This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Two months into the NMC mentorship program, Sai Joshi had finally found her rhythm. Between her classes, the hospital, the homework, the tests, the exams and, the café job, she barely had time to miss anyone, even her Abba. She single-mindedly was shortening the distance between Sai Joshi and Dr. Sai Joshi.
Inspired by Dr. Sarita Godbole, Sai had decided to pursue the field of children's medicine. It suited her personality. She was a natural with little kids; Pari and Balakram, her best friends from Gadchiroli, her Abba's last posting, could vouch for it. Sai was fifteen when she had come across a very hurt 4 years old Balakram. He had fallen off his tricycle. Sai, a topper, had academically always been a few years ahead. A voracious reader, she had taught herself how to treat minor injuries and hence was sought after by the school sports team. She had put her newly learned skills to good use on Balakram. Balakram was just happy that he did not need to meet a real doctor and their injections. Sai had brought back the little child's smile and, in return, had gained two little friends for a lifetime. So it was no surprise that Sai chose to follow Dr. Sameer Dixit during his shifts at the hospital's children's ward.
While Sai admired and respected Dr. Sameer Dixit, she found Sameer's buddy-buddy attitude outside the hospital a little excessive. Then, one fine day out of nowhere, he invited her to dine with his family. That day Sai did remember Virat Sir, in fact, the entire Chavan parivar. 'Wonder how Virat Sir would react if I were to tell him about this dinner invitation?' Egged by most of his family, Virat had blown his top off when Sai accepted a professor's lunch invite. Sai had to keep the name of the processor, Dr. Pulkit Deshpande, a secret as she was still in the process of unraveling the mysterious separation of the two lovebirds Devyani and Pulkit.
So when Sameer casually asked her and Prachi to join him for dinner with his family, Sai wasn't too sure about it. They barely knew each other. Seeing her hesitation, Sameer had explained. "Please, 't's my parents' fortieth wedding anniversary. My sister has invited an entire platoon. Please, don't make me look bad. I have but five people I know." Prachi was game for any party. Out of habit Sai almost told aloud, 'let me check with Virat Sir,' but then she quickly remembered her relationship status with Virat Sir. Out of sheer spite, she, too, agreed to make Sameer look good.
Interestingly Virat also attended Sameer's parent's anniversary. He just did not know whose party it was when he agreed to accompany his boss. "Virat, please do this as a favour. My wife's out of town and I have to attend as they are somehow related to my in-laws. Please I cannot bear this alone. We show our faces, down a couple of drinks, and we are out, I promise."
Virat had no choice but to agree. In the recent past, he had often declined the Deputy Inspector General's invites, reason: "I promised my wife I will be home for dinner." The DIG would laugh, "Home minister khush toh all well!" However, this time Virat did not have that reason. The DIG had guessed that things on the home front were not that great, as Virat had put in an application for a transfer.
The party confirmed Virat's hunch that Sameer was seriously in love with Sai and would do anything to win her over.
Virat saw Sai first. She was at one of the tables reserved for the Dixits' close friends and family members. Sai looked like a dream in a black kameez with understated goldwork and a soft gold pashmina wrapped loosely around her shoulders. She had black danglers on. She had not done anything special with her hair; it was just the way Virat liked it. Virat was far enough, so she couldn't see him, but she was close enough for him to notice that her mangalsutra was missing. This fact pierced him. If he were not in a garden, he would have needed to get out to avoid hyperventilating.
To make matters worse, he overheard a conversation between Sameer and his Mother. These days Virat was getting really good at eavesdropping. Sai would have reprimanded him. 'Hasn't your best friend told you ki chup chup ke doosron ki batien nahin sunte?"
Sameer gingerly asked his mother. "So? What do you think, Mom?"
"She is beautiful and surely very intelligent. So when are you going to tell her how you feel ?"
Virat wanted to smack that grin off that man's face. "Don't know Mom—I don't think she is ready. I think she was in a relationship. She is extremely tightlipped about her personal life. She is one of the brilliant students, 3 times better than me for sure, and I know she is a very nice person. Patients adore her Mama. I know a few who have delayed their discharge only to say goodbye to her. She is going to make one hell of a doctor." Virat couldn't help feel proud of her Sai.
"So, my son finally likes someone marvelous and... anyway, the little I spoke with her beta I can tell she is a gem of a person. She is worth the wait. We are in no hurry to get you married off. Your happiness is paramount for us. So get started. At least go ask her for a dance."
Virat's heart literally stopped beating for a few moments. He felt he was going to be sick. He wanted to yell, "No, it's not that she was in a relationship...she is in one. She is my wife, legally wedded wife." And there was the problem. She was his only on paper. But, he did not leave the party without hope: Sai outright refused to dance with Sameer. He must have pleaded with her for at least 3-4 minutes, but she did not budge. Virat saw Sameer dancing with Prachi. 'That's my girl,' Virat thought while his lips smiled a sly, victorious smile.
Seeing her alone, Virat was just about to walk to her table, but just then, his boss appeared. "We have to leave my son. Duty calls!"
So weeks later, when Virat read a text message from his Sai, he was thrilled to bits. She had just solved one of his problems. He was to leave for Kharpundi in a few days. His transfer order had come through. He wanted and needed to see her before he left.
After that party, Sai had become warier of Sameer, so she kept her outside work interactions to a minimum. Unfortunately, this was making it even more difficult for Sameer to break through the walls surrounding her.
On consultation with some senior doctors and nurses and with the permission of the evening hospital manager, Sai instituted a Story Time for all interested children admitted in the children's ward. In her every shift, she now spent about 30 minutes bringing all the kids together. She read them stories, sang to them, sang with them, danced before them, danced with them, drew for them, drew with them. Basically, anything to help the children forget where and why they were in the hospital.
Sameer had reproved Sai, as she was not even spending the breaks with him.
"You do know I am your mentor, and you should have discussed this with me before speaking with the senior doctors."
"Sorry Dr. Dixit, I did not think this would be a big deal for you. Next time I will check with you. But you know, I actually thought you would be supper supportive of this. Perhaps I was wrong."
Sameer did not know how to react to that. Well, Sai had met two objectives. One: learning to heal people not just physically but mentally also. Two: avoid Sameer's increasingly probing questions at teatime.
In a short time, the program became a success. So much so that the hospital got volunteers to mimic what Sai did when she was not around and multiple times a day.
It was because of these sessions that Sai found out by happenstance that something was amiss. A parent, Ramakant Kamble's little ten-year-old son, Gaurav was a bundle of energy. He was the most rambunctious child in Sai's Story Time sessions. Gaurav had been admitted to the hospital for a throat infection. Against his father's orders, Gaurav had eaten a burfacha gola! Ramakant thought it to be a common cold. However, he took him to the local doctor, who recommended bringing Gaurav to the Nagpur hospital, about a hundred km away from home. He also gave a referral note for Dr. Dave. Since Ramakant could neither read nor write, he took the doctor's words at face value. He rushed his little boy to see Dr. Dave, who immediately admitted the boy and announced that he needed surgery. Dr. Sameer Dixit had been asked to prep him for surgery. It was supposed to be a tonsillectomy. All went well, the boy was discharged, but fives days later, he died.
Ramakant was back in the hospital, looking for answers. He knew the only person who would help him would be his Gaurav's beloved Sai Tai.
