‘Touch Wood!’

10th March, 2020. Kaka’s morning in Siliguri is greeted by peppy Bollywood songs streaming through the curtains of his room’s window. Excitedly, he peeps to spot the source. A cloud of colourful gulaal obscures his vision! Laughter of celebrations follow…

An unnecessary but serious contemplation cages Kaka. A nudge from Ritu, the B.O.Y. 2.0 Captain (overlooking from Pune), is all it takes for him to dress down into trackpants-and-tee to participate in the festival of Holi.

Walking on the street and anticipating a brilliant time, he is memorising his Hindi lines to ask a group of boys to involve him too… However, his train of thought is brought to a cringey halt. He spots a few boys’ faces painted in silver colour instead of the happy pinks and yellows. This is definitely not what he wants his face to be smeared in. The final nail in the coffin is the drunken demeanour of the group…

Dejected, yet happy, he goes back to his room… And calls up Kunal, the host, to not risk coming out on the streets to just to give him company in the room.  Kaka peacefully chooses to be locked in his room for the entire day, alone.

At one end of the spectrum, we see people thronging to celebrate Women’s Day to promote equality (for that day by the majority), fight for privacy on Valentine’s Day, rejoice in festivals like Holi, Eid, Christmas, etc. We also see people shouting protests against strictly imposed laws like compulsions on wearing seat belts and helmets, plastic ban, etc.

But seldom do we see such a support for a rape victim (and their family)! Or a road accident case. Where does the crowd vanish then…?

However, in the journey of Bharat Organ Yatra 2.0, we have seen people supporting this sensitive cause of organ donation and its awareness. 

In a society that doesn’t want to discuss death, we have people building bridges to make the concept of organ donation a dinner-table-talk!

Touch wood!

At a time when the world is slipping into a panic mode over the threat of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), our 68-year-old Mahajan Kaka continues the solo-motorbike ride across the country. Touch wood!

When asked about his health status, he releases an affirmation, “I am healthy. I am able to continue B.O.Y. 2.0 because of people’s blessings despite the circumstances. I am fit.” Touch wood!

ReBirth thanks the strangers that have been a catalyst in the success of B.O.Y. 2.0 so far. ReBirth also thanks you, the reader, for following B.O.Y. 2.0’s journey through words and showing support. With the will of people like you and our other friends, ReBirth believes India will see a change in the world of organ donation, soon!

Touch wood!

Day 053
Siliguri, West Bengal
– Juhi Kothari/Shetty