Misconception

 

Ishwari had a very busy day in the office. The annual closing had just got over and she had to see that all was in readiness for the mandatory Statutory Audit that would soon follow. Two of her trusted and sincere employees had been affected by Covid and with the branch working with only fifty percent strength, she had to man many fronts. Thankfully it was a long weekend due to Good Friday and second Saturday and she looked forward to utilizing it to get all the records straight and sail through the audit without any tension.

Her plans were thwarted when she got a call at the end of the day that her father had suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized. Ever since his wife had died in a road accident when Ishwari was hardly two years old, he had showered on her the love, affection, and attention that both parents could have given a child.

Ishwari had grown up, topped her class, graduated, and landed a job in a bank. As long as she was posted in her hometown, both father and daughter stayed in their ancestral home, but when she was posted out of town on promotion, Ishwari settled her father in one of the best retirement communities where she knew that her father would be well looked upon and could enjoy the friendship of his contemporaries.

She had received the news of her father’s hospitalization from the Resident Manager of the community. He had reassured her that her father had undergone angiography and the 95% blockage detected would need angioplasty. On behalf of her, they had requested the doctors to proceed with the angioplasty and that they would comply with all the formalities once Ishwari arrived. It was not only her duty but the bonding between them that she had to set aside all jobs and be with him first.

In the light of this sudden turn of events, Ishwari went to her quarters, packed a few things, and headed for the hospital. She had tried to book a cab, but none was available. As she stood on the roadside waiting for any vehicle that could reach her to the hospital, a car pulled up. The door opened and she heard the driver say, “Get in madam, I shall drop you wherever you wish to”. She hesitated as she could not see his face clearly as it was getting dark. Neither could she place him, though his voice sounded familiar. Before she could say anything, he continued, “Madam, I am an account holder in your branch and have high respect for you. Please get into the car and give me an opportunity to serve you. All taxis and autos are on strike today. You look perturbed – let me help you.”

Ishwari felt uneasy, but she realized that she could not go on waiting endlessly as there was uncertainty about the availability of cabs. She got in and told the driver that she had to reach the Senior Care Hospital as her father was admitted there.  

Rakesh, as his name turned out, muttered something and took a ‘U-turn at the earliest opportunity. Before Ishwari could protest, the car had entered a lonely katcha road. There were no street lights and the whole area seemed eerie and deserted. Her heart started pounding and she was almost certain that she would be waylaid or worse still… she dared not think further. She tried to speak but felt tongue-tied. She could not jump off the car, she could not ward him off if he chose to offend her – she just kept saying her prayers and then texted a message to the Resident Manager that she was on her way to the hospital. Fortunately, she caught sight of a sticker on the side of her window, which had the car’s registration number and the next date service was due. She included the number in her message and tried to concentrate on her prayers. The ride was jolty and Rakesh seemed to be in a tearing hurry that on a couple of occasions Ishwari even hit the car roof. Having no choice, she continued praying and hoping that all would be well.

After what seemed ages, the car finally turned towards civilization and veered onto the highway. Ishwari breathed a sigh of relief that they were back on the road. Within minutes, the car entered the hospital gates and Rakesh got out of the car to open the door for her. She could see his face very clearly now and recollected that only a few days back, she had rejected his loan application. At that time he was furious and started arguing with her as to why the loan could not be sanctioned to him. She tried to explain but he was not willing to hear or see the reason. “Where can you go?” he had screamed. “I’ll settle the score when you are out of this premises,” he had threatened.

Ishwari did not know how to react when she recognized him now. “Sorry about….” she started, but Rakesh put her at ease. “No madam, you were perfectly justified in not sanctioning that loan to me as it would have been violating the Bank’s rules. Once I went home and thought about it I realized how badly I reacted. I am sorry but I am happy I could atone for it by helping you reach the hospital today. Since there are no vehicles on the road you could have come here only tomorrow. I felt you must have been quite agitated when I turned into the village roads which were unfrequented, but that saved us an hour in coming. Please go ahead and meet your father. Ishwari tried to pay him, but he would hear nothing of it. He parked the car and came with her and waited with her till her father was shifted to the Cardiac Care Unit, where they could speak to him for a few moments, as by then he had recovered consciousness.

Ishwari thanked Rakesh profusely and accepted his offer to be driven to her father’s Retirement Community as she could come and meet him only the next day. On the way home, she started to wonder why humans can never trust fellow humans…..