It was decided. The date was fixed. 10th November 2008. (the date is fictitious – but then what is in a date?). I got admitted in the hospital. It is a very good multi-storied, multi-speciality hospital. But that is not all. There are a few special breed of doctors who are associated with it right from its inception. They do not crush the patient with their mere presence. One immediately feels at ease. These doctors have made the hospital’s foundation very strong.
The doctor operating on me is of that type. Very accidentally he utters the technical words. If he meets you on a bus stand or in a restaurant, you will very easily begin conversation with him and he, with his reactions and responses, will make you at ease. But he is also an extra-ordinary surgeon. And he is human. Someday, more about him.
The time of operation was 12 Noon and I reached hospital at 7.00 am sharp as was told. The best indication about the homely feel is when you observe that nobody is following the time. I was on bed by 8.30 am which by any standards is a good achievement.
At around 9.30 am when I was reading a newspaper in a totally relaxed way, my concentration got disturbed by a question “How are you?”
“I am fine.” – Reflexively my answer went. Then I saw.
There she was.
With big spectacles. And a very big smile on her face. A very very sweet face with sparkling intelligent eyes. Surreal but Nice! (Please see the movie “Noting Hill” to understand the meaning of ‘Surreal but Nice’)
“Have you eaten anything since morning?”
“Not since yesterday night.”
“Good. You will be taken inside by 11.00 am. I am going to assist the main doctor in this surgery. Prior to that I went through all your pre-operation medical reports. They are okay. Don’t worry much about the operation.”
“I am not worrying since I am accustomed with the procedure. I have exposed myself to many operations in the past.” – and I explained her the nature of earlier operations.
“Then the task becomes more easy. You will go home in next 2 days.”
This was the first interaction between us.
In the operation theater, just before loosing my sense under the influence of sedatives, I thought that I saw her - though there was a big mask on her face.
That day it took longer for me to recover through the nausea caused by the ether in my body system. Hence I don’t remember much about who came and what I talked. Once I asked to my wife, “Where is she?” My wife thought that I am enquiring about our daughter and I didn’t have the mental strength to organize my thoughts and put them up in an unobtrusively logical way.
The next day she entered the room at 9.30 in the morning. My wife had just left to home and my daughter was there in the room.
“How are you feeling?”
“Excellent”
“Is there any pain?”
“No, not much”
“I know about the pain – even though you are telling me this.”
One simple flat statement, and I opened up. I told her about this pain and that pain while shifting positions at night in sleep. I told her that I didn’t want to tell her much about the pains since I have assumed that they will be there for some time till I become normal. I don’t remember much about any other nonsense I uttered. Later, I didn’t have the daring to ask my daughter too.
Suddenly I asked, “Were you there inside during operation?”
“Yes. I assisted it. It is a very good surgery.”
“You saw it all?”
“Yes”.
I don’t know why I felt suddenly awkward. What did she see? It is the greatest draw-back I have. I can’t hide my thoughts. Anybody can read me. And how can I escape from these sparkling eyes?
Women have that tremendous sense which men don’t. Sensing this awkwardness, she immediately left.
Again she came the next day at 9.30 am. I was waiting. What is becoming of me? She enquired, as usual, about any problems I faced in past 24 hours. I told her the progress I had made. That morning at 6.00 am I had walked 3 rounds on that 5th floor of the hospital! Definitely it must be an achievement since I saw the admiration in her eyes.
One unexpected burst in my mind – is she also eager to come in my room and talk? This day I was sensing the sparks. I was sensing them in both the directions. My this feeling cannot be described properly in words since we have been taught and groomed from generation to generation to think only towards a specific direction for given stimulii. At that instant I felt to hug her and kiss her. I even began to frame my question “Is it weird to tell you that I have the urge to hug you?” Originally this question type was not mine, it was borrowed from the movie “In the land of women”.
The question remained in my mind. Instead I asked, “May I ask your name? I haven’t asked so far”.
“I am Dr. …………… and I work as a Surgeon in this hospital” She told me her name.
What is it in the name? Even if it is XYZ?
“Today by 12 Noon you will get discharged”.
I was on flat earth, on my cot in my room.
“Right. Very good. I too am eager to go home.”
“You take care for next two weeks. Don’t lift weights for next three months. Also don’t drive a 2 wheeler within this period.”
I was trying to prolong the conversation.
“When should I come to remove the stitches?”
“The main doctor will visit you today and he will tell you the date. But it will be one week from today”
There came this point when there was no further conversation and she left.
The next week I went to the hospital and got the stitches removed. I saw her the last time on that day. She gave a note to me for preparing the certificate in another department for joining period as required by me to be given in my Company. It was an extremely busy day with a churn out of lots of patients in the OPD and we both didn’t have the time to talk.
Today, after so many months later, when I think of this whole episode, I feel that whatever happened, it must be in my mind and necessarily one sided. She must be doing her duty and her behavior must be the same everywhere. I felt that it is special for me, and only for me. I became selfish. We met only four times and the talk was very normal, as it should be.
Many of us must have experienced that some times when we are under too much stress, someone elderly recognises this, comes near us and just pat us to show that 'he understands'. The relief we feel is tremendous!
She had that rare something, similar to that pat, which made my days as special ones.
Where ever you are, I know that you will be there whenever I need you the most.
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