15th June, 2013…

She was in helicopter, waiting and thinking about her destination to come. Her destination was Badrinath. Badrinath was facing the fury of nature. She is an Army Doctor. It was her first experience of going to such a devastated place. She had never been to any war or was never posted near border areas. So it was a mixed feeling of excitement, sorrow and tension. She had tension that her destination should not become her final destination. Amongst these, a memory of her morning in Delhi was still fresh.

It was the call from one of her friends that made her check the message.

She stared at the email message on her computer, her mind racing so fast that the words blurred together and no longer made any sense. Just three lines, but enough to make her life--the life she’d worked so hard and sacrificed so much to build--begin to crumble around her.

Avni Prasad knew he won't agree. It took her long time to make him accept to let her work after their marriage. She screamed at the top of her voice. “Ma! Ma! Papa! Where are you?”

“I am coming and don't shout, your father is also coming,” replied her mother, screaming. Her father came in her room, grumbling, “God knows what's wrong with the ladies of this house.”

They stood next to her with an enquiring look. She looked at them with determined eyes. “Ma, papa, I have to leave for Badrinath this afternoon.”

“Why? Can't you just reply them that it is not possible today?”

“Ma! People are dying over there and you want me to-”

Her father reasoned, “Beta, try to understand, today evening is your-”

She cut her father's words, “Papa, when I took this profession, I had warned you about these unforeseen emergencies. Being a Lieutenant in the Indian Army, you know very well that war and nature's fury never inform about their arrival.”

They sighed. Her mother said, “Fine, just talk to Raghav about it. Let's see if we can postpone it.”

She gave a weak smile. “I knew you will understand.”

When the helicopter landed on a semi-dry land, she saw people running helter-skelter. There were corpses lying all over the place like garbage thrown around. She had the experience to deal with ten or maybe, twenty people at a time, severely injured, but there were at least a hundred people. To her right were the injured ones, ailing and withering in pain. She felt nauseous at the sight of the dead, floating on water. It was a tragic calamity due to incessant rainfall and huge landslides.

She started treating them. The survivors had less physical injuries and more mental trauma. She was more like a psychiatrist, giving them assurance that they will survive this calamity. Of course, the survivors were treating her, other doctors and army personnels no less than living gods. What they revealed shocked her the most. According to them some people were cutting the body parts to procure the jewellery from the dead and they were about to attack them.

It was late night when the army soldiers had put up the temporary tents. People were allotted the tents and packets of food. Though the pyre consumed the bodies with raging fire, she couldn't feel any warmth from it. She could feel the pain and sorrow of the people. The survivors had lost their family, friends and relatives.

She sat in her tent with her colleagues. One of them remarked, “How can someone be so greedy that they will cut the fingers to rob gold?”

Other answered, “I agree. We are doctors, we know that when a dead body stays in water for a long time, it swells. Maybe that's the reason they had to cut their body parts.”

The rest had slept off but Avni had a brief nap. According to psychology, the last person in your mind before you fall asleep is either the reason for your happiness or your pain. In her case, it was Raghav Anand, the reason for her pain.

It took 41 missed calls and 25 messages for Avni to gather Raghav’s response. By the time she got a call from him, she had finished packing necessary utilities for her destination. It was his call that had disturbed her the most.

“Hello Avni, what's wrong with you? I told you that I will be busy with a few important meetings. I need to wind up for today's-”

Irritated, she cut him, “Listen, I don't have time for your explanation. I need to leave for Badrinath immediately. I wanted to tell you that we must postpone our engagement.”

They say a doctor needs to be patient. She was the most patient person when the person valued her time. Whenever her patience was tested, she would get irritated.

“Why don't you decide the date yourself?”

Like the silence before the storm, his extremely cool voice made her tremble. She asked, “Raghav, what happened?”

“Why do you need to go to that place? Wait, I will talk to someone about it and get it cancelled.”

“Try to understand this is the most wonderful opportunity I have ever got.”

“When we are engaged, our names will be associated with these floods and dams. It won't be good for both of us.”

“What do you mean?”

He answered, “As I am one of the civil engineer employed by Central Government to build dams on Alaknanda river, once the flood recedes, there will be an enquiry about this. My colleagues and I have sanctioned to build them despite the fact that the soil cannot withstand the pressure when there's a flood.”

Her eyes were nearly popped out of the sockets on hearing this startling revelation. He continued, “I have sworn that I wouldn’t do any such activities that would affect my reputation.”

“Could you please elaborate it?”

He explained, “You would go and save the people. During the enquiry, the press will print that husband creates the problem and wife comes up with solution. Your involvement will worsen my condition.”

There was a pregnant pause. She asked, “If that is so then answer this- without my involvement, how will you come out of the enquiry? Without any charges against you?”

He gave an audible sigh. “That's not what you need to know. I have my ways to handle them.”

She laughed at his answer.

“Avni? What happened to you?” Raghav asked in a confused tone.

“What is the value of enquiry committee?”

This time, it was his turn to get surprised. “What?”

“Let me ask you another question. What is your value?”

“What are you speaking?”

“Let me rephrase it- how much bribe did you take?”

He nearly screamed, “Avni!”

“Raghav,” she answered and continued, “I was sent an attachment with the mail that had the satellite map of Alaknanda river. How could you even sanction to build so many dams?”

“Listen-”

“No, I won’t; you listen. The river is dotted with dams and dams and dams. You clear the forests, build dams, stop the natural flow of water. If there were no dams, she would have flown freely and reached the sea without causing much havoc. If there were any flood situation, the forest cover would have reduced the intensity.”

“Then how would we produce electricity? How do we deal with drought conditions?”

“If you're generating so much electricity, why do we face power cuts? If there's drought condition in any part of country, why is the water diverted to some minister’s farmhouse instead of going to the one who need them? Do you have any idea how many farmers have committed suicide?”

“Those are other departments. Don't put the blame on me.”

“I don't care about the departments. What I know is that each department has at least a person like you.”

“Watch your words. Otherwise I will cancel the marriage. It will be difficult for your parents to find a groom for you.”

Her anger shot up. “Just shut up! Don't give this daily soap kind of threats to me. I would rather remain a spinster than marrying a man who is sold, I don't know how many times. Listen Mr. Raghav Anand, I will give you time to think about our marriage.”

“Marriage will take place only if you come alive from that place. You don't know when the next flood will arise.”

She gave a watery smile. “Thank you for the concern. I am an Indian Army Doctor, daughter of an Indian Army Officer. The day I chose my career, I was prepared for this day when my destination will become my final destination. If it is so, I have no regrets. My only regret would be to marry a greedy person like you.”

It was clearly evident that anger seethed in his voice, “If it's so then I will break this marriage.”

“Avni, come, we have to check the patients,” called her colleague, breaking her reverie.

When metal like iron is liable to break under stress, we are humans; we have haemoglobin- an iron compound running in our blood. It is quite easy for us to breakdown. But she didn't let this affect her. She didn't let her mother's incessant wails or her father's sad face affect her. She was at the point where the metal would break due to stress. Immersing herself into work seemed the only option to come out of the stress.

The flood pandemonium continued for another two days. The helicopters started landing on the semi-dry ground. They had packed the tents and their utilities beforehand. Avni, her doctor friend and two of the army officers boarded on the last helicopter.

They were just a few feet above the ground, River Alaknanda started brimming. Then followed a tempestuous flood. By this time, they were quite above the ground. This sight scared her to death; she thanked her lucky stars, parents, God- everyone she could think of.

Though she was mentally prepared for such deathly encounter, her eyes were moist. She saw her colleague was crying. Avni took a deep breath and started singing ‘we shall overcome’ to calm her. Looking at the ghastly view from her window, she took a deep breath. Now, for my next destination or final destination. . .