Mamta Kalia

my paralysed wife from bathroom to
bed when the call bell rang. I thought
at first to help my wife recline on the
bed and give her support of the pillow
and a blanket on her feet, but the call
bell kept ringing and a knocking also
began. It seemed someone was in great
hurry and trouble. So I left my wife
as she was and opened the door almost
running. The P.G. Student Dr. Sujata Roy
was there. She was looking troubled.
She was panting as if she had come
running.
As it is the custom, P.G. students
always greet their Senior, but Dr. Sujata
Roy forgot doing so and before I could
ask anything, she herself started — “Sir,
just… just now a serious patient has
come…. I have admitted him to the
I.C.C.U…. but there isn’t any senior
doctor, sir…sir, I couldn’t find anyone…
so I had to trouble you… Sir, please…
come and see him.”
Even after the request of Dr. Sujata
Roy, I asked her indifferently, “Dr. Roy,
is the patient your relative?”
“No, Sir!” Sujata Roy faltered.
I frowned, “Then why are you being
so emotional?”
Dr. Sujata Roy couldn’t answer. She
just said, “Sorry Sir.”
“Whose duty it is?” I asked in a dry
voice.
She said, “Dr. Choudhary’s!”
“Then! Where is Dr. Choudhary?”
“Sir, Dr. Choudhary hasn’t come yet.
I tried to ring him but nobody responded…
perhaps false ring.”
I cut her sentence, “Isn’t there any
othe senior in the campus?”
“No Sir, the director has gone with
the team of senior doctors to the C.M.
House, … for routine check-up.” Dr. Sujata
Roy tried to give reason for coming
to me.
My first thought was to escape with
the excuse of it not being my duty or
because of my wife’s situation, but in
view of the helplessness and trepidation
of Sujata Roy it seemed immoral to me.
So I assured Dr. Roy, “Just a minute
Dr. Roy! I am coming after arranging
for my wife. She has just come from
bathroom… You know, she is unable to
do anything… and our maidservant is
on leave.”
I left Dr. Sujata Roy there and came
to the bedroom where my wife lay on
bed. Topsy-turvey. I helped her sit
comfortably, put blanket on her and
switching on the T.V., told her —”One
serious patient is there… I am going
to see him.”
My wife wanted to say something
but I quickly came out. Dr. Sujata Roy
was waiting for me with a curious mixture
of guilt, apprehension and terror. Looking
at her, I said, “Dr. Roy, do you know
what’s the first condition to be a doctor?”
She looked at me, I said, “no sentiments,
no involvement… no emotions.”
Don’t know whether she became
normal or not, but while going to the
April-June 2010 :: 115