Duty Bound

C.P.

[1]

It was my first day in the RNM hospital. I was very excited. I was given the charge of Pediatrics ward. That was my first independent assignment. Till now I had always been under some senior, and had only carried out their decisions. Now I could take my own treatment decisions.
I was having a little chat with the nurse when this ward boy came panting.

-Doctor, there's a very serious baby in the OPD.

We rushed to the OPD. An old woman was holding this newly born baby, and was crying.

-Doc saab, save my baby.

The man, around seventy, was looking at me very earnestly.
I placed the baby on the couch. He was blue, limp, not breathing, and blood stained. I put my stethoscope on his chest. His heart was beating, very slow.

-Tell me what happened.

-Doc saab my bahu gave birth before time, we could not bring her to the hospital. this baby has not cried after birth.

I started resuscitation almost mechanically. Clean the mouth, put in a tube in his wind pipes and pushed oxygen. All the training I had received I applied on this child. Within minutes His color changed. He took one or two gasps and then started breathing rapidly. I started a IV drip and shifted the baby to ICU.

-Uncle if you came five minutes late we could not have saved the baby. But now he's out of danger. We'll keep him here for two days.

-Doc saab you are God for us,
said that old man and fell on my feet.

-That's was my duty, uncle, I have saved so many such children before.

I had done a good resuscitation job, as always. A victorious smile was on my face

[2]

I was about to leave my clinic, when Uma phoned from the reception,

-there's a patient having convulsions, should I refuse sir, its already very late for you..

-No Uma , let him in, how old is he?

-about fifteen, sir.

I am a senior consultant and after fifteen years of practice can afford receptionists and can refuse patients. Patients have to take appointment in the morning to consult me in the evening.

In the examination room this young boy was lying on the table, and convulsing vigorously. I just made a cursory glance at him and asked the nurse to give intravenous calmpose. Within minutes his jerks stopped and his body relaxed.

He had a strange round moronic face. His limbs were shrivelled. a repulsive odour was there around him. even from distance I could tell the diagnosis, Cerebral Palsy.

-How long has he been like this,

The lady was sobbing. His husband, around my age, but looking older, looked at me. there was a mixed emotion on his face, joy, of seeing his child sleeping peacefully, and agony, of parenting a CP child.

-almost always. But we could only come to know when he was unable to sit while other children his age were running. We have been to a number of hospitals, so many specialists, but he will always remain like this. Only death will cure him.

-was there any problem at the time of birth?

-Yes, spoke the lady , for the first time,

-he didn't breath when he was born. his grandpa took him to the nearby hospital where he was admitted for three days.

I could now see anger on the face of his father.
-I regret that moment my dad took him to that doctor. He saved my son from death but gave him this cursed life.

-Which hospital did your father took him to?

-RNM.

I felt a lump in my throat which I could not swallow. The words of the nurse on duty that day were still fresh in my ears, Don't save this baby Doc Saab, You know how much damage his brain must have had by now. What life will you give him, and I had snubbed her, Who are we to predict future, Sister, we can only do our duty.

-why did your dad took him to that hospital instead of letting him die in your home. and why have you brought him to me, instead of letting him convulse to death. I tell you why, you don't want to be responsible for his sufferings and me to take the blame.

net-pal

The pandal wore a deserted look. Last of the guests were going home after dinner. Gaurav was getting bored and desperately wanted to go back to his room to change. A long night full of various ceremonies was still awaiting us. I also wanted to change into something light. This wedding outfit for jaimala was killing me. Meeting so many people on a single evening was exciting and strenuous. I was too tired. So many people came to bless us and I had to get up every time to greet them or touch their feet. Almost every one whom I expected came. Mehra Aunty was there with her three daughters, all wearing similar dress just like uniforms. Sagar Uncle came in the same old gray suit, which he wears on every colony wedding. So many relatives, close and distant, all came.

Meenu Di's bag was overflowing with small decorative envelopes, which the guest gave as the monetary token of their priceless blessings. She must have collected a handsome amount by now. Gupta Uncle and Aunty were genuinely excited looking at me in this Bridal dress. Doctor Thakur came alone, gave me a small red envelop and left soon telling about some serious patient at his clinic. He has treated me when I was a child. I was expecting her wife to come too. She is ten years senior to me but we are good friends. I looked for Meenu di but she was away, so I kept the envelop in my hand.

All my friends got themselves photographed with their Jeeju. Sheila was becoming especially very flirty with Gaurav and I had to push her away. Every one whom I expected came, every one except him. All evening I had anxiously waited for Ajay to come. I got a little disappointed by now. He had promised He'd come. But now the functions were almost over. Gaurav gave me a shy smile as he went with his friends. My gang, Simran, Pooja, Neha and Jaya were giggling at some lewd joke. I stretched my legs and tried to relax on the sofa.

I was thinking about Ajay. Why didn't he come? This would be the first time when he didn't come after promising. It was about three years back when I first met Ajay. I had just finished my Intermediate and waiting for the results. Jaya and I were having lots of fun. Roaming all day on my black scooty. Tea at Tulsi, coffee at Barista, chaat at Royal Cafe, or just window-shopping at Janpath. It was Jaya's idea to go to CyberX, a cyber cafe near our home, for chatting.

I had never tried chatting before though I was using net for my school projects and emails. The cafe was full. It was pleasant homely hall; interior was cozy and cool considering the sultry July weather. The moment I logged into the yahoo chat room with my mail ID, garry_abc, my PC screen was full of chat requests popping up like popcorn in the machine at Tulsi. "asl", "ctc", "hi babe", "wanna have fun! garry". I was at my wits end. I just closed all the windows.

Then one window popped up, " HI garry, this is ajay, 27/m/india, extremely bored, and no one to chat :( , can u help me plz". I don't know why but couldn't resist his desperate appeal. "hi ajai 19/f/in here". He told he was a fresher ENT Surgeon at Nehru Hospital, Allahabad living alone with no friend in town. We began to chat almost every day. He said he was free in the evenings and so my evenings were booked for chat with Ajay. We talked about so many things. My likes, my dislikes, movies I saw, books I read, music I listened, my family, my friends. He was interested in all about me. Clock struck 5 and I couldn't resist reaching CyberX. Most of the time alone, but sometimes Jaya sat by my side. His style was hypnotic. His use of words was fascinating. I had never seen him. That day I asked him to come to voice chat. He had a rich deep voice. Just chat and few emails were enough to bring me to this state. I was in love with him. Ajay was in my dreams, in my thoughts.

But whenever I tried to be a little personal with him, he evaded replying. He changed the subject very diplomatically, talking about his patients and his hospital. I thought he was being shy, and will open up.

My Inter result was as expected, but I couldn't get through CPMT. Since Dad was not in favour of my sitting idle preparing for next attempt, I joined a course in dietetics, at Naini Agriculture University Allahabad. NO one could guess why I chose Allahabad over Delhi, but Dad was satisfied that I will be nearer to my home. Only Jaya knew why, but she promised she’d not tell. Ajay was excited too.

My first month at Naini was very busy, so I couldn't chat with him, only few hurried emails were the only exchange between us. Then again it was the usual daily chat. I asked him to come someday to my hostel, but he said he was very busy because many of his colleagues were on leave.

Jaya had come to his uncle's place in Allahabad that weekend. She came to meet me and I agreed her that we will ourselves go to meet Ajay at his hospital. Nehru Hospital was just like a typical district hospital, smelly, overflowing with patients and their relatives. We managed to reach the office. "There's no Doctor Ajay here, not since I came here 3 yrs back" said the Medical Superintendent. We came back disappointed.

That evening I told Ajay about our visit to his Hospital. He didn't reply. just disconnected. He didn't come online after that. I was very angry, and hurt. So this man was making a fool of me. I'll never forgive him. I became busy with my studies.

Then one day I got his email. "sorry garima. I never wanted to hurt you, but unintentionally I have done so. I know you will not excuse me, but I am writing this so that I may feel lighter in my heart. This guilty feeling is unbearable. Garima, its true I am a doctor living alone, not at Allahabad, but Lucknow. But I am married, my family, wife, son and parents live at Gonda. I never told you that I was a bachelor and never tried to flirt with you. That day at Logon, I was checking my mails, I saw you chatting on yahoo. You were looking cute. I snooped your ID and sent you that chat request. I started enjoying chatting with you. Just to avoid any chance of face-to-face contact I told you a lie about Allahabad. I did my MBBS from Allahabad, so I knew a lot about Allahabad. When you joined this dietetics course at Allahabad, I knew I was in trouble, but I never knew you would start searching for me. I don't know which of my words gave you this Idea, but there was no romantic suggestion in my chat. Its that I was alone and enjoyed chatting. I treated you as a true friend. If you believe me, and excuse me, and after all my lies, still keep me as your friend, then please reply soon, or just ignore this and you will never hear from me. Yours Ajay"

There was sincerity in his reply. One month I had not talked to him. But I missed him. That evening I sent him my reply. I was now more relaxed with him. He joked about finding a very handsome doctor for me. Before the completion of my dietetics degree, Dad settled my Marriage with Gaurav. Ajay approved of Gaurav as soon as he saw his photo. He said both names, Gaurav and Garima had same meanings. The marriage was in February. I e-mailed the scanned wedding card to him, as I was scared to ask his address and personally invite him. But He promised He’d come.

"Hey do you want to stay in this pandal the whole night " Jaya was standing in front of me. " Oh no, just coming" I said and looked at this red envelop. Out of curiosity I opened to see how much money did Doctor Thakur gave. There was a thousand-rupee note, and a small letter. Jaya snatched the letter and started reading.

" Hello Garima, God bless you. May your Life with Gaurav be full with joy. I promised so I came. Chatting with you were the most memorable times in my life. I hope you will be able to forgive and forget me.
Dr Thakur aka Ajay ”