PUNISHED FOR BEING ME

CHAPTER 12

WHEN I OPENED MY EYES, I SAW A WHITE CEILING ABOVE ME. I WAS IN A HOSPITAL. I TRIED GETTING UP AND GOT DOWN FROM THE BED I WAS SLEEPING ON. I STRETCHED MY ARMS AND LEGS. I WAS FEELING FINE. IN FACT, I WAS UNHURT BY THE EXPLOSION. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE. I WAS JUST A FEW FEET AWAY FROM THE BOMBER AND HAD YET MANAGED TO ESCAPE UNSCATHED. I NOTICE A TV RUNNING JUST OUTSIDE THE GLASS WALL OF MY WARD. THE EXPLOSION WAS ON THE HEADLINES.

EXPLOSION AT LGBT RALLY.

50 DEAD, 75 SEVERELY INJURED.

THE EXPLOSION WAS ALL OVER THE NEWS. I TRIED OPENING THE GLASS DORR WITH MY HANDS BUT IT WOULDNT BUDGE. CONSIDERING TO IT BEING SOME SAFETY PRECAUTION, I DECIDED TO LOOK OUT OF THE WINDOW OPPOSITE TO MY BED AND ADMIRE THE CITY'S SKYLINE IN THE DARK NIGHT. I WAS STILL THINKING ABOUT HOW I HAD MANAGED TO ESCAPE UNSCATHED WHEN I NOTICED SOMETHING ON MY BED. I TURNED AND WENT CLOSER TO THE BED AND WHAT I SAW, MADE MY FACE WHITE. A BODY WAS LYING ON MY BED COVERED FROM HEAD TOE IN THE HOSPITAL'S WHITE SHEETS. I PULLED THE SHEET FROM THE BODY'S FACE. AS SOON AS I SAW THE FACE, I STUMBLED BACK IN SHOCK. I WAS LOOKING AT MY OWN DEAD BODY. I COULDNT UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I TRIED CALLING OUT TO NURSE STATIONED AT A LITTLE DISTANCE FROM MY ROOM. I WAS SURE THAT MY VOICE WOULD REACH HER, BUT IT DIDNT SEEM TO AS SHE GAVE NO RESPONSE. JUST WHEN I WAS PROCESSING EVERYTHING, A TEAM OF DOCTOR'S AND NURSES CAME INTO THE ROOM ACCOMPANIED BY PREETI. I CALLED HER. SHE TURNED AND STARTED WALKING TOWARDS ME. BUT INSTEAD, SHE PASSED RIGHT THROUGH ME. THE DOCTOR ANNOUNCED THE TIME OF DEATH TO A NURSE WHO NOTED IT DOWN AND THEN THEY ALL LEFT. I WAS SHOCKED. I WAS NO LONGER A HUMAN. I WAS JUST AN APPARITION LINGERING AROUND, A GHOST WHOSE PRESENCE WAS OBLIVIOUS TO EVERYONE.

I SOMEHOW MANAGED TO KEEP MYSELF TOGETHER BUT WHEN I SAW THE HEADLINES THE NEXT DAY, I WAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED.

RAMLAL PANKAJBHAI KISSANWALA,

CO-FOUNDER OF ANONYMOUS, AN ORGANIZATION FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY,

DIES AFTER SUSTAINING SEVERE INJURIES DURING THE BOMB BLAST THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY.

I WAS SHATTERED BEYOND REPAIR. THOUGH I COULD HEAR AND SEE OTHER PEOPLE TALKING, I COULDNT COMMUNICATE WITH THEM. I WAS ALONE AGAIN. THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO ABOUT THIS EXCEPT ACCEPTING THE REALITY. THE ONLY THING I COULD DO NOW IS SIT BACK AND WATCH THE EVENTS OF WORLD UNFOLD WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO IT.

A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT PASSED THE SECTION 377 BILL, WHICH LEGALISED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. IT WAS DONE AS A SYMBOLIC GESTURE FOR THE HONOURING THE VICTIMS OF THE BOMB BLAST. THERE WAS A ROAR OF JOY AMONG THE PEOPLE OF THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY. IT WAS BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA, A GREATER TIME. I WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE ALONG WITH PRATIK TO CELEBRATE THIS MOMENT. BUT THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO CHANGE THE FACT THAT I HAD CEASED TO EXIST IN THE HUMAN WORLD, THAT I WAS

PUNISHED FOR BEING ME.