My little bird has escaped her cage

The woman who was denied everything gave the country the greatest gift in the form the passive euthanasia law. In her difficult and pain wracked life, if that what you call life, she did for others what she was denied. She was denied justice, appropriate medicine as medicine progressed and some patient rights, because I believe a patient has the right to feel the sun on their face, take a stroll and breath some fresh air.I was introduced to Aruna 10 years after the attack happened in 1973 and wrote her story around the time when turned 50. My mother who was a working woman then, noticed her story and asked me to follow it. She said. 'look at her life. It is not black or white. It is grey'. I met her last on her 60th birthday where I was smuggled into her room and I spoke to her caretakers who told me how she was dying bit by bit and medically shutting down. I was in Delhi at the time but realized it was her birthday and came down specially for her.Before filing the PIL in the Supreme court, I looked her in the eyes and told her that look, I am doing this. Not that she recognised me, understood me or knew anything else. I told her that if god asks me when I die why did I do this, I will have my answers. I will put you in my heart and take you with me. She used to look in a single direction for long hours and would often become catatonic. She was aging faster because of her condition with her teeth falling out and she wouldn't even know she is suffering. Much of Arunas life appeared to have no divine intervention or god. I don't think there is a god because of what was happening to Aruna.I filed the PIL and the SC gave Indians the greatest gift by Aruna, the law for passive euthanasia. Constitutionally I was not her next friend so I couldnt decide the fate of her life. The nurses hoped for her life and the Aayas did a commendable job of taking care of her. It was the worst case of sexual assault at the workplace and nobody filed an FIR for rape. It wasn't till later that everyone found out about sodomy. What they couldn't prevent, they tried to make up for the rest of her life and the rapist walks today. Lets face it. It is a municipal hospital, a free hospital, run by BMC and on the taxes of Mumbaikars. She needed a lot of personal care which was given to her.The moral of the story is that no workplace should be dangerous after 7 pm for men and women. We should not let such evil happen again. If such a thing were to happen in our country or any other country, there needs to be compensation for the patient.She died a legal death today where her eyes finally rest. She died every day, every year for 42 years. Today my little bird has escaped her cage. She is at peace. My heart is at peace. It doesn't matter anymore what I wanted for her anymore, shes dead now and I will maintain her dignity. Everything else is water under the bridge. She was denied justice by Indian law but the passive euthanasia law is a validation and honour for her life.(Pinki Virani is an author-journalist and human rights activist who filed the PIL for euthanasia in the SC citing Aruna Shanbaugs case. She wrote the book titled 'Aruna's Story' and its e-book has an addition with regard to her final moments. This conversation occurred over phone with dna's Preksha Malu)