If your life was a book and you were the author, how would you like your story to go??
This was the question that changed my life forever.
Brought up in a small industrial town, I always used to dream big. I was an average student in studies with keen interest in dancing, acting, music, sports and what not. I wanted to travel the whole world and live a life full of adventures and stories. And, I loved my bike like anything.
I was in 12th class. On 26th June 2010, at 3:00PM, in my hometown Nangal, on the way to my coaching classes, a blind turn changed the course of my entire life. I got hit by a van. My right leg got crushed between the fuel tank of the bike and the van, which further ran over me. This was the same van that used to take me to the school when I was in nursery class. Peak summer it was and 4 days after my 17th birthday, I was lying on the black burning tar with a broken leg growling in pain. I still remember the first sight of my leg. It was like a wooden stick broken into two pieces. My first thought was ‘I have lost my leg’. The pain was brutal. It was like I am hung upside down on a single leg. My parents, friends, everyone was there with me but they were helpless.
My dad was not ready for amputation. I was taken to some other bigger hospital where a rod was implanted in the femur bone and a vein was transplanted from my good leg to try and facilitate the flow of blood in the leg. After the surgery, the doctor asked my mom ‘What actually happened?’ ‘Nothing. It was just a minor accident’, my mom replied. The doctor’s reply literally jolted me. She said, ‘It was not a minor accident. Just pray to god.’
Few hours under observation went by. I still had a ray of hope inside me that I will be back on my feet. But it was all in vain. My leg had to be amputated else it would have costed me my life. When I got to know about my amputation from the doctor after the surgery, I didn’t know how to react. My life had turned upside down. My heart was broken and dreams were shattered.
By the time my parents came to meet me, I had made up my mind that I’ll not cry in front of them. Only I was their strength. Who would have supported them if I broke down? I welcomed them with a smile on my face. They also smiled. We kind of had a competition of smiling faces amongst us. They were with me for 5 minutes but those 5 minutes were the toughest 5 minutes of my life. To control your tears in front of those parents whose one and only son was lying there on the bed and was now deprived of leading a normal life? “A physically challenged!”
Then I thought, let’s take it as a challenge. Let’s see what this new life has got for me. Now it was my choice whether to lie on the bed or to get up and prove my mettle, to show everyone what Dhruv Batra actually is. I opted for the second one!
When I returned home after 20 days, the first drop of tear came streaming down my eyes. I was thinking when I last left home, I was on my bike as energetic as ever. And when I am back I’m altogether a new person. I was broken mentally, physically and emotionally. This was a second birth for me. So of course after birth you need to start from the basics. To sit straight, to crawl, to eat on your own. I learnt how to stand, I learnt how to move with a walker and then to move with crutches. I used to walk several kilometers with crutches every day.
Then I got a prosthetic limb. I somehow got some control over me. But then I thought how will I travel the world with this confining leg? How will I live a life full of adventures and stories as I had always dreamt of? I knew just one thing. I’ll have to get rid of that old Dhruv and embrace a new one.
I made up my mind to complete my school studies the same year. NO OPTIONS. NO CONFUSIONS. I also appeared for engineering entrance examinations and got admission in a very reputed college. It was this time when I asked myself that life defining question ‘If my life was a book and I were the author, how would I want my story to be written??’ And I began to daydream as I once used to and I imagined myself walking gracefully and helping other people through my journey.
I realized this would not be enough for me to lead a normal life. Hence, I started indulging myself in games and sports, a place where you get your motivation back. I started with snooker and then shifted to table tennis. But that vigor, that adrenaline pump, that rush was still missing. I then started with swimming and used to swim 2km continuously with one leg. I always had a love affair with swimming. But after my accident, I realized swimming is something where my prosthesis doesn’t bind me and I could be me and I could put all my strength into something I loved. From a hobby, it slowly developed into a passion for me and crossing the English Channel became a life goal for me.
I still remember when I entered the swimming pool for the first time with a single leg. I didn’t have the courage to look straight into the eyes of the people. I had my chin down, focused on water, thinking how I will manage the proceedings after getting into water. After all, that was my first outing in water after a life changing accident. I went into the water and felt very comfortable as if it was my own world. I could swim smoothly and swiftly like others. And when I went there the next day, I was not at all shy. There could have been a few people who were looking at me like this for the first time but I had the courage and strength to face each one of them. My head was held high up and I had a vibrant smile on my face. That day I realized, strength is not something you have, it is something you find. And it is within you only!!
I started cycling with my prosthetic limb. I got some problems in the beginning as my prosthesis wouldn’t stay on the paddle of the bicycle. I then made a Velcro strap and tied my leg to it and rode my bike comfortably. At that time I realized, Obstacles can do only two things to you 1. Either stop you or 2.force you to be creative!!
One day, one of my friends asked me, ‘Dhruv, Don’t you ever blame God for what he has done to you? Don’t you ever ask him why me?’ I stood there silently for a few seconds pondering over her thought. Then I replied, ‘God gave me everything. Such good parents, relatives, friends who were with me in the worst of my times. The moment I wished anything, my parents fulfilled it in no time. God made me tall and handsome, gave me an intelligent mind and what not. At that time I didn’t question him that why me?? I did not ask him a single question that why is he giving all this to me? Why not other people around? And when he has taken away one thing from me, how can I question him? Sorry!! My conscious doesn’t allow me to do so.’
Today I am working with a multinational company in Bangalore. The major difficulty of overcoming the trauma of amputation was made easy by my ever-supporting parents, God’s love and a wonderful group of friends who surrounded me. While doing what an average guy does, I was also doing 5 km runs and treks and of course, swimming my heart out. But life is not that easy after all. It’s a rocky road full of bends and turns. Everyday gets a little better or may be worse, but eventually it all adds up. Every hard time of past is a motivation for future.
I often travel and visit places without my prosthesis. This invites a fair share of stares from people. Especially when I am on treks, some people advise me not to take a certain route or to not go at all, all in good faith and out of concern for me. There is a general shyness and lack of confidence in people with disabilities due to this sort of attitude. But this doubt on my abilities has always motivated me to push myself. The greatest pleasure in life is doing something which people think you cannot do. And once I have reached the summit of the mountain or dived to the bottom of that pool, it boosts my confidence.
I have participated in multiple dance events, where I dance freely without my prosthesis in front of a crowd. It is just so much more comfortable because I can jump around and be the monkey that I am. I do see a gradual change in the attitude of people, they are becoming more empathic towards the differently abled but we still have a long way to go to make India and the world a better, more accessible place.
In March 2017, I got an opportunity to take my first step forward towards my dream.
‘Just one more lap’’ my heart told my mind. I took a mouthful of air and gave it my all to complete this final lap. And about 10 minutes later, I was standing on the banks of Ottiambakkam Lake near Chennai after having completed a 10 km swimathon, by swimming for 355 straight minutes. After 3km, I had a bad cramp. I thought I was dead. After 5, I wished I was dead. After 7, I was actually dead. But after 10 km, the moment I crossed the finish mark, I realized, I was too tough to be killed!! Swim with your hands and legs to be fast, with mind to be faster and with heart to be unstoppable. I was sunburnt, cramped and exhausted, my entire body was paining but my heart was racing with exhilaration. At such a time, I could just look back at the chain of events that have brought me till that moment and have made me the person I am.
By that time, I had realized one thing, this life is a boxing match. You don’t lose the fight when you fall down. But you lose it when you refuse to stand up again and fight. If you wish to finish strong, you will definitely get up!! I completed a 2K Open Sea Swimathon and when I was running towards the stand, I heard someone saying ‘Some people are born heroes’. Such beautiful words, cheers and the claps! How can someone not get motivated to work even harder? I started working harder. My swims got longer and pools got shorter. Chlorine is my perfume now. Every swim makes me realize I am capable of more than I ever thought was possible. Recently I participated in a 5km open water swimathon. I completed it in 114 minutes, my personal best!
All I want to say is, the challenges in our life are there to strengthen the convictions. At one point, I felt hopeless, I was broken and I thought my life has reached its end. I didn’t even think of going to some university. It was something like bitter. But I had the choice – Bitter or Better? I chose BETTER!!
7 years ago when I lost my leg, I had no idea what to expect but if you ask me today if I ever want to change my situation. My answer would be NO. Because my leg hasn’t disabled me. It has enabled me is to rely on my imagination and to believe in the possibilities. And that’s where I feel, our imagination could be used as a tool to break through any situation. It is all about believing in your dreams and facing our fears head on that helps us to live our lives beyond our limits. What I want to say is instead of taking the problems and limitations as negative, we can take them as blessings, magnificent gifts that can be used to ignite our imagination further.
It is up to you. LIFE WITHOUT LIMBS OR LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS!!
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