A cold but sunny January morning greeted the girl as she peeped out of the window of the hospital.

She had been at the hospital for a couple of months now. What had seemed like a minor accident had ended up damaging both her eyes badly. The doctors had painstakingly operated her and the nursing staff had looked after her with a lot of care.

It was a day of reckoning for her. She had needed rehabilitation so that she could re-learn things and get back into the world but with a heavily blurred eyesight.Today was the day when she was going to start demonstrating her learning to her tutor.

She felt a shiver down her spine at the thought of being without her good sight in the big mad world. It was as if something natural was no longer a part of her, as if she had been robbed of her identity.

And yet, she had resolved in her mind that even though she had gone through this misfortune, she wouldn’t let this stop her life. She would re-learn and find a new place for herself.

She went through her morning motions and got ready right on time for the demonstration. Her tutor was there and she took her out of the ward and into the nearby park.

For the first time, the girl was out in the open after her accident. She had so much wanted to see what was outside the hospital. The only thing she could do now though was to experience the sounds and smell of nature. The park in front of her was a blur.

The teacher made her sit down at a bench and then gave her instructions. She was supposed to get up, cross the street, and climb the stairs to reach the hospital reception. Post that she was supposed to get to the canteen for a cup of coffee.

She got up, confident about one thing – that she will give it her best shot.

As she was about to take her first steps, a voice inside her head called out to her, stopping her from doing that. She brushed it aside and started walking.

While she was crossing the road, her mind told her to stop and turn back and just be in the park. She somehow managed to overcome that feeling and with her walking stick, guided herself across.

Then, as she was climbing up the stairs, she slipped and fell down. For a moment the world stopped. She was aware, people around her were watching her. She couldn’t see them clearly but she could feel their gaze on her. Someone would surely step forward to help her.

But she had come alone thus far. And nothing could stop her now. She scolded the voice inside the head and got up, dusted herself and strode forward, not waiting for any help.

Once atop the stairs, she moved to the reception using the signs indicated on the walls by touching and feeling her way. This was all new to her. Her former self would have thought nothing of this effort. Her new self appreciated the hardships those without sight had to go through on an everyday basis.

After a few more minutes of this new labour, she reached the canteen, ordered her coffee, and had sat down at a table. As the waiter got her coffee and she started sipping the cuppa, she smiled to herself. The coffee had never tasted so good.

She had taken a small step toward reintegrating with the world around her. It was however a giant one. She had proven to herself that she could do whatever she set her mind to.

And that was enough to go on…