They say a doctor is always on duty. For Dr. Ankuj Tinna, this wasn't just a saying - it was a way of life, right until his last breath on that foggy October night on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link exactly a year ago.
It was past midnight. Most of Mumbai was asleep, but the sea link was awakened by the screech of brakes and the sickening crunch of metal. A car had crashed. Dr. Tinna, who was driving home after a long day, did what came naturally to him - he stopped to help.
In those crucial moments, he wasn't thinking about protocol or personal safety. He saw people in pain, and his instincts kicked in. As he rushed to check on the accident victims, the fog thickened. The sea link, usually a symbol of Mumbai's progress, turned into a death trap.
Nobody saw the speeding car coming. In a split second, everything changed. Dr. Tinna, along with others who had stopped to help, became victims themselves. The very hands that had saved countless lives were stilled forever.
"He always put others first," remembers a colleague from his hospital, her voice breaking. "Even during Covid, when everyone was scared, he would spend extra hours with patients. That's just who he is."
The tragedy shook Mumbai to its core. Not just because five lives were lost that night, but because it showed us the cruel irony of almost losing someone who dedicated their life to saving others. In the days that followed, stories emerged of Dr. Tinna's kindness - the extra minute he would spend reassuring anxious patients, the way he would explain complex medical terms in simple language, his ready smile even after exhausting shifts.
Today, the sea link continues to buzz with traffic. But for those who knew Dr. Tinna, and for those who learned about him after that fateful night, something changed. His story became a reminder of both the best and worst of humanity - the instinct to help others, and the tragic price sometimes paid for that instinct.
In a city known for its fast-paced life and people racing against time, Dr. Tinna's story makes us pause. It asks us difficult questions about road safety, about being more careful, more considerate drivers. It asks us stories of justice. Till today, Dr. Tinna has not got justice for that tragic accident that left him paralysed. But most importantly, it reminds us that real heroes don't wear capes - sometimes they wear white coats.
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