She served several patients in a white apron. White color was her pride and joy. Her relatives who saw her as a self-respecting daughter in a white dress until recently, are now confused as they cannot see the same color.
Colors also express feelings according to time and situation. A color that is beautiful when associated with a profession becomes ugly when associated with death.
Cancer specialist Dr. Srishti Tiwari clad in white clothing had an air of disarray on Friday evening.
Five members of the same family perished in a road accident at Chandragiri Seto Pahara in Kathmandu on January 13. The family belonged to Dr Tiwari.
Her mother, father, husband, and two children, who were heading to Kulekhani, met with an accident at Chandragiri. Her father, mother, husband, and son died on the spot before her eyes. The critically injured daughter, who was rushed to the hospital, breathed her last in the course of treatment.
Srishti, who saw this heartbreaking scene with her own eyes, survived. She had got down to remove the stones from the road when the accident occurred.
She was recounting in a low voice to those who came to visit her on Friday, "I don't know how it happened."
Srishti is silent as she sits on a bed made in a corner of the room in her residence in Lazimpat, Kathmandu. She closes her eyes now and then. A relative sitting next to her asks, "Are you sleepy?" She just shakes her head, signaling, 'No'. Perhaps, she prefers to remain in silence.
However, the eyes of those who visit her are full of curiosity. They want to know, "How did this happen?"
Pediatrician until January 11, Dr Mahesh Gautam (Srishti's husband)'s family was planning to go to Chitwan. After his children's school holidays, Mahesh was preparing to go to Chitwan to celebrate Maghe Sankranti with his family. Srishti said, "Chitwan is far away, can we try it nearby?"
Srishti's family especially enjoyed nature. Sometimes they would go hiking with their kids, sometimes to a scenic spot for a "night stay". That day also they went out in a car. However, this family's journey ended in Chandragiri.
Srishti had told Mahesh on Friday evening before climbing Chandragiri, "People say the road to Kulekhani is also difficult, should you go to Chitwan?"
"I have already booked the hotel and made the payment. It is near and the road is not that difficult. It is suitable for hiking, too," Mahesh responded.
Srishti then agrees.
Srishti, who walks with complete information about every trip, was not so knowledgeable this time. Because the destination was changed only the previous evening.
They left Lazimpat that Saturday and reached Kalanki to check the condition of the vehicle. Then Mahesh, who was heading towards Chitlang, was calling the hotel he had booked and asking about the route. From there they went ahead after getting the information that the road was easy.
Srishti herself was looking at the destination on Google Maps. Google Maps was showing the destination as one hour away.
After reaching the Seto Pahara of Chandragiri, the vehicle did not move forward. There were small stones on the way. Even now Srishti does not think that those stones are of the type to stop the car.
The other vehicles were passing easily. But their car could not move forward.
Srishti got down from the car. She removed small stones. She asked Mahesh to move the car forward. Mahesh said that he would back up a little and then move forward. Srishti thought he would do so, accordingly. To their bad luck, it didn't happen as expected. The backed-up car suddenly fell off the hill, leaving five people dead.
Srishti, who is now mourning her husband and children's demise, is missing everyone. Srishti and Mahesh would go to Labim Mall in Pulchowk with their children in the evening and return home late at night. Srishti's family had traveled many times in the same car that they used on Saturday.
Srishti was saying, "The road where the accident happened was not that difficult."
However, the accident happened there. Seven days have passed since the accident.
Even in grief, Srishti is trying to talk easily with her relatives. The phone she was using remained in the car. Now Mahesh had a small mobile phone that he used at home. The phone keeps ringing. She can't answer all the phones. She lets others in the house pick up the phone.
After the accident, all the media covered the news. Srishti was not in a position to tell her condition. In the reports, the husband's age and children's names were wrongly printed. "The history of those who are gone should not be ruined," says Shrishti, "My children's names are Smaira and Shriyans."
