CHAPTER 3

“ But I don’t want to change the doctor” exclaimed Ramesh.

“Believe me he is the best we have got.” remarked Dr. Ashok Handa, “ you are lucky. He was teaching our interns when he saw your wife’s report . He immediately wanted to handle the case.”

Reluctantly Ramesh took the file and test report to the cabin he was directed.Dr. Arvind Swami. He had heard his name before.

It was after seeing the reports that Dr. Swami remarked “ Dr. Ashok says you were not keen on me .”

Ramesh hesitated. “ Actually I just thought that he knows the case a lot better.”

“ True , true I agree with you on that. He is my student. He says you love your wife a lot.”

A rhetorical question? Ramesh refrained from answering.

“Now Ramesh tell me frankly ,don’t you feel unlucky? I mean so young and so much trouble.”

“ I don’t mind the trouble . The pain Anoushka has during the sessions hurts me more.”

“ But don’t you feel betrayed?” Dr. Swami asked. Why is he asking me these questions ,Ramesh thought.

“ No I feel I am the luckiest person to have Anoushka.” said Ramesh.

“ Let me be very clear with you. I have seen Anoushka’s case . Breast amputation is the only way out. I have heard this love trash a lot of times beforefrom men who claim to be true lovers. Their attitude changes after the operation. Do I make myself clear”

Ramesh stood up. “ I don’t know what do you mean by telling me all this. But let me tell you, the day I saw Anoushka I committed myself to her . she is all that I wanted from God. I don’t care if she loses her breast , her eyes , her limbs….. I love her for what she is.”

As he turned to walk away ,above the door he saw a picture with a garland on it. Had it not been for the short hair,the girl in the picture could easily have been mistaken for Anoushka, the face , the eyes, everything sort of matched perfectly.

Ramesh looked at Dr. Swami and said, “ She looks like….”

“ Anoushka,”Dr. Swami said, “ She does. She is Pratiksha, my daughter. I was operating a patient in this very room when she died in the operating theater above. It was a car accident .” He could not talk anymore.

That night Ramesh received an email. It did not have a name but he understood. It ran ” I lost my daughter earlier. I am not going to lose her now. She will live. We will make sure of that.”

CHAPTER 4

Five years have passed. Friends of Anoushka would say she had aged. But there are some people who are just thankful to see her alive and healthy.

Every week Anoushka goes to Dr. Swami once in a while with some new food item that she seems to conjure out from somewhere. She calls him “Appa”.

Dr. Swami did not charge for Anoushka’s treatment. But I don’t think he is complaining. After all he may have lost a patient but he gained a daughter.