Heroic girls fight injury, take exams
Hit by an auto driver and rendered almost immobile, Keshu Lakhotia and Sukriti Agarwal undergo surgery and continue with their papers; earlier as they lay near the road, passerby Chandra Soni took them to hospital
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, December 09, 2013 http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201312092013120903052725098a13c51/Heroic-girls-fight-injury-take-exams.html
Nothing can suppress the indomitable spirit of these engineering students. Keshu Lakhotia and Sukriti Agarwal were battered and rendered almost immobile due to an irresponsible autodriver’s wrong manoeuvre, but a good Samaritan’s timely assistance helped them pick themselves up and write university examination against odds. Keshu and Sukriti, who study chemical engineering at Nirma University, had finished their second paper of seventh semester (9 am to 12 noon) on December 3 and were riding their Activa home around 12.20 pm.
All of a sudden, an autorickshaw came from behind and took a sharp turn right ahead of them. This disturbed their balance on Activa and even before they could regain control, a tempo from behind hit the girls hard. It dragged the Activa for some distance and flung the girls away from the road. The incident happened barely a kilometer from the university premises on SG Highway. Keshu lives in Prahladnagar while Sukriti is a Satellite resident. “The girls were badly injured. The tempo simply fled the spot. The girls lay on the ground by the road for some time when Chandra Prakash Soni, a jeweller by profession, spotted them and rushed them to Sola Civil Hospital in his car,” said Narayan, Keshu’s father.
“Prakash was so helpful. He took them to the hospital when the tempo driver had just left them. He called us up and informed us about the condition of my daughter and her friend. Without his help, things could have been worse,” said Narayan. “We reached there and found them in a terrible condition. Keshu was injured on her hand, legs and face. Her left hand was fractured and there was swelling on her face, hands, etc. We soon shifted her to Shalby Hospital where she was treated under Dr Nagwadia.” The condition of Sukriti was no better.
“She had a fracture in her left leg. A steel plate was placed inside her leg. She was operated on December 4 at Restore Hospital in Paldi,” said Sukriti’s mother Lata. “The concern for Keshu was how to manage her studies. She had written only two papers until the accident whereas it is compulsory to write at least three of the six papers to clear the semester. The failure to write the minimum number of papers leads to repeating the year. This was a cause for serious worry for us. Yet, her condition was such that we told her not to take further exam,” said Keshu’s mother Seema.
However, Keshu had made up her mind. She took the exam on Thursday and Friday, and will also take the sixth paper on Monday. “It was nothing less than heroic. She could not stand, sit or even sleep properly. Taking exams in such conditions was very difficult. She is fighting the odds very bravely,” added Seema. Seema further added, “The university staff have been very supportive. They have provided her a separate room and are helping in many ways. They have given her extra 30 minutes to write the exam.” Nirma University officials had even offered to provide her with a writer. However, she was not in a position to even speak properly, so this option was eliminated.
Narayan added, “Keshu has managed so well. She has been provided extra time, but she has completed her papers within the stipulated three hours. She writes in her own style, slowly with her right hand.” Keshu’s parents take her in a car to the exam centre and stay there till she completes writing and then bring her home back. Sukriti, too, is in no mood to give in to difficulties. While she did not take the exam on Thursday and Friday, she is all set to take the exam on Monday. Dr Ketan Kotecha, director of Institute of Technology, Nirma University, said, “When we came to know, Keshu had come to write exam, we accorded her all help. Such students are asource of inspiration for others.”
COMPASSION WITH HONESTY
As Sukriti lay injured by the road, her diamond earring had come unstuck. Her family thought it was lost. However, after the surgery was over, Chandra Prakash Soni he came to give Sukriti her earring. Her mother Lata was overwhelmed with Soni’s honesty. She said the earring was worth around Rs 50,000. Soni said, “I have just helped the girls. I have not done this for publicity. After dropping them at hospital I had found the diamond earring lying in my car. Being in this (jewellery) profession, I knew its value. So, I returned it to them. The blessings and good wishes of her parents are more than anything else.”
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, December 09, 2013 http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201312092013120903052725098a13c51/Heroic-girls-fight-injury-take-exams.html
Nothing can suppress the indomitable spirit of these engineering students. Keshu Lakhotia and Sukriti Agarwal were battered and rendered almost immobile due to an irresponsible autodriver’s wrong manoeuvre, but a good Samaritan’s timely assistance helped them pick themselves up and write university examination against odds. Keshu and Sukriti, who study chemical engineering at Nirma University, had finished their second paper of seventh semester (9 am to 12 noon) on December 3 and were riding their Activa home around 12.20 pm.
All of a sudden, an autorickshaw came from behind and took a sharp turn right ahead of them. This disturbed their balance on Activa and even before they could regain control, a tempo from behind hit the girls hard. It dragged the Activa for some distance and flung the girls away from the road. The incident happened barely a kilometer from the university premises on SG Highway. Keshu lives in Prahladnagar while Sukriti is a Satellite resident. “The girls were badly injured. The tempo simply fled the spot. The girls lay on the ground by the road for some time when Chandra Prakash Soni, a jeweller by profession, spotted them and rushed them to Sola Civil Hospital in his car,” said Narayan, Keshu’s father.
“Prakash was so helpful. He took them to the hospital when the tempo driver had just left them. He called us up and informed us about the condition of my daughter and her friend. Without his help, things could have been worse,” said Narayan. “We reached there and found them in a terrible condition. Keshu was injured on her hand, legs and face. Her left hand was fractured and there was swelling on her face, hands, etc. We soon shifted her to Shalby Hospital where she was treated under Dr Nagwadia.” The condition of Sukriti was no better.
“She had a fracture in her left leg. A steel plate was placed inside her leg. She was operated on December 4 at Restore Hospital in Paldi,” said Sukriti’s mother Lata. “The concern for Keshu was how to manage her studies. She had written only two papers until the accident whereas it is compulsory to write at least three of the six papers to clear the semester. The failure to write the minimum number of papers leads to repeating the year. This was a cause for serious worry for us. Yet, her condition was such that we told her not to take further exam,” said Keshu’s mother Seema.
However, Keshu had made up her mind. She took the exam on Thursday and Friday, and will also take the sixth paper on Monday. “It was nothing less than heroic. She could not stand, sit or even sleep properly. Taking exams in such conditions was very difficult. She is fighting the odds very bravely,” added Seema. Seema further added, “The university staff have been very supportive. They have provided her a separate room and are helping in many ways. They have given her extra 30 minutes to write the exam.” Nirma University officials had even offered to provide her with a writer. However, she was not in a position to even speak properly, so this option was eliminated.
Narayan added, “Keshu has managed so well. She has been provided extra time, but she has completed her papers within the stipulated three hours. She writes in her own style, slowly with her right hand.” Keshu’s parents take her in a car to the exam centre and stay there till she completes writing and then bring her home back. Sukriti, too, is in no mood to give in to difficulties. While she did not take the exam on Thursday and Friday, she is all set to take the exam on Monday. Dr Ketan Kotecha, director of Institute of Technology, Nirma University, said, “When we came to know, Keshu had come to write exam, we accorded her all help. Such students are asource of inspiration for others.”
COMPASSION WITH HONESTY
As Sukriti lay injured by the road, her diamond earring had come unstuck. Her family thought it was lost. However, after the surgery was over, Chandra Prakash Soni he came to give Sukriti her earring. Her mother Lata was overwhelmed with Soni’s honesty. She said the earring was worth around Rs 50,000. Soni said, “I have just helped the girls. I have not done this for publicity. After dropping them at hospital I had found the diamond earring lying in my car. Being in this (jewellery) profession, I knew its value. So, I returned it to them. The blessings and good wishes of her parents are more than anything else.”
