It was Thursday night in March 1998. I was three years old. It was bedtime and time for obligatory bedtime story [or signs] about the cats and sadhus. As far as I knew , it was a normal evening with Mum reading the story after supper.

Halfway through the story, Mum covered my left eye with her hand and asked if I could see how many fingers she was holding up. I replied, “ Of course, I can’t” and moved her finger and supplied her with the correct answer. She tried again only to receive the same answer. I tried the experiment with her and was amazed she could tell the number on my finger from such a distance!

She left my room and I could hear her crying- Dad was in the room too. I just wanted someone to complete the story which eventually Dad did and I, unaware of what had preceded that evening, slept blissfully and ignorantly. No doubt, as I learned later, Mum and Dad didn’t sleep peacefully.

I remember sitting in Dr. Bhattacharya’s room on Monday morning, the furniture, the paintings, the smell of medicines. He told Mum and Dad the diagnosis- congenital cataract.

That night I was upon a girl’s hand!

A nurse was taking me somewhere. The upper corridor lights seemed the moving white marks mid-road. I can only imagine what Mum and Dad went through leaving me in a strange place.

Life there was very boring. I would longingly wait for the bell sound for visiting hours. Dad would bring me presents each day and it was so very exciting.

After my stay in the hospital, Mum was to bathe the raw socket each day- I didn’t like it- it hurt. By this time obviously I must have known what had happened. I remember asking Mum why God chose me to have this done and Mum replying ,” because He knows you are a brave little boy”. I never complained after that. I didn’t want God to be proved wrong!! Smart Mommie I had!

Today I am 18 on my way to a Yag Laser or Posterior Capsulotomy Laser surgery. In my experience, I remember someone saying, “ Focus that you can still see. You haven’t lost your vision”.

I am in the surgery room. Doctor asks me , “ What’s your name , son?”

“Madhurjya”, I say.

“Everything will go fine”, he says.

Story Shared by Madhurjya Nath