The battle between optimists and pessimists has been decided in the former’s favour, and man of the match is Dalbir Singh Gill. When Ahmedabad Mirror broke the story of this man, who was rescued by cops from his wife’s year-long captivity in his own house (One year as wife’s hostage, April 4), the conscientious among us prayed that God should not put even enemies through such an ordeal.
Mentally and physically shattered Dalbir was rescued from his dilapidated, termite and cobweb-ridden house in Gandhinagar. He was starving, stinking for want of a bath, and so deranged, he was unable to speak. His injuries, a result of an accident in 2002, had worsened. It was said he would never ever walk again.
Who would have believed at the time that this man once shared a room with the great Sachin Tendulkar as junior cricketer? In a matter of 47 days — between April 2 when Dalbir was rescued and May 19 when he underwent total hip replacement surgery — his life changed from pit dark to sunshine peaks. He found support in the man entire country worships as cricketing God. He will walk again.
Tendulkar was right by his bedside post surgery; he has already taken care of the Rs 6-lakh medical bill. From hopelessness, Dalbir has become a symbol of hope. Tendulkar has played his part in Dalbir’s innings, but the bigger message is, a turnaround is always round the corner.
On Wednesday, even Tendulkar was smiling at his immaculate timing, but if he had his way, he would have preferred to remain far, far away from Ahmedabad, when his teammate from under-17 days, Dalbir, underwent a successful surgery.
Tendulkar, a firm believer in destiny, would have marvelled at his own, considering he should be in Ahmedabad on the very day Dalbir, who is fighting on despite numerous blows by fate, got a second, third or fourth lease of life. “Please downplay my role, it’s the doctors really and it’s Dalbir’s fighting spirit,” he told this correspondent, and every other journalist who managed to catch him in simmering hot Ahmedabad.
At Shalby Hospital where Dalbir underwent surgery and where his family expressed their gratitude to Tendulkar before the cameras, to quote-hungry reporters and a small gathering of people related to Gujarat cricket, Tendulkar arrived around 6 pm.
He had requested the hospital staff to ensure his entry, and his exit, remain a secret. The entry did remain a secret. Some say he entered the hospital from a back door, some say it was through the parking. Everyone agreed it was not from the main entrance.
Tendulkar’s involvement in Dalbir’s life is a very interesting story in itself. Aware of his son’s association with Tendulkar, and hopeful of his benevolence, Dalbir’s mother Sukhdayal couriered Tendulkar the pictures of her unfortunate son, his worsening medical condition, and a letter, praying for help.
Tendulkar swung into action. A call was played to long-time confidante Dr Anant Joshi, the Indian cricket Board doctor. Dr Joshi recommended the treatment, and safe hands of Dr Jawahar Pachore at Shalby Hospital. The Rs 6 lakh (approximately) needed for the treatment was no big deal, said Tendulkar.
In the middle of all this, Dalbir was in hell. He was locked inside his house by his wife. He was beaten up, starving, and close to death. His wife from a second marriage, Rajvinder, denies it all but the fact remains that when the cops rescued him from Meghdhanush Society in Gandhinagar, he was found alarmingly frail because of starvation, he smelt because nobody bathed him for days, and was disoriented.
Now with his mother and sister, Dalbir says he dreams of the day when he will walk up to Tendulkar to thank him. Doctors attending him say that day is still three months away, but definitely a possibility. “He will surely walk normally in few months,” said Dr Pachore.
As for Tendulkar, he spent some quiet moments with his friend and his family, before flying off to Mumbai to be with his wife and tell her, “Mission accomplished.”
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