Destined (Part 21)

Posted 2 CommentsPosted in English, Inspired, Rupali-Paritosh

The play was about a painter, who was so engrossed in his art that worldly cares meant nothing to him. He died over his half-finished painting, penniless. After his death, however, his paintings became a rage. The half-finished one sold for crores of rupees.

“What are you thinking?” Paritosh asked while coming back.

“Is it possible to love something so much… Even if it is your art…”

Paritosh laughed, “I don’t know. I have never done that… Though I would love to.”

“People talk about finding peace and contentment in art – of different kinds – painting, singing, dancing, even writing… I wonder if that is possible.”

“I probably won’t die over a half-finished surgery, but I do think I find peace and contentment in my profession. This profession is also like an art…”

Rupali looked surprised at the comparison, “I never thought of it like that.”

Paritosh smiled, “They create paintings, songs, dance performances… We create health, smile, joy, comfort… So, why not?”

“You are right, as usual, of course,” she smiled sweetly and appreciatively.

“If you treat me like some sort of God, I might even go ahead and say that we create life,” Paritosh grinned, drawing a chuckle even from Rupali.

“Where are we going?” she asked when she realized that he did not take the turn towards her home.

“I will drop you later. First we are going to my house. I want to show you something.”

“Is it what you had promised to show me during coffee the other day?”

“Yes.”

Paritosh led her to a room which has obviously not been in use for a while when they reached his home.”Oh my God!” Rupali could not help exclaim. He had just uncovered a beautiful, huge painting of Victoria Memorial and its surroundings. “It’s yours?” she asked obviously awed.

“It has been years…”

“I am no art critic, Dr. Khanna. But this is beautiful. And all these are also your paintings?” she pointed at other covered canvases.

“Yeah,” he looked around wistfully.

“Wow. When did you get time to do all these?”

He chuckled, “Those days we didn’t have Internet to waste our free time on.”

Rupali uncovered a few more of the canvasses. There were paintings of various places in the city, some landmarks, some just slice of life paintings. Then she came across a portrait of an elderly man.

“That’s Daar ji,” Paritosh explained.

“You did portraits too?”

“Not often. Only for people whose memories I wanted to preserve.”

“Daar ji posed for you?”

Paritosh smiled fondly, “He wouldn’t hear a word of it. I did portraits from memory.”

“You don’t paint any longer?”

“Like I said, it has been years.”

“Why did you stop?”

He just shrugged in reply. Rupali moved to different corner of the room.

“No Rupali….” Paritosh tried to stop her from uncovering the canvas lying there, but it was too late. Rupali realized immediately why he was stopping her. It was a portrait of Chand. Half-finished.

“I… I am sorry… I didn’t mean to intrude.”

Her guilty apology surprised him, “No. What the… There is nothing to feel guilty about.”

She smiled nervously, “You should resume painting…”

He looked at her for a moment. Then replied looking thoughtful, “I probably will.”

“Are you on duty this Sunday?” Paritosh asked her. They were having breakfast at his place after a night duty. Their duty timings coincided more often than usual these days. Rupali wondered if that was pure coincidence. He had been extra attentive to her as well. He spent a lot of his free time with her. She liked it. She liked it more than she should have liked. But what was it on his part? Care? Friendship? Or was he also thinking what everyone else did? Kaku, Radha, Kakima, Chand…

“Rupali?” he had to call her to bring her out of her thoughts.

“Uh? Sorry… Did you say something?”

“Where are you lost?”

“Nowhere. I didn’t manage my day well yesterday. Am really sleepy after the night duty.”

“Hmm…”

“What were you saying?”

“I asked if you were on duty this Sunday?”

“Umm… no. I had a weekend duty last time.”

“That’s great then. You can come to the convention then?”

“Convention?”

“Regional Pediatrics Convention. It is scheduled for the weekend in Darjeeling. I can’t take off on Saturday. But we could go for Sunday’s sessions. Will have to take a train on Saturday night. Some very good speakers are lined up…”

“Darjeeling?” Rupali did not seem to have heard any other word in what he said.

“What about Darjeeling?”

She smiled, “Mummy & Papa had met in Darjeeling. He taught in her school.”

That made Paritosh smile too, “You haven’t been there before?”

“It’s so close. But no… Somehow I have never been there.”

“Then you must come.”

Rupali suppressed the questions that were bugging her. What was it all on Paritosh’ part? She had an irrational hope. That she would find some peace in Darjeeling.

Paritosh took the upper berth on the second AC coach of the train. He seemed fast asleep, but Rupali was unable to sleep. It was one of those days, when she would curl up on her bed and cry the entire night. Not quite knowing why she was crying. But she couldn’t cry in the train. It would wake not only Paritosh up, but also other co-passengers. She was restless. Finally she could not hold herself any longer. She got down from the berth and walked towards the restroom. The attendant of the AC coaches was not there. She was thankful. She let her tears go, thought she bit her lips to avoid making any sound. After a while it was not enough. She was still suffocating. She gingerly walked towards the door of the coach and opened it. Hopefully the cold, night wind will soothe her. She stood there for several minutes, when she suddenly felt a pull on her shoulders. She was pulled back by someone urgently and violently. Her throat was sore from crying, and no sound escaped her, although she was startled and scared.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” she heard his angry voice. It was Paritosh. Oh God! Why was he angry? He took his hands off her shoulders and quickly locked the door back. “Are you out of your mind?” he was still shouting at her. Why? Oh! It suddenly occurred to her.

She coughed and finally found her voice, “Don’t shout at me. I wasn’t jumping off.” She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She was startled out of crying. Though that strange sadness which engulfed her from time to time, even amidst best times of her life, refused to leave her.

Paritosh sighed heavily. Then spoke very softly, “Why are you crying?”

She didn’t reply. She didn’t know.

“Does it happen very often?”

Should she lie and put him at ease? Friendship didn’t mean he had to deal with her mess. But she didn’t lie. She nodded in reply.

“I’m sorry. I was scared out of my wits, when I saw you at the door… Of a moving train.”

She gulped and did not reply.

“You probably want to be alone,” he added, “But it is not a good idea. If you don’t want to go back yet, let me stay here.”

“But I don’t know why I was crying. It wasn’t Rohan, or my past or…”

“I’m not asking you the reason. I understand.”

“You do? How?”

He sighed, “I have been through this Rupali. Depression, suicidal thoughts. It still comes back sometimes.”

She smiled sadly, “You are saying this just to make me feel better.”

“No,” his reply was unhesitant and firm, “I’m telling you the truth.”

“What do you do when that happens?”

“I get help.”

“How?”

“Want to guess?”

“Oh! Dr. Mathew?”

He nodded, then asked “You haven’t seen him yet, have you?”

She shook her head, expecting a rebuke.

“Are you better now? You want to go inside?” He completely changed the subject, catching her unawares.

“Uh? Yes – I guess. I’m sorry.”

“For?”

“Disturbing your sleep. And… not taking your advice.”

“Rupali. You don’t need to apologize to me. I had guessed you hadn’t taken an appointment yet. But I won’t pester you. There is no magic about a psychiatrist. Things take time to get better. If you are not ready, and don’t cooperate, it isn’t going to work.”

“I give you too much grief, too much worry, don’t I?”

“If you must take the conversation in that direction Dr. Rupali Banerjee. Then listen to me carefully. You give me a lot of hope – of surviving through difficulty, a lot of joy and a sense of purpose.”

The chill that ran down her spine was nothing like what she had felt earlier in her life. It wasn’t the chill of scare. She looked at him in astonishment and then quickly averted her eyes. She walked back to her berth quietly. Paritosh did not climb back on his berth. “Lie down,” he asked her gently. After she did, he sat down on the edge of the berth. “Close your eyes and try to sleep. We have a long day ahead.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She did manage to sleep peacefully for the rest of the night.

When she woke up in the morning, Paritosh was still sitting on the edge of her berth, leaning back on the coach wall and had fallen asleep. She carefully pulled her legs towards herself and sat up without disturbing him. She looked out. The train was halted. She read the name of the station. They were only two stations and half-an-hour away from New Jalpaiguri station. From there, they would take a hired car to Darjeeling. She got down and went to the bathroom. She would wake him up after coming back.

She met with a harried Paritosh on her way back. He looked relieved, then embarrassed on seeing her. She realized that he was worried again and smiled, “I am fine Dr. Khanna. I just thought I would let you sleep for a while more.”

“Of course,” he grinned, “I was… I guess I am still sleepy. I will go and freshen up.”

“Sure.”

To be continued.

Destined (Part 20)

Posted 9 CommentsPosted in English, Inspired, Rupali-Paritosh

“So, finally the discharge?” Rupali asked Chand with a smile.

“Yes, I guess it is a happy day.”

“Of course, it is. Are you unsure about it?”

“No Dr. Banerjee. Thanks a lot for everything.”

“What are you thanking me for?” Rupali chuckled nervously. “I take no responsibility whatsoever of your health,” she added with humour.

“For treating my daughters, first of all…”

“I was only doing my duty.”

“And for spending so much of time with me.”

“Well…” Rupali tried to shrug it off, “I was just filling in for Dr. Khanna.”

“Yes. And I wish you would continue doing that for him. Even if he doesn’t ask. Like in this case.”

“Excuse me?”

“Dr. Banerjee. You are not such a smooth liar,” Chand smiled, “Paritosh didn’t ask you to do this extra duty. But thanks a lot for doing that. It meant a lot to me.”

Rupali bit her lips and tried to change the subject, “I should get going. My break is over.”

“Rupali. Just couple of more minutes…”

“Yeah. Sure…” Rupali was uncomfortable, but she didn’t have an option.

“You know about us, right? Me and Paritosh.”

Rupali gulped and nodded.

“Not many people do…”

“I… I am sorry,” Rupali said awkwardly, “But it’s… the information safe with me.”

“No. No. That doesn’t matter. Not any longer. His silence was to keep my marriage safe. But it takes more than that to save a marriage. It doesn’t matter any longer if the entire world knows.”

Does she want to get back? Rupali wondered. But from what Paritosh had said, it didn’t look like an idea he welcomed. But it might just have been his self-defense. He might just…

“This might be the time to pick up from where you left…” Rupali suggested in an almost quivering voice, though she had a smile on her face.

“What? No. Oh my God!”

“I… I am sorry. I didn’t mean to offend…”

Chand laughed out loud at that, “I have been insensitive to him, Rupali. But no. I am not that selfish. He is too nice a person. If I were to ask for it, he’d not shirk my responsibility. But that won’t be fair. That won’t be right. The time is long gone. I have made my life pitiable. But I won’t be able to take his pity. That is not the reason I asked you if you knew about us.”

“Then?”

“The fact that you knew about us tells me that you are special… to him. He trusts you… With his deepest secrets.”

Rupali looked at her surprised. “You give me too much credit,” she said nervously.

“Too little probably. Definitely not too much. By the way, I wouldn’t have brought this up, if I hadn’t thought that he was special to you too. That was the reason you were filling in for him. Even when he didn’t ask you to.”

“What do you want to say?” Rupali sighed in resignation. People won’t leave her alone. But she probably deserved this for spending time with Chand. What was she thinking?

“I want to make a selfish request. Because I feel guilty about him, Rupali. He never moved on. Help him move on. It will make both of you happy. And me too, of course.”

Rupal’s lips twisted in a condescending smile, “Why can’t you get back to him?”

“Like I said Rupali, that time is long gone. My life is about my daughters now. How fair it would be saddle him with my responsibilities and the mess of my life?”

“And what makes you think that my life is not a mess? You have no clue how damaged I am. Probably he has this magical ability to attract messed up women like us to him. That’s why he is unable to move on. His bad luck. But as much as I wish, I am not the answer to his loneliness. He deserves better. Than both of us.”

“Rupali. You…”

“I really should get going Ma’am. Congratulations on getting well. And all the best for your daughters. They are wonderful kids. Take care. Good Bye.”

She turned around to leave, only to find Paritosh at the door. Holy cow! What all had he heard?

“What is going on ladies?” he asked cheerfully. A bit too cheerfully, Rupali thought. But it might be her flustered state of mind.

At least it meant he hadn’t heard anything.

“I just came to meet her once before she is discharged,” Rupali replied. Simultaneously, she look at Chand pleading silently to not talk to Paritosh about it. Chand nodded almost indiscernibly at her.

“I need to go. Bye Ma’am. Bye Dr. Khanna,” Rupali turned on her heels and left. Paritosh looked after her for a moment, then turned back to Chand with a smile.

“Free for some coffee?” Paritosh sent her an SMS just as she was leaving after her duty. It was odd. Somehow, she did not associate SMS communication with him.

She called him back, “Did you send an SMS?”

“It was my number, wasn’t it?” he sounded amused.

“Of course,” Rupali felt foolish about her question, “Are you in the office?”

Paritosh laughed out loud, “Your are asking me so many questions in reply to my one innocuous question. Yes. I am in the office. Now can I get my answer?”

“Uh… Yeah… Sure… I have nothing to do in particular.”

“Great then. Let’s meet in the parking lot.”

“What do you normally do in your free time, Rupali?” he asked as they drove to a cafe.

“I read…”

“Ah! And not play or listen to classical music like good Bengalis?”

Rupali chuckled, “No. I am half-punjabi, remember?”

“Of course.”

“Why do you ask? Are you into classical music?”

“Oh no. Not at all. Daar ji was a total business man. Nothing of that kind at home. About studies, however, he was as bad as a Bengali parent.”

Rupali smiled, “So, what do you do in your free time?”

“Haven’t done anything in many years now…”

“Why so? What did you used to do earlier?”

“I will show you sometime…” he smiled wistfully.

“Okay…” she was curious, but could not insist.

They reached the cafe and ordered their coffee. Then Paritosh asked her, “Would you like to watch a play this friday?”

She was awkward, “Do you like watching plays?”

“I do. But I prefer watching when I have company.”

“Hmm… If my company works, then sure…”

To be continued

Destined (Part 15)

Posted 2 CommentsPosted in English, Inspired, Rupali-Paritosh

“Sir, there is an emergency. Two girls have been brought in. Can you please come in quickly…” Rupali’s call came hardly ten minutes after she had left for her round.

“Where? In the ward or emergency room?”

“They brought the girls in the ward. There is a woman in ER, presumably their mother.”

“I will be right there.”

Paritosh appeared surprised to see the girls at first and frowned. But he recovered and gave instructions for injecting IV.

“Such severe malnutrition…” Paritosh wondered aloud, “I haven’t seen that even in street children. Even they manage to eat something…”

“Just spoke to the nurse in ER, Dr. Khanna. She said the same thing about the mother. Looks like she hasn’t eaten in days. And to top that she is pregnant.”

“Oh?”

“And Sir…”

“Yeah?”

“They don’t look poor. Their clothes…” she pointed towards the girls, “And those ear-rings are almost certainly gold…”

“You suspect foul play?” Paritosh looked at her curiously.

She nodded.

There was nothing to be done for the girls now except to keep them under observation. “Let’s go and see the mother,” he told Rupali, “Police might need to be informed.”

“Who brought them in?” Paritosh asked the nurse on duty in ER before getting into the room.

“Will have to check the paper work for the name. But someone saw them on the roadside and called the ambulance.”

“Okay. Can I see her?”

“Sure Doctor. If you want to talk to Dr. Naidu, he is in the admin office filing paperwork.”

“Will do. Thanks.” Paritosh and Rupali went into the room.

“Oh my God!” Paritosh stopped in his tracks and looked horrified.

“What happened, Sir?” Rupali was taken aback by his reaction.

“Those girls looked so familiar… No wonder… This is…”

“You know her?”

Paritosh sat down on a chair nearby and sighed loudly, “I just told you about her… This is Chand.”

“Oh!” What a coincidence!

“And no… She is not poor,” Paritosh continued talking, “She was married in a a very well-to-do business family in Howrah.”

Her clothes and jewelry definitely confirmed that!

Rupali saw the agony on Paritosh’ face as he stared at the patient. She went forward and put her hands on his shoulder. He was surprised, but did not move.

“Dr. Khanna. Are you okay?”

“Yes. Of course,” he came out of his thoughts and looked at her, “I am okay. Don’t worry. Let’s go back to the girls…”

“You can stay here, if you want. I will be in the ward. I will let you know, if something changes.”

“Okay… Thanks Rupali… I will stay… And…”

“Yeah?”

“I think I need to call her family. I don’t have the number.”

“Some common friend would have it?”

“Her father is Rajesh Malhotra…”

“Of Malhotra and Sons?” Rupali asked, startled. It was a well-known business family in the city.

“Yes.”

“I will start by calling their office, then. The number should be on the website.”

“Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Please do.”

For the first time, Rupali noticed, Paritosh looked like he was not in control of the situation and was grateful for help and support.

“Don’t worry Dr. Khanna. They are in good hands now,” she said assuringly.

He nodded with a faint smile.

Paritosh came to the ward with an elderly man accompanying him. He was dressed in a starched white Kurta-Paijama and was being graceful with a lot of efforts. Unchecked, he would have burst out in tears.

“Mr. Rajesh Malhotra,” Paritosh introduced them to each other, “This is Dr. Ruapli Banerjee. She called you…”

“Hello Sir,” Rupali mumbled to Rajesh Malhotra. “Thank you,” he nodded and mumbled in acknowledgment and sat down beside the younger girl on the bed. He gently ran his hand over her hand.

“How are they?” he looked expectantly at Rupali and asked.

“Their vitals are improving. We have to observe until morning.”

He nodded looking sad.

“Uncle,” Paritosh addressed his softly, “You don’t look too well yourself. You can go home and come in the morning. They are in good hands now.”

“I’d like to stay here,” the old man said desperately, “If it isn’t against hospital’s rules.”

Paritosh sighed and nodded, “Sister Teresa can escort you if you want to go to Chand’s room. I will be in my office.” He looked at the nurse and nodded at her to indicate that she should do what he promised to Rajesh Malhotra. She nodded back.

Then he looked at Rupali and she followed him.

“What happened?” Rupali asked as soon as they entered his office.

Paritosh indicated her to sit. It would be a long story.

She was at her in-laws place. Pregnant with her third child. Two daughters were already too much for her family. They went for gender determination, even though it was illegal. And the the unborn baby was a girl too. They wanted her to abort. She refused. She had called her father for help. But he told her to deal with her family matters herself. He doesn’t know anything more. But…

“They starved her and her daughters to force abortion?” Rupali completed his thoughts.

“Seems likely. She must have run away. But could not make it all the way to her father’s house due to weakness.”

“How is the baby?” Rupali asked anxiously.

“Things don’t look good. Dr. Nanda is with them,” he replied referring to the gynecologist on duty.

“You don’t want to be there?”

“I was not helping there.” He was too disturbed!

Rupali had barely nodded in response when his mobile rang. He turned pale as he heard the person on phone.

“The baby died,” he said after disconnecting the call.

“Oh! And that would create complications for her too…”

Paritosh nodded.

“Dr. Khanna. You are…”

“I never thought ill of her Rupali. Even when I was angry and hurt… I never did…”

“Of course, you didn’t. Why would you… Oh my God!” The realization dawned on her about what was bothering him so much apart from sudden encounter with Chand under such circumstances. “Please Sir,” she went near him and put her hands on his shoulder, “It has got nothing to do with you. It was just a coincidence that we were talking about her today…”

He shook his head. She continued, “No. Listen to me please. This is just not right. I was the one listening to you, right? I can judge it. There was no ill-will whatsoever in you.”

“I hope so, Rupali…”

“Please. Dr. Khanna. I can’t see you like this. You can’t be like this. Not after all the wise things you know and say…”

He looked at her and frowned as he tried to understand what she meant. Then a small smile spread on his lips, “All the wise things, eh?”

“Whatever,” she was suddenly embarrassed at her words, “You are a doctor. You are supposed to be rational about things.”

“Of course,” his smile was broader now. Somehow her agitated outburst had pulled Paritosh out of the guilt-pit the evening’s incidents had thrown him into.

“If you want to go home, you can go Dr. Khanna,” Rupali offered helpfully, “I am here and the girls only need observation.”

“No. I intend to keep our breakfast date,” he grinned much to Rupali’s surprise and relief, “We will leave together in the morning.”

“Okay,” she smiled and left.

To be continued

Destined (Part 14)

Posted 11 CommentsPosted in English, Inspired, Rupali-Paritosh

“I will take a taxi,” Rupali told Paritosh after they finished check ups at the orphanage.

“Why, I will drop you.”

“It’s no longer on your way…”

“You can invite me for a cup of tea…”

Rupali had to smile at that, “Of course.”

The decrepit sofa was absent from the hall, and there were a few plastic chairs around.

“I see that you have already started redecorating the place,” Paritosh said as a way of starting the conversation.

“There isn’t much decoration here,” Rupali gave an embarrassed grin, “Just making the place functional. Although, I am fully aware how inappropriate plastic furniture is for a house like this.”

“It’s yours. That is all that matters.”

Radha’s excitement at seeing a visitor was almost embarrassing for Rupali. She brought so much snacks with tea that not only Paritosh, even Rupali stared at it wide-eyed.

“Well,” Rupali spoke to dissolve the awkwardness, “I wouldn’t have known what all I should get. Thank God, Radha is here.”

“And I didn’t know what I was getting in to when I got myself invited for tea,” Paritosh also helped.

They smiled. Radha, however, offered an explanation, “Nobody ever comes here. I am so happy to see Doctor Babu today.” And it made the situation awkward again. Their eyes met and Rupali averted hers.

“Moitras never came to meet you?”

“Kaku is in Darjeeling with Rohan. Kakima probably feels very guilty, and possibly angry. They have called, of course.”

“Aren’t you lonely?”

“Have always been. Being alone has nothing to do with being lonely. You can be lonely even in a huge crowd.”

Paritosh smiled.

“And Dr. Khanna,” Rupali added somberly, “They are not to be blamed for it. They have done as much as they could do for me…”

“Rupali,” Paritosh intervened, mild irritation evident in his tone, “Why do you always assume that I am up in arms against them? I appreciate them as much as you do Rupali. For what they have done for you. And even if I think they could have been careful about Rohan, I don’t blame them for what he is. And I understand how much respect and gratitude you feel towards them. You don’t need to defend them before me.”

“I.. I am…” Rupali was embarrassed.

“Rupali. The only time I disagree with you is when you start holding yourself responsible. Blaming Rohan’s parents might be wrong, but blaming you is even more wrong than that. And that’s it. That’s all I would ever try to convince you of.”

“I am sorry. Please don’t be mad at me,” Rupali said in a small voice.

“Come on, Rupali. I am not mad at you.”

“I… I didn’t realize that I had started sounding like that. I know that you understand. And probably that’s the reason fate has pushed you in between all this. It wanted me to have some support. I am really sorry.”

“You are one difficult woman Rupali. Here I was trying to rid you of one guilt. And you have managed to start feeling another one. For me, this time. Will you stop this?”

Rupali smiled and threw her hands up in the air in resignation.

“That’s better,” Paritosh said with a patronizing smile.

“Rupali. So, you got the night duty tonight? Couldn’t go for Dr. Shekhar’s wedding, eh?” Paritosh found Rupali in the common room at night. Most of the doctors were going to attend their colleague’s wedding. So, Paritosh had decided to stay on for the night.

“I volunteered,” Rupali smiled in reply.

“Hmm… And I have noticed that you are volunteering a lot of extra duties these days.”

She just shrugged and continued smiling.

“Is that how you are coping with what happened? Because you aren’t talking much to me. Are you talking to anyone at all?” he asked and was taken by surprise when she giggled at his question.

“That sounds like a boss of mine I know.”

“Excuse me?”

“Being a workaholic to deal with things… loneliness, let’s say. That’s you Dr. Khanna?”

“And not you?”

“I am learning from the best.”

“In that case you are learning the wrong things.”

“Is it? Why do you practice wrong things then?”

Paritosh sighed, “You are difficult.”

“That’s not fair. You brought up the topic. So… Can I ask you something? About you?”

Paritosh looked quizzical, “Shoot.”

“If you don’t want to answer, you can just say so… Please don’t be offended if…”

“Ask the question Rupali. Let me hear it before I decide what do I want to do with it.”

“Why this loneliness?”

“We don’t decide to be lonely, Rupali. Life throws it at us.”

“In that case, a more specific question. Why didn’t you ever get married? That seems to be the ultimate cure for people’s loneliness.”

“Is it?”

“That’s what people say.”

“Hmm…”

“Hmm?”

“What should I tell you?”

“Whatever is the truth… To the extent you are comfortable in sharing it…”

“We have both been orphans, Rupali. But the difference is that… you know where you come from. I don’t…”

“That is… likely to be painful… at least at times… But what does it have to do with…”

“Why do you think Daar ji was so mad at your mother?”

“Because she married against his wishes? Outside the community?”

He nodded, “So, in this society where does someone with no idea whatsoever about his family stand? Nowhere!”

“Surely, not everyone is like Daar ji. And even he changed, didn’t he? Otherwise he would never have adopted you.”

“Right. Daar ji changed… But unfortunately not her father…”

“Whose?”

“Chand. She was the daughter of one of Daar ji’s friends.”

“Oh!”

“We were… well… I thought we were in love. I had heard Daar ji beg him for my… our happiness. But he was adamant. He couldn’t marry his daughter off to someone with a questionable blood line.”

“And she?”

“She wasn’t as headstrong as your mother,” Paritosh smiled sadly.

“I… I am sorry.”

“Thinking rationally, it really is not a big deal, Rupali. Today one can not get under my skin with such things… But we are much more insecure when we are younger. Small, little things can throw us off our game…”

“If you understand that, why didn’t you move on later?”

“I don’t know. I don’t have all the answers. Probably some things are not meant to be.”

That seemed to resonate with her, as she nodded her head thoughtfully. “Some things are not meant to be…” she mumbled after him.

“You are learning the wrong thing again?” he spoke with a chuckle drawing her attention back.

“Excuse me?”

“What you need to learn is that when we are young, things affect us much more. We shouldn’t let those experiences dictate our entire life.”

Rupali smiled fondly, “You should be a motivational speaker or something…”

“I am not sure if that is a complement or sarcasm.”

“Complement,” she replied, “Time for me to take another round.”

He felt like joining her, but resisted. He shouldn’t suffocate her by imposing too much. Although he did worry a lot about how she was doing. He proposed something, “After the night duty, could we have breakfast together?”

She appeared surprised at this, but smiled immediately, “Sure. Where?”

“At my home?”

“Okay,” she nodded and left.

To be continued

Destined (Part 3)

Posted 9 CommentsPosted in English, Inspired, Rupali-Paritosh

“Wait… wait Seema… Don’t run outside. There are cars on the road…” Rupali ran after a little girl, but the girl ran into someone else who was coming in through the gate.

“Steady Seema,” the man held her and then picked her up lovingly.

Rupali was surprised to see that it was Paritosh. “Dr. Banerjee!” he was surprised too.

“Doctor Uncle is here,” Seema shouted in excitement.

Paritosh smiled at her and put her down, “Run to your friends and tell them this is the checkup day for Pokemon group. They should all gather in the hall.”

“Okay!” the girl replied and ran away towards her friends, all of whom stayed in the orphanage.

“He… Hello Sir,” Rupali was flustered.

“Nice to see you here,” if he was awkward to meet her outside the hospital, he managed to hide it pretty well.

“Same here,” Rupali said, but wondered if she felt that way. Although she had appreciated Paritosh saving her from Rohan’s untoward demands in the hospital, she didn’t think she could share her personal life with her boss. But she had come there that day on some purpose. So, she decided to go ahead with it. “The administrator told me that a senior doctor volunteers here and he would be here today. I had no clue that would be you. It was probably silly of me to not to ask the name…”

“That’s okay. Did you want to meet me?”

“I just… wanted to volunteer as well… To help you… I thought it was better if I coordinated instead of doing it separately.”

“Sure. That’s a great idea.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Do you want to start right away?”

“Yes. Of course. That’s why I came today.”

“Great. Let’s go then. We can do two groups today. Too many kids – so I have divided them into four groups. One group gets the check up every week.” Paritosh was used to managing the department. He effortlessly took her under his wings there too.

“Pokemon group?” she smiled in amusement.

Paritosh smiled too and they felt the tension and awkwardness dissolving, “Well – with kids, you have to be like kids. You will take up Ben-10 group.”

“Okay,” her smile had grown to become a chuckle. Just then her mobile rang. “Excuse me Dr. Khanna. I have to take this. I will join you in a minute?”

“Sure,” Paritosh looked at her curiously for a second before leaving. The softness of the smile had disappeared from her face.

He couldn’t avoid hearing parts of her conversation even as he tried to move away quickly. “I told you Rohan… I am at the hospital. It will take some time…”

“Have you been feeling tired lately?” Rupali asked a kid during the checkup.

The boy nodded in reply.

“Kamla Auntie says he has not been eating well.” added the girl waiting behind him in the line referring to one of the employers of the orphanage.

“Dr. Khanna,” she addressed Paritosh who was attending to another group, “I think we need to do urine test for him.”

“What happened?”

“I suspect jaundice.”

“Oh! Come here, Sumit,” Paritosh asked the boy to come to him and checked his eyes.

“We need to isolate him from other kids,” Rupali said after Paritosh nodded at her in confirmation.

“I don’t think they have any empty rooms left. Too many kids… Too little funding… Same old story…” Paritosh appeared to be drifting off to some other world.

“Sir?”

Her voice brought him out of his thoughts. “If it is jaundice,” he started talking in a matter-of-fact tone again, “this is at a very contagious stage. Something needs to be done. Let’s take him to the hospital.”

“But…”

“I will pay for the treatment.”

“Okay…” Rupali was much more impressed than she let on.

“How have you come?” Paritosh asked Rupali when they made to leave with Sumit after finishing checkups.

“I took a taxi.”

“I have my car. Let me drop you back.”

“It’s not needed, Sir.”

“Where do you stay?”

“You also have to take Sumit to the hospital.”

“Fine. If it isn’t on my way to the hospital, I won’t insist. But at least tell me where do you live.”

Rupali sighed helplessly, “It is on your way to the hospital.”

“Then what’s the problem? Come with me.”

“You remember the name of all the kids there?” she asked as they were driving back. She had noticed it during the check up. He addressed each and every kid there by name.

“I have been going there for years now. Now I have seen most of them coming there, growing up…”

“Hmm.”

“How about you? For how long have you been coming here?”

“Just for last month or so. I was in Delhi for last five years.”

“AIIMS, right? For your MBBS.”

“Yes Sir.”

“Good.”

“Can you please drop me here?” she said suddenly in front of the mall.

“Here?”

“Yes. My house is at walking distance from here. And I just remembered I had some things to buy. So, I will get them from the mall.”

“Should I wait?”

“No. No Sir. Seriously. I stay right behind the mall. And Sumit…”

“Okay then. Take care.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

She waited until he had driven off and then walked listlessly towards her house without so much as glancing towards the mall she was supposed to go to. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. She had volunteered to work with Paritosh in the orphanage. He was her boss. There was no way she could have gone back on that commitment. And she didn’t want to… But this was going to get tricky with Rohan.

“Why were you with Dr. Khanna?” It was as if her worries were immediately personified. She ran into Rohan. And he had apparently seen her getting out of the car.

“He was coming to this side. He gave me a lift,” she didn’t really have to lie, because she didn’t make a reference to where she was coming from. As far as Rohan was concerned, she was coming from the hospital. She had become quite adept at manipulating Rohan to keep his anger and wrath away. But it was easier earlier. At first he was in London for his studies. He had come back a couple of years ago, but then she was in Delhi for her studies. She only needed to handle his possessiveness and obsession occasionally. But now… She was getting tired because she had to do it day in, day out. They were staying under the same roof. And she also had to hide it from Rohan’s parents. They were really proud of their son and they loved him so much. She wasn’t sure how they would react if she ever complained about him to them. If they believed her, they would be devastated. Rupali could not do that to them. If they didn’t believe her… well… what would she gain except losing their trust…. She was between a rock and a hard place.

“You should have gone with the driver,” Rohan was still irritated and his agitated complaint brought her out of her thoughts.

“Kakima might have needed him.”

“Why don’t you just learn to drive?”

“I am… scared of driving,” she lied. She knew how to drive; she had learned it with the help of one of her friends. But hiding things from Rohan was one of the things that gave her satisfaction. Of being in control. She knew her reply would work on him. It always did! The idea of her being weak, scared, in need of help, being dependent on him always worked. He liked it.

“I know,” that smile again! “Let’s go, and have a cup of coffee somewhere. I had been getting bored, waiting for you.”

She would have preferred to go home, but she gave in. What all could she run away from? She cringed as he put his arms around her protectively, but did not move away.

To be continued

Destined (Part 1)

Posted 5 CommentsPosted in English, Inspired, Rupali-Paritosh

“Dr. Moitra? What are you doing here this early in the morning?” Dr. Paritosh Khanna was surprised to see Rohan Moitra, a resident doctor in Orthopedics, in the Pediatrics department conference room. He was there to address the new batch of interns coming to Pediatrics department of Shohan Nath Majumdar Multi Specialty Hospital, Kolkata.

“Good Morning Dr. Khanna. Actually my fiancee is joining as an intern in your department. So, came by… For moral support…” Rohan grinned.

“I see!” Paritosh said trying to appear neutral. He wondered if Rohan’s act was sweet or patronizing.

“She is sitting there,” he pointed to the corner seat in the row where all the new interns were sitting and waiting for their orientation to begin, “Rupali. Banerjee, for now. She is the nervous kind… I am not even sure it was the right profession for her. But she always insisted. Please go easy on her.” As the head of Pediatrics, Paritosh would be the boss of all the interns.

“Well Dr. Moitra. This profession has its demands. I do not intend to put anything more than that on anybody. It is not in my hands to make it less for anybody,” Paritosh said dryly.

“Ah! Well… Of course.”

Paritosh smiled and then excused himself, “Anyway! I should get going. They are waiting for me. I think your duty shift would also be starting now.”

“Yeah. Sure,” Rohan got the hint that he was not welcome during the orientation just because his fiancée was there. He walked away, but shot a glance at Rupali before leaving. Paritosh noticed that Rupali had also turned to look at Rohan at around the same time. She was slightly far, but Paritosh felt sure that he saw her stiffen.

As someone so insistent of maintaining professional relationships with people at work, Paritosh was annoyed at himself. Just because Rohan had pointed Rupali out to him, he found himself noticing her repeatedly during his address to the interns. It made no sense.

Or probably it did. There was something captivating in those large eyes sitting on a lean, small, innocent face of wheatish complexion. Not quite the typical Bengali face. But there were hints – for sure.

What the hell! He shirked off his train of thoughts and looked at the clock. OPD time. Patients – hassled and sad when they came, happy and healthy after treatment, their faith in life and living restored… That’s what kept him alive and occupied. That’s what he was comfortable with. That’s what he needed to go back to. To deal with his distracted mind.

Paritosh was getting ready to go to a surgery. He was not a surgeon. But he had admitted the patient, and there were many complications expected in the surgery. So, the pediatric surgeon has requested his presence. Interns of pediatrics department were sitting outside to watch the surgery through the glass. It was a part of their training process. One of them will be inside assisting the surgeon. Paritosh wondered who that would be. It was a complicated surgery, and would be quite challenging for a fresher. Just then he saw her walking in.

Rupali was already wearing her robe and had come to wash her hands before the surgery started. “Good Morning, Sir,” she greeted him courteously.

“Good Morning, Dr. Banerjee,” he replied. If it had been any other intern, he wouldn’t have know his or her name. He hadn’t been individually acquainted with them yet. Rupali appeared surprised at first, but probably recalled immediately that she had seen Rohan with him the day before, during the orientation. She sighed audibly and looked, as far as Paritosh could see, sad.

“So, you are assisting in the surgery?”

“Yes Sir.”

“It is a complicated one. And when patients are so young, their condition often disturbs us a lot… This is your first day. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Some intern has to be here, right? Why not me?”

“Sure. I was… just being… cautious.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I’m sure you will be. Shall we go inside?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Rohan. Please let me go,” Paritosh recognized Rupali’s voice, as he passed by the fire exit. The door to staircase was shut as usual, but the sound passed through.

“Stop it already, Rupa. You can’t keep running away from me.”

Paritosh hesitated. Should he stop? Should he not? Was it the usual dance of lovers? Fire exit was a favourite place for the young couples in the hospital to have their own time during breaks. Or was it sexual harassment right under his nose? Something about Rohan’s tone made it not feel like a lover’s insistence at all. Rupali’s reply came as Paritosh was still deliberating on what to do.

“This isn’t the time or place to discuss…”

“Who is interested in discussing…”

“Rohan!” Rupali shouted.

Rohan must have closed in on her. Because the sound that came next was definitely Rupali pushing him away and he getting hit by the railing of the staircase.

Paritosh pushed the door open. “What’s going on here?”

Rohan and Rupali were both startled and horrified at first. Then Rupali’s expression turned to that of relief, while Rohan’s turned belligerent.

“This is personal Dr. Khanna.”

“I’m afraid it sounded more like an offense.”

“She is my fiancée,” Rohan retorted.

“Even if she were your legally wedded wife Dr. Moitra, she had the right to say no. Especially at a public place like this. And this is her workplace, no less. This is not acceptable…”

“Dr. Khanna. You are reading too much into the situation…”

“What I have seen here is called sexual harassment, Dr. Moitra. So, as Dr. Banerjee’s boss and as the chief administrator of this department, I have to intervene and ask you to leave immediately. And this must not happen again, else I will be forced to report it.”

Rohan gritted his teeth, but could not say anything.

“Please leave,” Paritosh was adamant.

Rohan shot an angry glance at Rupali and then left.

Paritosh felt awkward when left alone with Rupali, but he maintained his formal disposition, “Please go back to your ward Dr. Banerjee. Lunch time is over.” He turned back immediately and came back to the corridor. He sighed in relief on seeing the corridor empty. If someone saw him coming out of the fire exit, with Rupali following right behind him, it would have been awkward. Really awkward.

His cabin and the wards were in opposite direction. They went in their separate ways without saying another word.

To be continued