A glimpse
at the title and you know what this is about. Donating blood isn’t something
you’ll dream about, even if it’s the scariest of all dreams. Yeah, there are some
things that happen for the first time in your life. And this is one of them. Trust
me; the actual time when you’re sleeping on a bed for blood donation isn’t that
excruciating than the mental thought process that goes till your time comes.
It isn’t
a tedious process, but I’ll surely make it look like one. First you have to
fill a form, wherein you’ve to tick several diseases that you’ve suffered. Basically,
there are two options (tick on ‘Yes’ or ‘No’). No, it’s not like those CET exam
papers, wherein you take god’s name and start ticking whichever option comes to
your mind first. A wrong tick and there goes your chance of donating blood. And
while you are filling the form, in the back of your mind you’ll visualize a sharp
needle piercing your hand. This picture will compel you to tick on the wrong
window for a moment. Is that discomforting? There’s more to it!
Then you’re
asked to check your blood group. You enter a small cubicle and there’s an old
sister waiting for you. She asks you all sorts of questions, like the doctor
does when you see him to cursb your fever or cold. The questions will be
something like, Aapne Chaar Ghante Pehle Kuch Khaaya? Kya Aap Daaru Peete Ho? By
this time you feel you’ve come to a dietician, who’ll suggest you a diet after blood
donation. But that’s not how it goes. She takes out a syringe and pricks the tip
of your left hand’s ring finger. Once she’s done with checking your blood group,
she tells you whether you can donate blood or can’t.
This is
the time the actual wait starts. You are asked to rest your ass for some time
in the waiting area. You’ll find people who’ve donated blood, sitting beside
you, sipping coffee and eating biscuit (that’s the only thing that you’ll get).
People who feel dizzy are asked to lie down for some time. Looking at them,
you’ll surely feel nauseated. If you dared to ask the person sitting beside you
about his experience, you’ll abhor yourself for doing that.
Alas! Your
time comes! They summon you and you proceed, taking baby steps towards that still
and dead bed. You witness there are few more beds with a few souls occupying them.
The doctor asks you to lie down on the bed. You close your eyes and wait for
the needle to pierce your veins. It’s just a second’s game and you don’t even
realize that the needle has gone in! Whoever thinks like that, has never
donated blood. It does pain, but not the way you were thinking it to be.
It’s not
the end yet! It’s time for some party with coffee and biscuit. The hospital
feels that it’s their job to give you royal treatment after they’ve taken
almost half a litre of your blood. Must say that the coffee at Bombay Hospital
isn’t bad! With that you’re given a Parle G biscuit packet. This is what sucks
the most. Come on yaar, I’ve given 450ml (to be specific) of my adulterated blood,
don’t I deserve a Dark Fantasy!
To make
these blood donation camps a hit overall. They should have a new tagline… Tum
Humne Khoon Do, Hum Tumhe Coffee Aur Biskoot Denge.
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