pregnant lady, her husband and father-in-law) mid-way
– at Yerwada.
Not wasting a minute both the men got the pregnant lady into
the jeep. Once inside the jeep my father-in-law was reduced to tears seeing the
pain being endured by the lady, by the fact that this vehicle will not take the
lady to hospital and also by the fear that it’s near impossible to get a
transport on an early Sunday morning all the while fervently calling out to the lord in his heart.
The jeep reached the bare road of Yerwada. The men alighted
and helped the lady to alight. And, as they turned around saw an auto standing beside
them, the driver - a young, approximately 19 year old boy ushering them
hurriedly into the auto. The driver drove at top speed and halted the vehicle in
front of Dr.Purohit’s Hospital in Deccan Gymkhana.
The lady was rushed to the labor room and she delivered
within 5mts – reason enough for the attending doctor to get wild at both the
men and give a piece of his mind, obviously not knowing the background.
Tired and relieved my father-in-law traced his steps towards
the hospital entrance to pay the auto driver. But he did not find the auto or
the auto driver. He hurriedly walked out of the hospital gate, engulfed with
the guilt of not paying the auto driver, hoping to see the auto on the road but
there too he was met with disappointment.
In my father-in-law’s words, ‘The young auto driver who
appeared from nowhere at the desolate road of Yerwada and vanished from the
hospital entrance without waiting to collect his bill is the Lord himself." Nothing short of a
miracle and is the Lord himself.”
