Let's hear it from Neharika
I am Dr. Neharika Yadav, a dentist, running a
private dental practice in Gurgaon.
My journey of being a dentist started 11 years back. I
was a good dental student and with a 90 percent
attendance record for all five years of dental
college. Life was good as I enjoyed the first year of
college pursuing a creative field and having
amazing buddies in the hostel.
Each day to college was exciting, and I was happy
to choose this field as I truly felt I belonged here.
However, 05th Feb 2005 had very different plans
for me as I was at home visiting my family in
Gurgaon and had to head back to college after a
weekend. I missed the college bus and so decided
on taking a call center cab deciding to sit in front
next to the driver as there were three people
already seated at the back.
The driver drove off, and after half an hour, it
became very uncomfortable as he was driving at
breakneck speed, and despite being told by other
passengers and me to slow down, he did not listen.
I was scared as my gut instincts didn't feel right,
and indeed, so at the next blind turn, we were on
the wrong side of the road as the driver could not
control the speed. The only memory I have is of
seeing a truck just a few meters away, and the next
thing I knew was we had a head-on collision.
I will never forget the memory of seeing the driver
lying on the steering wheel with his head in the
blood to realize he was no more. And within
seconds, I could feel the most intense pain I had
ever experienced in my right hand as my hand was
fractured in two places with a massive impact. I
had glass pieces all over my face and head from
the broken windscreen. As a result of the bleeding,
I could not see anything, and I thought I had also
lost my vision. We were rushed to the hospital
nearby, after which I was told I would have to go
through the surgery that evening as the condition
of my right hand was not good, and they also gave
me 14 stitches on my forehead. I went through the
surgery, and a plate was placed surgically.
I recovered mentally from the pain and trauma
after a few months, but what was coming up was
something I didn't expect as even after 4-5 months
of painful and rigorous physiotherapy, my right
hand was not gaining movement.
We then decided on going ahead with another
surgery for correction, and with hope and juggling
dental classes and repeated plasters, and I
somehow kept going strong.
The movement still didn't come back so
disappointed and reaching levels of depression to
see that I might soon have to decide on quitting
dental college. Life was at its lowest point.
I mustered the courage the third time and went in
for another surgery with the best hand surgeon in
India. He told me clearly, "Neharika, you will lose 50
percent movement, so you have to prepare, but that
will be better because now you don't have 100
percent movement."
The surgery was successful and true enough, I
regained 50 percent movement, but by now, I was
shattered, devastated, and depressed to see myself
in this state. I had lost hope, and just the thought of
all the struggles in those two years made me lose
myself, but what I realized was also that life is
precious and unpredictable, and one must respect
each day and live it to the fullest.
This experience broke me into pieces, but it also
brought me back to life much stronger. I was in
search of anything that would make my soul truly
happy, and that's how it all started.
Six years back, I visited Buddh International Circuit
with a biker friend for a biking track event, and little
did I know that standing there at the grid watching
these riders in the middle of a track would change
my life. I was so excited that day and ready to come
back with a bike and try out track riding as it made
my soul happy.
I got back after a few months, and with the help of
fellow riders on a KTM RC 390 and borrowed
leathers and trust me, just being on a track on a
bike made me so happy.
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