Salaam... Do Botal Khoon chahiye

Salaam... Do Botal Khoon chahiye tha (Salaam...2 bottles of blood needed)... That was the first thing I heard 6 yrs back during one winter morning of my engineering hostel days.

Suhail Miyan was a tailor from Chowk – (market area near our hostel). Quiet often villagers were sent from the MGIMS medical college to our hostel asking us to donate blood. Blood is cheap in boys’ hostel especially in engineering hostel. Muslims usually came asking for a Muslim student thinking same religion might compel one to donate blood or get it arranged. Being the only Muslim student in my batch and entire hostel at that time they all ended up with me.

Suhail Miyan’s daughter in law was having pregnancy complication and 2 unit of blood was urgently required. “Bhaijaan Allah ke vaste madad kar dijye” – Brother help me in the name of God... now that’s something which is hard to refuse on a cold Sunday morning. I had to think... I needed one more guy whom I can pull from his cozy bed... make him dress quickly and rush to hospital to give a bottle of blood.

Half the guys sleep at wee hours of morning and won’t open their doors till its lunch time... most of them even if they do open it accidently would say they have doped or got drunk last night and if you know my hostel you will know most of them are actually not lying.

Dharmendar Kumar a.k.a Dharmu Da – I call him DD is my batch mate and branch mate. A simple down to earth honest guy from Patna Bihar... I love him as my brother... I guess because he acts like one and also because he was lot different in character and nature than the rest of the Bihari crowd of our hostel.

He is also a person who can be emotionally blackmailed...



I asked Suhail Miyan to put a lid on his Muslim Muslim bhai bhai rants and went to wake DD... Five minutes later we were walking towards MGIMS...

Questions which came in my mind while coming to the hospital were answered as soon as I reached there... there were around dozen of concerned faces waiting for us...around 8 men and rest females. Men came forward and introduced themselves with their respective names and relation with the woman who needed blood.

How serious it is? How many bottles are needed???
It’s very serious but doctor said only two bottles will do.

Why have you not given your blood? I asked looking at the husband and Suhail Miyan...
Varied answer came from all the guys present...
I am too weak...
I cant I have very less blood in my body...
I used to drink a lot...
I can do anything but I can’t give blood...

I will skip penning down the anger... the talk we had... I told them I am going back and warned Suhail Miyan from coming to our hostel again...

DD won’t budge

“DD you don’t understand he brought me here under the pretext of Muslim brotherhood”
“I didn’t come here for that”
“You came because I asked you... they are the girls relative they have not given why should we do that?”
Why should the girl die because her relatives don’t care enough? Why should the unborn child suffer?

“DD... I am going, my blood is not that cheap and definitely not for such people”
“Fine, I will give both the bottles then but I still say you’re making a mistake”

DD is a good person... a brother... but at times he is like a cactus plant in the ass... he can be stubborn and defy you in public...

We gave the two bottles needed... skipped the complimentary tea... ate the biscuits though and walked back before it was time for hostel to wake up.

DD is in Australia now... People call him Khhumaar there and we meet almost everyday online to talk about the latest pirated movies available on the web. The Girl gave birth to a baby boy with DD’s blood in him I am sure he will do good in life... but he got my blood as well... who knows...