The Narrow Alley

 The narrow alley, near the thriving, posh suburban locality was an irksome reality of a glittering metropolis. Reena made her way through the snaky path flanked with grey houses that seemed to pale the brightness of a sunny afternoon. The sweltering heat and heavy stench added to the claustrophobic atmosphere. She regretted her choice of footwear as she trudged along, the heels of the shoe bit into the skin reprimanding her for her foolishness. The stares on the curious faces of the inhabitants of this grey lane made her uneasy. Soon she reached her destination, a tiny access to an infinitesimal room and was greeted by a middle aged woman.

“Good afternoon Madam, Please come inside”.

“How is Kaki?” asked Reena before entering

“Much better madam. She will be so happy to see you”. The lady replied brightly making way for Reena to step inside. It took Reena few minutes to recognize the old invalid woman seated at one corner of the room smiling warmly at her.

“How are you Kaki?” asked Reena as soon as her eyes rested on the sorry figure seated in the corner.

“I am much better Madam.” replied the frail woman in her feeble voice trying to stand up.

“No please do not get up, you need to rest”. The old woman slumped back into the corner gratefully. The middle-aged woman standing beside her, the daughter-in law, scampered to bring a stool with tattered upholstery and requested Reena to be seated. 

The old woman whom everyone addressed as Kaki was Reena’s domestic help of twenty five years. The woman had raised both her boys who were now twenty and fourteen . When Kaki, whose real name was Savitri had come to work for Reena, she was an energetic, smart and nimble woman. As a newly married girl in a nuclear family, Reena had learnt to rely heavily on Kaki for her daily household chores and developed a warm relationship with her.  When Reena’s first son was born, kaki proved to be an invaluable help. Later, when Reena decided to renew her career post the birth of her second son, Kaki stood rock solid with her and helped Reena juggle her maternal duties with her career demands. Reena respected and loved the old woman and so did the entire family. As the years passed, Kaki became a permanent fixture of the household.  She earned the respect of the entire neighborhood; She was endearingly addressed as Kaki by all those who visited Reena’s home. Other helpers automatically looked up to her as a member of the family and those who did not know believed that she was an elderly relative of the family. 

Reena had visited kaki’s home only twice in these twenty five years. Though, Kaki had spoken often about her family and shared her family problems with Reena. Over the years Reena had tried to help Kaki financially whenever needed, occasionally Kaki’s grandchildren visited them during festivals but largely they lived in two separate worlds with an invisible periphery and mutual acceptance of the insurmountable boundary.    

“Please have some juice madam, it is really hot outside”. The younger woman extended a tiny steel glass  which Reena hesitatingly accepted.

“What did the Doctor say?” Reena inquired

“Madam, Kaki needs surgery immediately, but  there is a long waiting list in the government hospital. The doctor who is suppose to operate is currently on a very important case in the big city hospital and is unavailable’. said the younger woman.

“Surely there are other doctors.”

“No madam there is nobody else, besides we do not have the money to go anywhere else.” Said the woman in a dejected tone.

“So why is this doctor operating in private hospitals, shouldn’t he be only operating in the government hospital.”

“I believe he provides his services as a charity at the government hospital as there is no full-time surgeon in the hospital with his expertise. He is a very big doctor.” 

Reena was a little unnerved by the helplessness of the situation. Her inability to comprehend the inevitability of the helpless situation irritated her. She was not ready to accept the discriminatory social system and the long lost activist in her began showing sign of waking up.  

“Give me his name, maybe I can find some way to reach him and convince him”. Reena took out her mobile phone to take down the details of the doctor. Sumir, her husband was a well-known lawyer in the city. Reena was sure that he would know this specialist or maybe help in some way. Reena’s assurance brought a smile of gratitude on the old woman’s face. She smiled with folded hands, her frail body barely able to move. Reena left a few minutes later, determined to speak to her husband about the situation. She felt confident that her influential husband would find a way to make the doctor available for the old lady.

That evening, Reena approached the topic over dinner.  “I visited kaki today”.

“How is she?” questioned Sumir without looking up from the soup. “She seems all right but will need surgery’.

 “Hmmm” replied Sumir whose attention was diverted by a message on his phone. Reena decided to wait before saying any more. After few moments of silence, Sumir was the first one to speak.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, Aunt Prabha is unwell. She is in the hospital”.

“We just met her last Saturday in the party. She seemed fine. What happened?”

“She was feeling uneasy in the night so they rushed her to the hospital. She is much better now; the doctors have decided to keep her under observation.”

“Good that it is nothing serious” said Reena with lack of concern in her voice. Aunt Prabha or Prabha Desai her husband’s paternal aunt was married into one of the richest families in the country. Prabha Aunty was a modern day queen. The day Reena married into the family she understood that Prabha Aunty’s approval was the most sought commodity in her new family. As a newlywed, eager to please her in laws, Reena had spent months trying to impress Prabha Aunty. At times felt that she was no better than all the servants waiting over the self-obsessed woman. Dates of important events were changed, schedules reworked and weddings cancelled only to please the most unpleasant person Reena had ever met. In spite of all her wealth Aunt Prabha chose her gifts carefully and only bestowed them on those she thought most worthy. People scurried around her to merely draw out a smile from her. As the years passed, Reena had managed to steer her family away from the overpowering influence of the lady and much to everyone’s dismay showed no reverence towards Prabha Aunty’s exalted position.

“She is flying to Europe tomorrow for three months, we need to go visit her after she returns” Sumir continued in a commanding voice.

“Travelling to Europe, but you said she is not well” 

“Yes, they want to do some tests and she wants to take a break. Her doctor will be accompanying her on her trip to Europe for precaution”.

“The trip will do her good. But the doctor accompanying her throughout the trip seems a little unnecessary. He must be a junior doctor.” Stated Reena

“No I believe he is a well-known specialist” said Sumir with a tinge of pride.

“Really a specialist will spend months just waiting on her”. Reena was appalled by the arrogance of the woman who believed everyone was at her beck and call.

Suddenly Sumir looked at Reena sharply, “He will be well paid I am sure, so why not”.

Reena sensed irritation in Sumir’s tone and decided to drop the topic.” Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about kaki. I was wondering if you could help her get an appointment with this specialist. She really needs this surgery at the earliest, within this month” Reena showed the name she had written down to Sumir.

“I know the doctor, but I do not think we can help her. She should look for someone else” reverted Sumir matter of factly.

“But why? I believe he is the only one in the country who has the experience to perform such a complicated surgery. Besides, the surgery will be performed in a government hospital, It is not easy to get another specialist to perform this surgery for no cost.”

“The reason we cannot help her is that he is the doctor accompanying Prabha Aunty to Europe. He will be out of the country for at least three months. There is no way he will be available” said Sumir unhesitatingly. Reena was surprised that as a lawyer himself,her husband could not see the injustice of the situation and believed that his aunt had more right over the doctor’s service than a dying old lady. “I cannot expect Prabha Aunty to alter her plans for a domestic help.” retorted Sumir.

Sumir’s words left Reena speechless. At that moment two images flashed before Reena’s eyes one that of Prabha aunty smiling triumphantly at her, and second of Kaki’s crestfallen face slumped in the corner of a dark room. We believe that we have established an internal process that helps us override the inadequacies and the impotencies of an unequal system. It is precisely this arrogant confidence in our ability that lets us down. Here was one woman who desperately needed help and there was the other who sneered and dismissed her need only by the virtue of her economic status.