She wasted no time in getting her to a hospital. Devyanshi was crying the whole ride and Taashi was panicking inside.

The girl was getting paler by the second. She ran inside the hospital corridors with Devyanshi in her arms. 

“Doctor! Nurse!”

She yelled frantically. Blood from Devyanshi’s body trickled down her arms. The little girl sobbed in her mother’s arms.

A nurse came running and immediately transferred Devyanshi to a stretcher. Taashi clutched her little palm and rushed along with the stretcher.

She was taken to the treatment room. Taashi followed and held Devyanshi because she wouldn’t stay still unless in her mother’s arms.

“It’s going to hurt her mam. We have to control the bleeding.”

The nurse cautioned when she came with a thick bandage. Taashi nodded and held Devyanshi firmly. The little girl shrieked when the nurse pressed the bandage over her wound firmly.

“Bas! Bas mera bacha! Thodi der. Bilkul thik ho jaayega.”

(It’s ok! It’s ok baby! Just some time. It will be fine.)

She whispered and kissed her head, rubbing her back while she sobbed uncontrollably. Taashi wiped her face which was stained with tears and kissed her head repeatedly, trying to calm her down.

“Kitni der aur?”

(How much more time?)

Taashi asked when the nurse didn’t pull back even after 10 minutes. The nurse frowned and said.

“Bleeding ruk nhi rhi hai mam. Let me get a senior doctor.”

(The bleeding is not stopping mam.)

The nurse instructed an intern to keep holding the bandage firmly over the wound and rushed out to seek her senior.

A doctor came about 5 minutes later. The bleeding still hadn’t stopped completely. It was less, but it was still bleeding. Taashi was getting scared now.

“Why is she still bleeding? It’s been 20 minutes. Aur mujhe yaha aane mai bhi 15 minute lage the. Isko chot lage huye hi 15 minute ho gye the.”

(It took me 15 minutes to get here. She had been hurt from 15 minutes before that.)

The doctor pulled the bandage back to take a look at the wound and instructed the nurses. She then turned to Taashi and said.

“I think she has a low platelet count. We are giving her IV platelets. That will help in blood clotting and stopping the bleeding. Meanwhile, I will get some tests done. To confirm her platelet count.”

Taashi nodded. Devyanshi’s tests were conducted. The IV was given and she was given some mild painkillers. 

The little girl was soon out like light and snored lightly. Taashi sat beside her in blood stained clothes.

She sighed and looked at her daughter. The past 2 hours had been like a roller coaster. She called her parents to inform them about the situation.

“Kya? Kaise hua? Hum aa rhe hai. Tu tension mat le bilkul.”

(What? How did it happen? We are coming. Don’t worry.)

Her father said and Taashi smiled.

“Haan papa. Thik hai wo ab. So rhi hai. Mai bas bhut darr gyi thi. Khoon ruk hi nhi raha tha. Peeli pad gyi hai puri.”

(Yes papa. She is fine now. She is sleeping. I was very scared. The bleeding wasn’t stopping. She has turned yellow.)

“Thik ho jaayegi. Tu ghabra mat. Hum hai na.”

(She will be fine. Don’t worry. We are here.)

“I know papa. Achha suno. Aate waqt mere kapde lete aana. Ye wale pure khoon mai hai.”

(Listen. Bring my clothes when you come. These are drenched in blood.)

“Thik hai.”

(Ok.)

She disconnected the call and looked at the sleeping girl. She kissed her head and smiled.

“Meri laado!”

(My baby!)

Her parents arrived half an hour later. Taashi went to the adjoining washroom to change her clothes while her parents sat with Devyanshi. 

Taashi came out changing into fresh clothes and the doctor too entered the room.

“Could you step out with me for a moment?”

She addressed Taashi. Taashi nodded and followed the doctor out.

“Is everything alright, doctor?”

“Your daughter has Immune Thrombocytopenia. Commonly known ITP. It is an autoimmune bleeding disorder which is characterized by a low platelet count and leads to easy bruising and purple spots.”

Medical field walo, kuch galat likhdu toh maafi. Story ke liye likhna padta hai.

Taashi looked at the doctor scared.

“Is it…is it serious?”

“Generally, no. It is not very uncommon in kids. Most of the times it is acute and is self-healing. But sometimes, like in your daughter’s case, it lasts more than 12 months and might need medication.”

Taashi relaxed a little.

“The disorder is not serious. But her condition right now is. She has lost a lot of blood due to heavy bleeding. Uska RBC bhut low hai. The body will make blood on its own but with a wound, it would take time. She’s very young and I’m afraid ki agar khoon kam raha toh organs shut down hona start ho jaayenge.”

(Her RBC is very low….She’s very young and I’m afraid if the blood remains low the organs will start shutting down.)

Her eyes widened and she shook her head.

“What is the solution?”

“We need to give her immediate blood.”

“Do that. Please do that.”

“We will. But mam. We’re not a very big hospital. We don’t have a blood bank of our own. Hum request daal denge blood ke liye but it might take 24 hours to process and for the blood to reach here. And considering the rarity of your daughter’s blood group, it might take even longer than that. So, it would be great if you get someone to donate blood to her. It will save a lot of time.”

(We will send a request for the blood but it might take 24 hours to process and for the blood to reach here.)

The doctor left and Taashi stood there frozen for some time. She slowly walked back to the room and saw Devyanshi still asleep.

“Kya bataya doctor ne? Koi badi baat toh nhi hai na?”

(What did the doctor say? There is nothing serious right?)

Her father asked without a second. Taashi looked at him and told him about Devyanshi’s condition.

“Chalo shukar hai. Hum toh darr hi gye the.”

(It’s good. We were scared.)

“Par doctor ne bola hai ki blood chadana hoga. Bhut blood loss ho chuka hai.”

(But the doctor is saying we have to give blood. She has suffered a lot of blood loss.)

“Achha. Toh kab chadayenge?”

(Ok. So when will they give it?)

“Wo keh rhe hai ki khudka blood bank nhi hai. Dusre banks se requests krni padegi. Time lag skta hai. Aur Devi ka blood group rare hai toh ho skta hai jyada time le.”

(They are saying they don’t have their own blood bank. They have to requests other banks. It might take time. And Devi’s blood group is rare so it might take longer.)

“Haye phir?”

(What then?)

Her mother asked in worry and Taashi gulped.

“Doctor ne kaha hai ki kisi known se agar donate krwa ske toh kaam jaldi ho jaayega.”

(Doctor is saying is someone we know donates it would be much quicker.)

“Haan. Blood group kya hai? Mai baat krta hu.”

(Yes. What is her blood group? I will talk.)

Her father said and fetched out his phone.

“AB- hai. Ye bhi nhi yaad aapko.”

(It’s AB-. You don’t even know that.)

His wife said, glaring at him. Taashi was silent.

“AB- wale kaun hai apni jaankari mai?”

(Who has AB- in our relations?)

Her mother asked and Taashi looked at her.

“Ek hai.”

(There is one.)

The way she spoke and the look in her eyes told her mother who she was talking about.