ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

We entered the female ward, expecting to find an elderly, breathless lady. But we were faced by a puny little girl, who looked at us with anxious eyes and an apprehensive face. It was a cardiothoracic surgery pre-op ward and we wondered what could possibly have happened to this innocent girl. We walked towards her with perplexity and popped the first question- ‘what is your name?’ with as much charm and appeal as we could manage. She flashed us a smile and replied ‘Sushmita’ I took another look at her- she was dressed in a long colourful skirt and a plain white top. An artificial pearl necklace with a huge pendant hung about her neck. She had a very attractive face with particularly expressive eyes. Her hair was neatly combed into two long braids. She was thin and lean, but had a sense of enthusiasm about her. My friend seemed to have established a very good rapport with her in short time. As we spoke to her, I noticed that she was very amiable and polite. In fact, she turned out to be...

I walked across the murky, depressing entrance hall yet another time. When I had first walked into the hospital, the unpleasant ‘hospital odour’ was what had initially caught my attention. It wasn’t easy getting used to it, but gradually all of us adapted ourselves to the environment and even became a part of it. We began complaining about the melancholy setting less often and tried to make the whole outlook cheerful and optimistic. I walked with hurrying steps because the professor was punctual and did not like students walking into the wards after him. As I hurried up the steps, I was greeted by my enthusiastic batch mates who were in the midst of a seemingly interesting conversation. I took a quick look across the entire ward. Nothing seemed to have changed. The same patients were in their beds, most of them with blankets pulled over their heads. My batch mates were in groups, some of them checking out the patients’ case sheets, another group chattering enthusiastically about how an...

Most questions in life are unexplained. I relish speculating on certain such matters, but haven’t been able to figure out why such things happen. Yet, they continue to occur in our lives- day in and day out. I wonder why? There is nothing appealing on the television when you are free. There is something very tempting, exciting and fascinating on television when you HAVE to study for your exams tomorrow. There is a thrilling cricket match on the tv, it’s the last ball- you are biting your nails sitting on the edge of your seat- the power goes off. There’s more to it- the power comes back on and you find out that India just lost the match. It rains heavily on the day you have forgotten your umbrella at home. Unexpected guests are sure to come home when you haven’t bothered to comb your hair or wash your face since morning. The power goes off when you want to use the microwave oven the most. The power comes back on the moment you’ve finished gobbling up cold food and put the plate into th...

As I look back from where I stand today, I remember the long years of childhood I walked through. Those carefree days, the nonchalant mannerisms, the laid back attitude and the playful, frivolous moments can never be replaced. Trivial things held great importance those days. Little squabbles over insignificant matters assumed more weight above other worldly matters. Evenings were spent religiously in games and outdoor activities after returning home from school. Homework was a great nuisance then, the completion of which ensured a free permit to stay out till the last ray of sunlight reached the earth. Sometimes search parties were sent to drag us back to our respective homes. Great effort was needed, especially with mathematics homework, for the want of concentration- all attention was focused on planning what game to play. Children from the entire neighbourhood got together, forming groups with other kids their own age. The youngest group played within the safe confines of the buildi...

I stood by the window, staring at the raindrops lashing heavily on the window panes. It was very dark outside; I could only make out the outlines of the trees, by the side of the room I was standing in. I looked around, realizing that I had never been to this place before. Yet the place had a sense of familiarity to me. It was calm and serene, mystical, a sweet fragrance emanating from the air. The room was lit by a candle, cradled in the most beautiful candle stand I have ever come across. There was nothing else in the whole room, except for a marvelous painting hung on the wall. I began wondering how I came to be in this room, away from the mad, busy world I inhabited till some time ago. It was somewhat vague that I could not recollect how I arrived at that blissful place, nevertheless a strong sense of adventure overcame my perplexity, and I decided to confront my fears and explore the place. I walked out of the room to discover a huge door that led to the outside world. I gave it a...