When “I” is replaced with “we”, even illness becomes “wellness”. Normally, people are fantasized by traditional tales of Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahiwal, Sassi Punnu, and likes but a 20-year girl has set quite a different precedent and decided to live her own way whilst family, as well as circumstances, went against her.
It happened only a couple of days ago that a couple caught on camera embracing each other within the university premises and were expelled from the university for apparently violating the code of conduct. Their video stormed social media and everyone seemed opinionated about the benign love affair.
Right now the discussion is not about quashing their daring act but it is all about a brave girl who went against all odds in the pursuit of love. Normally, people are fantasized by traditional tales of Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahiwal, Sassi Punnu, and likes but a 20-year girl who is a resident of Lahore sets quite a different precedent and decided to live her own way whilst family, as well as circumstances, went against her.
Yes, you heard it right. It is a real-life story of Sana and Dawood. Dawood was 21 years old and Sana was 20 years old when they met for the first time at a family function and fell in love. It just so happened that they no longer used to spend much time without seeing or talking to each other.
But most people in both homes did not know it. It was a normal day for Dawood Siddique. He had some get-together at home and was busy making arrangements with the rest of the family. At the same time, he was talking to Sana on his mobile phone. Sana was telling him on the phone to come and show her face and at the same time, Dawood’s father called him from inside the house.
Saying ‘OK, I’ll come’ to Sana, he hung up the phone and at his father’s call and picked up a long iron rod and walked up the stairs to the roof of the house. That was the day when his life changed forever. The iron rod in Daood’s hand struck the overhead power supply lines and a loud explosion lifted him and knocked him against the ground. The shock was so severe that his body was reduced to flames for a few moments and he lost consciousness.
People around picked him up and submerged his whole body under the sand. When Dawood regained consciousness, he was bedridden in a ward at Jinnah Hospital in Lahore with white bandages wrapped around his body. He soon learned that doctors had amputated both his arms and one leg to save his life.
“Doctors said the arm and leg could be reattached, but we can’t resuscitate.” The incident took place in November last year. Today, three months later, Dawood is staying at his uncle’s place in the Qinchi area behind the General Hospital in Lahore.
Drying his eyes with the help of his knees, he told the BBC news-reporter that his arms had been amputated to the first elbow. He added: “Then the doctors cut off my whole arm. Then I had to amputate my right leg up to my knee. I never thought anything like that could happen to me. ”
Ever since he regained consciousness in the hospital, he had been thinking of Sana. He was going to meet them. Where will she be now will she even know what happened to him? When Sana found out that Dawood had been electrocuted and was in the hospital, she rushed to the general hospital with one of her cousins. She didn’t even care what her family would think or what people would say.
Speaking to the BBC Urdu, Sana said that she secretly went upstairs on her own and less than eight hours had passed since Dawood’s operation. He had not yet regained consciousness and had not opened his eyes. His whole face was swollen. I whispered his name in his ear. He immediately opened his eyes. I said don’t worry, I’m here. I will not leave you. She had decided. She told the family that she wanted to marry David but her father did not agree.
“What are you going to do?” He asked. David has no arms, no legs. I said I don’t care. I have to support him. The family said you will leave everyone for one person? I said, ‘I just want David.’ Dawood said that he thought that if he asked Sana to marry him, it would be abuse against him.
“Every girl wants her husband to look good and healthy. Who is accepted in a situation like mine? Then I left thinking that if it happened to me I would get it. Meanwhile, Sana’s marriage was arranged elsewhere.
Sana’s family took her from the hospital saying that they would get her married to Dawood but she refused to go home. The family thought she was emotional at the time and would make up her mind with the passage of time. Dawood also tried to convince Sana that her family is right. No parent wants to harm their child. I didn’t know anything about life yet. Every day the doctor said Dawood would not survive.
But Sana stood her ground. “I knew who I would be happy with.” Her family wanted to solve the problem in such a way that Sana got engaged elsewhere and fixed the date of marriage.
Sana left home two weeks before the wedding and went to her aunt’s house. Despite severe injuries of Dawood and amputation of his limbs, Sana was still convinced that together they could do everything.
“I told him not to worry. If God has taken your arm, He will give it to you. I will be your arm. Whatever you have to do, I will do for you. ‘ She was not willing to go back home. Soon, the couple got married in a close ceremony at Dawood’s uncle’s house, but Sana’s family did not attend.
Now Sana does everything for Dawood. She spends the days changing his clothes, feeding and applying ointments on his injuries but most importantly she’s saving him from feeling helpless and miserable. And it’s not easy. Whenever he feels miserable Sana encourages him not to think that way. Recalling the sad incident she first tried to hold back her tears but then she started crying.
Wiping away her tears, Sana said: “I wonder what my family would have thought if this had happened to me and how happy they would have been if Dawood had stood by me at that time. Now if I have made this decision, they should be happy, but they do not think so.
Dawood might have wanted to wipe away the tears of Sana sitting beside him. He could only look at her and say, ‘Nobody does that what she did. Dawood and Sana just want a little help from the rest of the world.
“I appeal to philanthropists and the government to install my prosthetic arm and leg or enable me to work so that I can take care of my family myself.” Sana wants to see him around walking with his own legs no matter if they’re prosthetic.
