This one is a comprehensively edited version of a story Amin Sikandar of O’ level Final Year Class submitted with me two days back. Quite interestingly, it’s been left unfinished, uncompleted here, now to be finished by whosoever --- be it someone from within our school or from somewhere outside. The best 'Story Filler' will be published here, and the writer will be awarded with a small ‘appreciation certificate’. I invite all those with some flair for writing to help describe the situation the central character is currently into. Besides description, it’s a test of your imaginative ability as well. (Humayun)

"You won't forget about me..."

Everyone wishes to be something big or great in their life, and the price for this is working nonstop day and night. I had also aspired to be a doctor when I was just a small, young child. And to make my dream come true, I was constantly mindful of the fact that there was no compromise on working exceptionally hard on regular basis.

              

During the days our O' Level examination was in progress, I suddenly fell seriously ill. This resulted into my getting hospitalized. After a thorough check-up, I was diagnosed with being in the severe grip of malaria. Obviously, I felt extremely upset. I knew I would end up with getting poor grades, let alone my coming up with a bright result. Unsurprisingly, same happened leaving me utterly dismayed. However, I decided not to drop my weapons. I promised myself to fuel my days and nights with diligence at A’ Levels --- with my eyes unflinchingly fixed on straight ‘As’ so as to be able to win admission at some good medical college. Strange were the days! I often forgot even having my meals.

Putting it short, when the result was out, I turned out to be the only one at my school with straight A* grades. Let alone getting admission, I was even offered a full-fledged scholarship when I applied for admission at a couple of medical colleges abroad. I was really walking in the air. As you would expect, such a bright result led me to one of the best medical colleges one could ever dream of.

*****

“You won’t forget about me once there.” 

Maira whispered these words among sobs at the airport where she had appeared out of the blue, from behind the crowd in which my parents and two siblings, having said goodbye to me, had disappeared just a few moments ago. Having noticed me moving inside the big hall, she had shouted my name with a heart splitting shriek. I turned around to see whether it was me whose name was called out. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was Maira, my distant cousin, my class-mate, my love. An unfortunate thing was that our elders were not on speaking terms for the last many years.

*****

Once there at a UK based college, life turned out to be too excessively occupied, much beyond I had ever expected. It resulted into my forgetting about everything around in the world --- including Maira. So much so that even my family had serious grievances against my being that ‘indifferent’, as they called it.

Soon enough, I realized 24 hours time was far less than what the volume of work one was required to do. I sometimes felt I had no time even to blink my eyes.

Time passed by quickly, and then the big day came when I walked out of my alma mater with an MBBS degree in my hands. Without wasting even a single day there, I flew back to my dearest homeland where I was immediately taken for a house job at a government hospital in Lahore.

Before long, my work, my talent couple with my great passion for the field won me a great deal of appreciation by my seniors who all were kind and immensely helpful.

The big day came at last. It was 9^th of October in the year 2002 when I was offered a job at the same hospital. The same day turned out to be my first day as a permanent staff there, since there had taken place a severe accident somewhere around our hospital.

“Amin, today’s your joining day darling! We’re faced with an emergency here. As many as 15 patients have already been brought in, with two of them in a highly critical condition. Hurry! The rest you’ll know once…”

Having blurted these words out, doctor Sadiq had disconnected.

As I rushed in the ‘Emergency Zone’, after half an hour, I was immediately approached by two nervous looking nurses. “This way sir” one of the two pointed to the left side corridor.

“Sir Sadiq is already busy operating upon a boy. There is one more patient in critical condition. And as per Sir Sadiq’s instruction, the three of us will be operating upon her under your leadership”

She was breathless. Words jumbled in her mouth while briefing me as we walked to the operation theatre number 5. As I slammed the door open, the patient’s angelic face caught my sight.

I was thunderstruck.

It was the same face I had left at the airport on the day I had departed for the UK.

“Maira!” I shouted her name…….

It’s been left unfinished here to be completed by you (either from within our school or from somewhere outside). The writer with the best response will be awarded with a small ‘appreciation certificate’. I invite all those with some flair for writing to help describe the situation the central character is currently into. Besides description, it’s a test of your imaginative ability, too.
(Humayun Mujahid – O/A Level English Teacher at Cambridge Section PakTurk Schools Islamabad)