Thursday, November 11, 2010

Missing Life!!

Its about Life and Cancer. Its about cancer that is part of Life and its about Life that is part of Cancer. We normally realize the existence of cancer only when we cross a Cancer hospital, or we see a train compartment which says 'For Cancer Patients" and sometimes in newspaper articles, What to eat to avoid Cancer. But, the story is quite different when you are across the Cancer hospital boundary. Here Cancer seems to be larger than life. Life shrinks and identity becomes parallel to Cancer. So much so, that the people suffering from cancer often demarcate their lives pre and post cancer. Some take it as a harsh accident and some face it as a challenge. I have been associated with cancer patients for the past 6 years. I can still remember a few faces who taught me how to LIVE!! Who said meeting patients was depressing, especially cancer ones. As compared to what I gave those people, I always realize I have gained much more being associated with them, whether its awareness of ones body, taking your body seriously or enjoying small pleasures which life serves everyday. No doubt, life changes after being tagged as a 'Cancer Patient'. One has to deal with his/her own physical, emotional, psychological sufferings as well as their family members'. The social dimension adds more difficulty as far as peoples' views about cancer is concerned. Life becomes endless visits to hospitals, doctors, medical stores etc etc. We often talk about quality of life post cancer diagnosis and all. But its only a very small percentage of society who would be really thinking of 'Quality of Life'. Most of our society cannot even afford the basic treatment procedure required to get a normal life back...Life is absent...and so is the quality of it.

Kaajal ki Raat!

Kal raat kuch aisi lagi hui thi aanknon mein,

Kitni baar chaaha dho lena usko,

Kambakht, chipak gayi thi aanknon ke kinaaron par,

Aansuon se beh jaati agar kaajal hoti,

Sapnon ke jalne se raat hoti hai shayad!!!