Doctor I Have A Problem -Part2

He came to his house tiredly, and the medical tests made him a wretched person. The visit to the hospital only aggravated his illness. He felt it was difficult to swallow food and it became worse than yesterday. In fact, he didn’t even take food in the afternoon, fearing it would embarrass him to eat in front of all the people, because he would take so long to finish it. It’s like he had claustrophobia. One of the best things that happened in the hospital was that he had met Pragya there and he was ready to go to the hospital to meet this girl again and again.

“My son, how do you feel now?” Sunil’s mother asked him. He was sitting on the study table in his bedroom and trying to check emails in the laptop. His boss was constantly worried about his declining performance. He was heartbroken when Sunil told him that he couldn’t reach office today since it took long hours for his treatment.

“I am doing not well mom,” he responded harshly. He didn’t want to respond to her because he knew what was going to come next.

She shed tears copiously and sneezed, “I don’t know why you are talking like this. I am worried about your health, but you………..”

“Mom……….” There was a high voice coming now. “Don’t cry again. I feel like I am gonna die now. Your tears soaked face frightening me, mom,” he said in a calm but assured tone.

There were more sobs from his mother. She had rushed back to the kitchen to prepare the dinner as shut the door firmly. She was making panneer tikka masala and egg bhurji and chicken lungs fry for him. She believed at least he would eat his favorite food items without any complication.

He took a deep breath as looked out of the window. His mother’s face slowly faded away from his mind. He was feeling better now. There was a hunch on his heart and he knew what it meant. It was like a soft breeze had come to brush his veins. The feeling was too good to describe. He knew it was because of Pragya. He wanted to get in touch with her, his heart was kept telling him despite his fear of talking to her. Yes, when she had entered inside the diagnostic lab in the hospital, she had missed her ID card in her seat. Luckily Sunil had seen it and read where she was working and her contact number and employment number, including her blood group. When she had come back he returned it to her, but the details already imprinted on his brain perpetually.

Now, he was swabbing the screen of his Lenovo k8 mobile with his left thumb finger. He fought hard whether he had to send a message to her or should call her. He was deeply embarrassed by the thought of calling her, because it looked inorganic to him. He felt she mightn’t like the idea of talking to him again. He slowly typed this following message on whatsapp.

“Hi…… this is Sunil. How are you dng?” he read at least ten times before he sent it.

There was no immediate response from her. Probably she is sleeping now, he thought. But time wasn’t even nine o’clock yet. He was kept staring at the screen of his mobile for few long minutes. Nothing churned in him. A wind blew outside, and it was a strong gust as the window closed and opened again. His cheeks were brushed with cold wind, and he felt God’s touch in it. His innards felt blissed as if he had suddenly become a sinless person. If he didn’t have met her today, he was sure he would have kept worrying about the past wreaking days and sleep would have robbed him again.

For long minutes he hadn’t received any response from her. He felt like tossing the mobile on the desk and go to the living room and lie on the couch for few minutes before he tried to chew something for dinner. The aroma of masala was wafting in the house. It only tickled his tongue, but not his brain. For him one of the big tasks as of now was eating food. He felt God should have blessed humans to live longer without eating food at all. But it was impossible, and he knew he can’t live more than two weeks without food. He had to take food or should prepare to die. That was the straight but deadly equation. Before he walked down to the doorway of his bedroom, the cell phone hooted and blinked a few times. Sunil’s heart screeched with happiness, he knew it was the message from Pragya. He jumped and jogged as he took the phone in his hands and pressed his index finger in the round hollow space for finger print sensor as the screen popped up with a single unopened message. His fingers slightly shivered as opened it.

“Oh shit,” he muttered as Vodofone had sent a service message.

He felt like breaking the phone now. He had raised his hand high with the phone. But his breath dropped suddenly. His mother was calling him to have dinner now. He turned his foot, but the phone beeped once. He thought it was a service message again. He reluctantly opened the screen, but his eyes were jostled on seeing Pragya’s message. He hastily read the message.

“Am dng great. What’s happening there?”

He stood like a statue and couldn’t believe that he was chatting with a girl.

“Nothing interesting, I am waiting to have dinner with difficultyJ” he sent. He was leaning on the window sill now. His hair was rustled in the air. When he sent this message, he kept debated himself if he had sent a right message. Whatever he said to himself, his brain wasn’t happy.

“Me too……….I just finished my dinner, it took a long time for me,” she said.

“Oh, you scary me off by mentioning #Metoo. I think I am not harassing you, am I?” he sent. He knew the heat waves surfaced in our country because of this twitter hashtag.

Pragya smiled heartily as clutched her fingers over her soft bosom. She was smiling after long days. She wore brown skirt which sprinkled with flowers and a leaf green top. She looked ravishingly beautiful. If Sunil had seen her in this dress, he would have embraced her tightly. Her skirt had just ended below her knees and revealing her white shanks. The primly filed finger nails were glossy with red nail polish.

She couldn’t resist from calling him. She had immediately dialed him.

Sunil’s heart sang when he had seen her name on the display, calling him. He swiped the green button above to attend the call.

“Hello?” she said in a light whisper.

“Hah, I wonder if I am dreaming now,” he said. He was straining hard his brain to rake the right words.

“Why?”

“Because I am talking to you.”

“Stop being funny,” she said uprightly. “Mmm, tell me how you got my number.”

He had bitten his tongue as squirmed his face and he said, “ID card.”

“Oh you…………” she said in a taunt voice but slowed down eventually, “That’s really smart way to steal others information, isn’t?”

“I am sorry,” he said. He had really meant it. If she was in front of him, he was ready even to fall on her feet.

There was a light chuckle from her. “That’s fine Sunil. I am happy that I found a nice guy to be interested in me,” she knew the words were little quirky. “I mean, I am happy for finding a person who sails on the same boat. Okay, what happened to your consultation with the doctor? Are the reports good?”

Sunil didn’t want to talk about it. But he can’t avoid it either. He had to say something about it.

“My endoscopy results were positive. The doctor said I will be absolutely fine only if I won’t grieve anymore in the coming days. He said my stomach had accumulated more acidity due to constantly worrying about the future. He said I should stop worrying and asked me to find a way to move ahead. I asked if there was a medicine to cure my thoughts. He laughed at me saying there are no medicines for this yet. I asked him what would be the possible solution for eliminating negative thoughts from my mind. He laughed again and said you better focus on what you are doing,” Sunil said with a sense of agility.

Pragya didn’t know if she had to throw a sad face or smile for what he had said now, “Even I had asked the doctor the same question, he said me to attend yoga classes and do meditation daily in the morning.”

“Wow, that’s really strange how even the doctors and scientists are still struggling to give a complete solution to control our body, isn’t?” Sunil said like a philosopher.

“That’s true. Now only I understood there is something bigger than us which controls all of us. Yes I believe in God,” she said. Earlier she had ambiguous thought about spirituality and God. But now her passion to know more about the spiritual matters got clutched her soul. She was already feeling good. She had prayed before God for the first time in her life today. She felt like something mysterious energy flowed in her heart, she couldn’t describe it well but it happened. Her slumbering cells were enthused and regenerated. She was revitalized.

“That’s interesting to know about your religious feelings. I had never thought a girl in the modern age would be talking such matters,” he said.

“Hellllloooooooo,” she said sternly. She was slightly pissed off. “You shouldn’t underestimate the brilliance of girls by just looking at few obnoxious girls. You know what I mean, right?”

“I….I….am sorry that I hurt you,” he said. He thought she was going to cut off the call. He took the phone from his ear and looked in front of his eyes if her call was disconnected or not. But the line was intact. He breathed heavily.

“It’s okay. I don’t know sometimes I couldn’t control my anger when people, particularly boys talk about girls’ irrational beliefs,” she said. There was a little pause, she was gauging the moment and continued, “I know you are not trying to demote the girls. But……….”

“I always worship girls. I always adore them. But girls had never come to my side until now. I think you are one of exception,” he said in a slightly infected voice.

She scooped few tendrils of her hair and pushed it back gently. Her hair smelt of Pantene shampoo. Yes, she had taken head bath two hours back only, just to relax and feel good.

“That’s so nice of you. But I don’t believe your theory that girls hadn’t come on your side. You must be joking at this age,” she said. Their conversation was steering towards some purpose, but they both didn’t know where they were heading to.

“My mother’s promise,” he said. He can only take his mother for granted. He knew his father was a grumpy man, and he didn’t want to think about him at all. He might be surfing news channels with a remote in his hand in the living room.

Pragya smiled beautifully, her tender breasts shook inside her nighty as she passed her hand over her mouth and said, “I believe you don’t hate your mother, isn’t?”

“Of course, I won’t. She is the only supporting person I have on my side,” he said.

“I think all the mothers win their son’s hearts,” she said.

“There is no doubt about it.”

“So,” she said and thought for a while as twirled her thin gold necklace. “What tomorrow’s plan?”

“I have to go office. Otherwise my damn manager would come to my house to drag me out, he is such a bossy fellow you know,” he said.

She giggled like a small kid. She didn’t want to end this conversation quickly. She wanted to talk a lot with him.

“Don’t you like your manager?”

“Nay,” he said with a twist of his mouth, “He is monster. He always yells at me. Please don’t remember about him before I am getting into sleep.”

On hearing the word sleep she had looked at the wall clock in her bedroom, it was ten thirty now. But she still didn’t have sleepy eyes at all. She thought she won’t get sleep this night too. But after talking to him, there was something cheerful feeling clung to her soul, and she wanted to climb on her bed and dream. Not about Sunil, but something else. But she had taken a long leave from her office and she didn’t have to bother like him to go office to do her chores incessantly.

“Okay, I won’t. I think we have talked many things. I am really happy for the chance of meeting you. I should thank God,” she said. Her face glittered as if moon fell on her face. She was standing behind the window just like him. She wanted to ask if he could see the full shining moon in the sky. No, why should I ask him these things, she dismissed her thoughts like shooing away the flock of crows. But she couldn’t deny that she felt some closeness with him. She was struggling to convey her thoughts to him. She was feeling both shy and embarrassed.

“I too. For getting a chance to talk with a beautiful girl,” he said.

She held a tight face, as her eyes screwed up little, “You don’t ever call me a beautiful girl, okay?” she thundered suddenly and gasped, “C’mon, be frank. If you address me with such glitzy titles then what do you say about Disha Patani, Deepika Padukone, and Alia bhatt, eh?”

There was a frightened look from Sunil, he had never seen a girl who hadn’t liked to be admired, but for the first time. He cleared his throat and said, “Yeah, you are right. But people who are near to us are always very special than them, isn’t?” he said.

“Don’t feel bad about me. I just grouchy sometimes,” she said and held a sad and twisted face. But she was looking cute now.

“That’s fine.”

There was a hard knock on his bedroom. He knew who that was. Yes, his mother’s voice coming through the thin crack of the door.

“Sunil, are you there?” she said loudly, “I am gonna sleep. Come and have dinner my boy.”

“Yes coming mom,” he shouted, as came close to the door, but he didn’t dare open it.

Pragya closed her ears with both her hands. He didn’t close the mic of the phone with his hand while shouting at his mother. She felt like some drilling was done into her ears.

Sunil’s mother had gone back again.

“It’s my mother,” he said.

“I know. My ears had almost exploded when you replied,” she said.

He scratched his head lightly.

“Okay, it’s getting late. I think I should try to get a nice sleep after long days,” she said.

“Me too,” he said.

She chuckled, and she didn’t feel like disconnecting her phone at all. But she had to.

“So, anything else we should talk before we say good night?” she said.

He weirdly shook his head, he wasn’t happy either to disconnect the call, “I don’t know,” he said.

“Hey, don’t you invite me to your house, eh?” she asked with a sullen voice. She was just teasing him now. She liked this idea.

“Oops. Yeah, with pleasure. You can come at any time. I mean whenever I am in house. What about tomorrow evening?” he said hastily. It looked like he was running hither and thither like a hungry rat to find a piece of cheese. His face busted with gingerly happiness.

“Oh that’s nice. But not in your home, we meet somewhere. A café near PVR theatre in chanakyapuri?” she said.

“Oh sure sure,” he said, fumbled.

“Have a good sleep, Good night.” she said and disconnected the call.

Pragya was welcoming the new change. A few days back there was no hope at all in her life. She wished she should die earlier. But now things were slowly changing. The mental tortures, the plummeting feelings, ravaging sleepless nights were ending now. They breathed a new life which was both energizing and stupefying. Pragya slept like a pug on her bed as sweet dreams swept past before her eyes like dazzling rainbows. On the other side, Sunil had quite imagined about tomorrow before he fall into sleep. He still couldn’t believe that he was going to meet Pragya in a café. He wanted to know what her thoughts about him. He had so many questions which were kept running on his mind even while he slept soundlessly.

It was a long day in his office. Sunil found it was difficult to come out of his office, because he had some last minute client calls and his manger was desperate that he should stay till the end of the meeting, he actually wanted to see a smile on his client’s face before Sunil left the office. Pragya had called him minimum fifteen times before she switched off her iphone6 mobile. She had waited for more than one hour from six to seven o’clock in café, but he didn’t reach there at all. The couples who had come there threw weirdly looks at her. She ducked her head in embarrassment. A guy who had bushy hair came close to her and asked if he can sit opposite to her, he thought she was alone and can ask for a date. But she said it was reserved for her boyfriend. She was shocked of what she had said to him, but later a thin smile peeked out of her lips. Yes, but she definitely not going to say to Sunil that he was her boyfriend. She had obvious girly feelings and can’t tell such truths upfront with him immediately. She liked such a change in her and she was expecting it to happen and it was happening finally. She thought she was on the right path. Her parents were happy too for seeing their daughter was going out to catch a good sight of the city. Actually her mother knew from her cosmetics, that she was going for a date, but she didn’t ask her anything. In fact, she had given her ICICI debit card to spend as much as she wished. It was fully loaded with money, Pragya was aware of it. Though she was from rich background, she always liked to be simple. She had never been proud of her high status in the society, even her parents had brought her like that only.

After waiting for a long time, she thought he didn’t like to spend time with her. She was disappointed. She was deeply embarrassed when the waiter had come for the fifth time and asked her if her boyfriend hadn’t come yet. She had decided to leave from the café before the waiter sneaked in again. She grabbed her pink leather bag and hung it on her right shoulder as left the café. Now she was in the bus stop waiting for some Volvo bus to come in. Her lips were curled in anger and frustration. She felt like beating him down if she meets him again personally. She had bitten her finger nails. It was the only habit hadn’t left her from the childhood. Even when her parents had scolded her, she would sit on her study chair and start biting her nails. No buses had come here yet. The crowd was growing as they waited for the metro buses. A green and yellow auto came down towards them. She had waved her hand in front of the auto which was stopped eventually.

“Where should go madam?” the driver asked her, as his head poked out.

“Patel Nagar,” she said. “How much?”

The driver scratched his head as smiled like a toddler, “You tell madam?”

“Don’t you have meter?”

“No, madam. Even if I put it on, it will ask for more price,” he said, his teeth revealed.

On the other side, Sunil was travelling in a metro bus. Yes, he had finally come out of his office. He was in a hurry to meet Pragya. He wanted the driver to accelerate the bus much faster, but he was helpless in this matter. He had only seen the missed calls from her when he had come out of his office. His heart thrummed with rage, as he couldn’t lift her calls. Actually he had put it in silent mode, before he went to attend the client call in conference room. He hurriedly caught a bus and coming here to meet her. He knew one hour delay was unacceptable and he only prayed she would understand him once he reached there. He rebuked his manager for playing with his personal life, though he knew he can’t do anything about it. He was standing close to the engine case, which was attached with a gear lever of the bus. He could feel the hot it had produced. Even the skin of his legs slightly burnt. But he wasn’t aware of it. His right hand was gripping on the ceiling safety bar of the bus. He knelt low to know if the bus stop had come or not. Café was close to the bus stop. His heart plopped out of his chest when he had seen Pragya negotiating with the auto driver. She had got inside the auto now. He shouted her name from the bus as if she can able to hear him. The passengers in the bus threw an ugly look at him. He immediately came to the footboard and got down from the speeding bus. The conductor was shouting and yelling at him, but he was not going to worry about it. He was jogging fiercely as tried to catch the auto. He had tried to cross the intersection from the left lane where the vehicles were waiting for the green signal. He did cross it successfully. But he didn’t even notice if the signal was red or green. He wanted to stop Pragya from exiting his life. He was so worried about this. This thought weighed heavily upon his brain. His eyes were only at the auto which was coming in the opposite direction from the right lane. He had seen her face which was still upset. But it was a hazy sight. The auto was fifty meters away from him, and it was swarmed by other vehicles. He didn’t even notice that the vehicles were streaming along the roads furiously. It looked like he was deaf. His ears were refused to know the honking noise coming from the speeding cars and bikes and buses. Now his foot on the divider. He didn’t stand there to watch the traffic and go. His foot hardly stayed there for a second, he was hollering her name now and he was still in a hurry. He had seen the auto was few meters away from him. The next second the metro bus came down briskly and trod over him like a frog in the rainy season. He was squashed and flattered under the bulgy front tires. The blood poured out of his dead body. He was spot out. Even his bones were crushed like the granular sand. People surrounded him immediately, and the traffic police had ran to the spot immediately. But Pragya crossed his body thinking it was someone else.

***