The world isn't a better place. Or is it?

Those days I was in the 2nd year of my engineering and I was always hungry. Why? Ask any student who eats in a hostel mess. Well, hungry I still am, for food for thoughts, but those days were different. So it came up with an opportunity that we just couldn’t miss. Blood donation! The only reason enough to convince us was the fruits, the pancakes, the shakes, the sweets and all that we would be getting after squeezing 300 ml of blood from our veins. Maybe the Rotaract club president knew what it needed to be told to us. They had organized a blood donation camp and we were going for it.

It was a Sunday and just like a picnic, the dozen comprising our gang, boarded the institute bus for the hospital. We reached in a half hour and were greeted by the hospital authorities. Greeting means, if you don’t know, serving us unlimited amount of fruit juice which we gulped down till our bellies bloated enough to be seen beneath our shirts and then we realized that we haven’t kept any place for the rest of the stuff.

We were called for the donation in groups of three and the process went pretty fast than I expected. We came out and heard one of us had fainted after giving blood. Who’s the one? We ran on our top speed to ward number 14 where he was taken. We reached there to find that the rest had already accumulated in there. Saurabh was laid on a bed and a doctor stood besides examining him.

“He is just fine now. Sometimes it happens after a blood donation”, the doctor remarked after the check up was over and walked outside.

We all huddled across his bed on which he royally laid with his legs spread with a quirk but remarkable smile on his face.

“What the hell happened?” Abhishek asked pushing him aside and making a place for himself on the bed.

Saurabh didn’t answer but his smile got wider.

“What?” I asked.

“Actually the ward boy was saying that they give double the food packets when you faint”, Saurabh replied.

Seconds of silence and then we all roared to laughter.

“Hey, I think I love her”, Sandy said with our laughs still on.

“Who?” Abhishek asked.

“That one with those big eyes and a beautiful smile”, Sandy replied as if dreaming her in his arms.

“Who? Who?” Abhishek continued impatiently as if he had missed something really important.

“The one who was in my ward. Didn’t you all see her?” Sandy said.

“The doctor? But isn't she a bit older than you?” I asked.

“Not the doctor. The other one” Sandy replied.

“I got it guys. I got it. Sandy cannot tell who she is” Kunal exclaimed.

“Why? Who is she?” I asked.

“The sister. And Sandy cannot call her by that name” Kunal declared.

We all roared to laughter again.

“Excuse me boys” the doctor said and we all turned back.

“Someone wants to meet you all. Please come”

We all followed him to the reception where we saw a turban clad dark man. Along with him a woman in orange stripped cheap cotton saree and a kid who was busy sneezing-in his running nose.

“This is Biluwa and his woman Ranjo and this is Aru, their son. Both Biluwa and Ranjo works at a construction site where they together make some 100 rupees a day, most of which goes for the medicines of Dinu, their elder son who is admitted here for an anemia'ic disease. Blood which you guys have given will go a long way in curing Dinu. So when I told him, he wanted to meet you all”

We all turned to face Biluwa. He stood speechless with his arms folded and tears welled up in his eyes. His eyes said it all. Little Aru, completely unaware of what was going on, shy’d away from us hiding behind his mother.

Everything had suddenly changed. I kept watching Aru and suddenly it felt that the packet I was holding got too heavy to carry. I stretched it to him. He peeped inside first and then looked towards his mother and then slowly took the packet from my hand. His eyes shined while he carefully wrapped the packet inside his shirt.

“Go on. Have it” I said.

He smiled and shy’d away and whispered something to his mother.

“He is telling that he will share it with his brother when he gets well”, Ranjo said.

Years passed and a few days back, amidst a client meeting along with my bosses and colleagues I got a phone-call. It was from an unknown number. I didn’t take it. It was followed by an sms. It read, “Sir, I Lakshman. Your office sweeper. My son got accident. Need blood. Please help. Ramachand Hospital.”

And then I heard all the other mobiles ringing, the same sms. Who is this Lakshman? I could rarely figure him out. I started to get up but then my boss said me to wait. I waited till the meeting ended.

“Sir did you get the sms from Lakshman?” I asked.

“Yeah. He is that temporary fellow, very lazy in his work. Anyway what are doing for the weekend?” he asked with a flat baritone voice.

“Weekend? Sir, I think we should go to Lakshman” I said.

“Don’t be an emotional fool Chakraborty. People will rope you like that. You see there are risks. Blood donation is no child’s play”. He walked away.

I turned to the others.

“What guys? Anyone coming?” I asked.

“Hey Chakraborty, you heard what Boss said. There are risks my friend. You are still a child, huh?” one of them answered. They rest nodded their heads in support.

“Go and enjoy the weekend. It’s been a long week” another one said.

And all of them drifted away from the room in herds of similitude.

Maybe they are right. Maybe I shouldn’t risk it.

I took the bus and headed for my home.

I read the sms again and again but just couldn’t decide what to do. Why do we grow up? Just to realize that this world isn’t a better place.

The bus stopped near a construction site. Workers had built tents and outside which kids played in the dust. I gazed them and little Aru floated before my eyes. I took out the mobile and placed a call at that unknown number.

“Hello. Lakshman? Ok, I am coming”

I reached the hospital and found Lakshman standing outside.

“Saheb-jee, Blood arranged”

“How?” I asked.

“Sir, when no reply from anyone, I think no one will come. So I approach this nearby college. And you know what happen. The whole college comes to help. But the hospital accept limited units blood. So only some donate”

“How’s your son?”

“He fine. You want to meet? Come.”

He took me through the corridor where I heard a roar of laughter. And suddenly it felt that I recognize it. We were passing by the room where those college boys waited.

“Sir, These boys donate blood”

I slowed down and peeped inside the room. A dozen of them had huddled around a bed on which one of them laid and they all laughed and laughed endlessly.