“Anshu Rao”, the doctor calls out. Anshu, a 13-year-old student, felt his heart pounding in his chest like a drum, his palms were sweaty, and he could feel a lump forming in his throat. He hesitated momentarily, took a deep breath, and slowly rose from his seat. It’s one of the most prestigious schools in Mumbai, and every year, they conduct regular health check-ups for their students.

His teacher calls out his name again, and he enters the room; the doctor asks him to open his mouth, and has a surprised look on his face. He asks Anshu if all the other tests are done and checks the papers in his hands. He asks him again to open his mouth and notes down his observation.

After the medical team completed their check, the doctor told the class teacher he needed to talk regarding a student.

Meanwhile, Anshu is scared; he avoids his routine football practices, comes home, sits in his room, and cries. His parents are both well-known Bollywood celebrities and are at work most of the time, but his grandmother and servants look after all his needs.

Anshu’s room is adorned with posters of his father. He always copied his father, his walking style, hairstyle, dressing sense, etc. he aspires to be an actor just like his Papa once he finishes his studies.

The doctor tells the school's class teacher, “Sir, one of your students, Anshu Rao, shows some unusual observations.”

“What observations, doctor?”

“There are white patches in his mouth, and he had trouble opening it. When I asked him some questions, he was scared to answer. Looked like he was hiding something.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to him, but what further?”

“We need to do a biopsy to find the real cause.”

“I’ll inform his parents and the principal regarding this.”

Grandmother learns from the driver that Anshu has skipped his daily football practices and comes home early. She talks to Anshu, but he manipulates the situation, saying he feels tired and comes home early.

When his parents come home in the evening, they ask him about the check-up. Anshu gets worried and tells them the doctor has observed some white patches in his mouth.

At the same time, the principal called Mr. Rao and informed him about the medical check-up and biopsy test.

Mr. Rao asks Anshu, “Haven’t you seen the white patches any time before? The doctor has suggested a biopsy”.

Anshu gets scared and says he had not seen it earlier. His parents don’t interrogate him much, thinking he might have gotten spooked because of these symptoms.

The next day, the biopsy is done.

After two days, they get the report. The report brings shock to everyone. Anshu is detected with Oral cancer!

His mother’s eyes welled up with tears, her sobs echoing through the silent room. His father stood there, his face pale and his hands shaking, as if trying to grasp something slipping away. Grandmother asks him with all the courage, “Beta, how did you get this? Why on earth do you have to get this. I’ve become old; God must have sent this to me instead of sending it to you”.

The doctor talks to him very calmly, “Anshu, it’s important for us to know if you’ve been smoking or using tobacco products. It’s unusual for someone your age to develop this type of cancer without exposure to these substances.”

Tears welled up in Anshu’s eyes, spilling over and streaming down his cheeks. His voice trembled as he confessed, ‘I…I had a feeling something was wrong. My friends…they tried to warn me, but I…I just couldn’t stop.”

His father holds him in his arms and asks softly, “Can you tell us in detail? Then only we can come out of this; please open up; we love you.”

“Papa, I started having pan masala one year back. Initially, I started just as fun as I saw you advertising for that brand. Our old driver used to have it regularly; he would keep lots in his bag, and I would rob him sometimes. Eventually, I got addicted to it. My friends warned me, but it was too late; I couldn’t stop myself by then”.

“But son, I did the advertisement for mouth freshener, not Pan masala.”

The principal said, “Mr. Rao, our school committee also spoke to you earlier regarding this. You might be endorsing a mouth freshener from the same brand, but it is a form of surrogate advertising where the mouth freshener is promoted. Still, the brand recognition also promotes the pan masala product. We were concerned about you being such a great celebrity in our country, a trustee of our school. Your endorsement significantly impacts your viewers; now it’s in your own house, your son! Pan masala contains harmful ingredients, like tobacco, which is a known carcinogen, and betel nuts, which contain nitrosamines, another group of carcinogens. It also contains toxic materials like residual pesticides, lead, cadmium, and nickel.”

Mrs Rao couldn’t hold herself now; she bounced on her husband, “This is what happens when you run after money. I told you to break the contract with that company; we are also earning a lot, which is more than sufficient for the next generation. Then why do you go crazy for those advertisements? Today, it’s our son; many out there might think it’s all okay to try this dirty pan masala and spoil their life.”

“I am sorry; I will hold a press conference immediately, apologize and inform the public. Also, I will break the contract. But doctor, please do something for my child.”

“Do not worry, sir; it’s the initial stage of cancer; we can go for the medication immediately. I will guide you step by step. Anshu, you have to stop this addiction and follow all the procedures my medical team guides you with. Another piece of advice from me is never to hide anything from your family; they can guide you, and never follow social media blindly.”

The days following Anshu’s diagnosis were a haze. Anshu showed incredible bravery throughout his treatment. His parents were by his side every step of the way, their previous busy schedules forgotten in the face of their son’s health crisis.

Over time, Anshu began to show signs of improvement. He was determined to recover.

Meanwhile, Mr. Rao held a press conference, apologizing for his previous endorsement and informing the public about the dangers of pan masala. He broke his contract with the company and vowed never to endorse such products again.

Two years after Anshu’s diagnosis, the Rao family received the news they had been waiting for - Anshu was cancer-free.

Mr. Rao and Anshu decided to join an NGO that fights the eradication of tobacco. They used their story to educate others about the dangers of tobacco. They also encouraged other celebrities to stop endorsing tobacco-containing products.

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