Passage 11

At about 4 in the evening Vikram was driving along the bustling street in Kathmandu while he saw something amiss.A seemingly confused crowd was milling about the a three-storeyed about 35 feet tall building. Vikram, a little short and stout 25-year-old restaurateur braked his motorbike and looked up for a second.From one of the windows on the third floor was dangling a wailing little baby-boy stuck between the gap of the window grille. He prayed for the life of the baby as he jostled his way into the crowd.

Neha the younger mother of the 2-year-old kanhaiya, and left the boy back alone in the room to buy vegetables from the street-vendor.As her husband was out on the day there was no one at home to baby-sit the boy.But before she went out the boy's mother had placed the boy on a wooden plank on the base of her bed-room window's grille that boxed the window on the outside.Under the plank was little larger round opening to fit a potted plant which was yet to be used as its original purpose. she put the baby on her boxed window grille so that she could keep her eye on the baby while still shopping on the street.

The baby however had somehow managed to displace the plank from its place and purpose.His legs slipped through the circular opening in the grille and got stuck there by the arms only.Hearing the boy's cry, Neha dropped her vegetables and dashed back into the building and was by now racing up the staircase.Shocked and aghast the crowd looked at the boy while Vikram stood himself right below the boy.The boy was frantically struggling and the people along with Vikram reckoned that he would slip through any moment. " Get a bed sheet!" shouted someone the crowd. A man ran to get one from a line. Everyone knew the worst was behind them.Vikram was all set catch hold of the boy before it fell to the ground. "If I can't do this, I'll have to watch him die, "he thought looking at kanhiya intently.

Seconds before Neha entered into her bedroom when,suddenly,she heard an outcry from below. "It's all over," she thought as she stiffened and sank down on the stairs. It was then that the baby-boy had slid through the hole, hit the second-floor window shade and landed heavily on Vikram,s chest, His strong arms closed tightly around Kanhaiya. Vikram lost his balance and fell back.

Looking out through her bedroom window grille, sobbing Neha, Noticed that the crowd had dispersed even Kanhiya was not there.She rushed down and a man on the ground floor told her that her son was safe and had been taken to a nearby clinic.

Kanhaiya was being treated for minor bruises who grabbed and clung to her when she approached him. Standing by him was a younger stranger who was the savior her beloved son." I have no words to expressmy gratefulness to you, "she kept on telling the stranger. "I was only doing what I had to do," said Vikram," but I wish nobody leave small children near windows."