by Sudha Murty
Mridula had continued, ‘I want to be open with you. If you liked any girl before me, please say so. I will be a good sport. But tell me the truth.’
Sanjay had paused for a few seconds and said, ‘Nobody. You’re the first and the last girl to whom I have been attracted.’ Somewhere in his mind, he had thought about Vasudha but then had immediately dismissed her image from his mind.
There was a storm in the Bay of Bengal due to which there were furious rains in Bangalore. There was a strong wind and a few dried coconuts flew up from the ground; one of them broke the light bulb in their small garden. Sanjay came out of his reverie and opened a window. The cool breeze gushed inside. Though it was pleasant, Sanjay was not at peace. He knew what Alex would tell him the next day: ‘Sanjay, think. How much will you earn working at a government hospital all your life? You can earn that much money within a year of private practice. After retiring from the government hospital, you’ll work as a professor and probably get minimal old-age pension. The greatest headache in government service is transfers. It just isn’t worth it.’
Though Sanjay’s mind agreed with Alex, his heart did not want to accept it. If he continued in the government hospital, he could teach the next generation and easily keep himself updated with the latest information about surgery, drugs and other medical breakthroughs. He recollected his father’s words: ‘Sanjay, the foremost duty of a doctor is to take care of his patients. As a doctor, you should understand a patient’s suffering and serve him the same way that you serve God. God doesn’t stay in just T. Narasipura’s temple. He also comes in the form of a patient.’
Sanjay would ask, ‘Appa, how should the patient behave?’
‘Child, patients also have their own code. They must see God in their doctor. Only then can they have faith in him. If the patient believes in the doctor, then a good relationship is built. Our ancestors say that even if you give water to the patient, his faith will transform it into medicine.’
Sanjay thought, ‘I wonder what my father would have to say if he was alive today.’
As expected, when Sanjay met Alex the next day at dinner, Alex laughed at him. ‘Come on, Sanjay, times have changed. Once upon a time, the priest in the church was considered a doctor. Before that, even barbers were doctors. But today, there’s no way that a barber can be considered remotely close to a doctor. I see our priest’s face only on Sundays if I go to church. The medical profession is no longer a service. It has become a commercial business. And in any commercial organization, you require administration, systems, payment methods and the need to be professional. Our society has changed over a period of time in every aspect, whether it is in terms of dress, lifestyle or language. Then why don’t you expect a change in attitude in the field of medicine? Just observe the things around you. We can’t be like your father any more. If a person has cancer, no amount of goodwill or faith in the doctor can cure the patient. It requires surgery. That kind of an emotional society doesn’t exist any more. So I don’t agree with your father at all.’
Sanjay was quiet.
Alex was an aggressive and powerful speaker. He continued, ‘I’ll tell you a story from Goa. You know that there are many streams in Goa that flow towards the sea. In the old days, small boats were used to cross them. There were no bridges and no government doctors then. A village doctor visited many villages using these boats. The doctor’s source of income was the money given to him in the boat by the patient’s relatives on his way back after treating a patient. Once, a patient was ill and his family came to fetch the doctor. After treating the patient, the doctor was coming back in the boat along with the patient’s relatives. There was a big storm. The boatman asked the passengers to reduce the weight of the boat by throwing one person into the river. Immediately, the patient’s relatives chose the doctor. By doing this, they killed two birds with one stone. They didn’t have to pay the doctor and his work of treating their relative was also over. So Sanjay, the point is that there is nothing called “gratitude”. You are an idealist—you are intelligent and caring and you take complete responsibility for your patients. Listen to me. Let’s start a nursing home. Bangalore is growing and software companies are starting offices here. We’ll do well.’
Sanjay did not answer him. His mind was still having trouble accepting Alex’s words.
14
Family Visits
Sishir continued to go to Muniyappa’s house whenever Mridula was not at home. Meanwhile, Muniyappa and Kantamma’s son, Arun, joined a software company and married his colleague Anuradha, who was from Bihar. At first, his parents refused the alliance, particularly Muniyappa. But Kantamma knew that they could lose their son if they objected too much. So she took the lead and convinced Muniyappa to give his consent.
Now, both the son and the daughter-in-law were working. They were happy that the house was being taken care of by the elders at home. That was the reason they were staying with their parents. Though Muniyappa wanted to go back to Kolar, Kantamma did not. She said, ‘We’ve been away from Kolar for the last thirty years. What’ll we do there at this age? There is a shortage of water there and the weather is hot. On top of that, we have a lot of relatives there and will unnecessarily get into obligations and money issues. It is better to be in Bangalore with our son and daughter-in-law.’
Arun also wanted them to stay with him. Anuradha was indifferent; she was always busy listening to songs on her MP3 player or playing games on the computer. She did not know Kannada, nor did she try to learn the language. Arun had learnt Hindi and the conversation between the couple was either in Hindi or English. Anuradha thought, ‘It’s better to stay with my in-laws because then I needn’t worry about a baby-care centre later.’
Sishir was used to staying in Muniyappa’s house for a few hours every day. They had become his surrogate grandparents. He called Muniyappa ‘Tata’ and Kantamma ‘Ajji’. After school, the school van dropped him at Muniyappa’s house. He ate his lunch there, did his homework and came back home only at night. Arun and Anuradha were also fond of him. Sometimes, Anuradha would take Sishir to Brigade Road or MG Road in their new car and buy him toys. He loved eating ragi just like them. He would tell Mridula, ‘Amma, you can’t cook like Ajji. She makes excellent food with ragi.’
Meanwhile, things had changed drastically at Aladahalli. Krishna and his wife, Vatsala, had a baby boy. But Vatsala and Mridula were not good friends. Surprisingly, Vatsala was street-smart despite being from a village and considered Mridula her competitor. Once, Champakka had softly told Rukuma, ‘Vatsala is neither good at work nor friendly like Mridula. She is selfish and calculating.’
Vatsala was short-tempered and discontent with her life. She preferred the city to the village. She would say, ‘What’s there to do in this village? It’s the same agricultural activity over and over again—sow the seeds, reap the harvest, store the grains and get the fertilizers. At other times, there’s a religious occasion like Hanuman Jayanti. There’s no change at all! If it were Hubli, there would’ve been so many things to do. I’m tired of this place.’
She constantly complained to Krishna. Krishna was quiet and less aggressive and at most times, he did not answer her. But sometimes, he would tell her, ‘Why do you grumble all day? You were aware of what the village was like when you married me. Mridula never felt bored here. She was busier than all of us. You can learn a lot of things from Champakka. She knows various kinds of cooking and rangoli. You can tend to her garden like Mridula used to do.’
During such times, Vatsala’s anger would know no bounds. ‘Don’t talk about your sister!’ she would say. ‘She didn’t know anything else so she learnt all this useless work. She knew that some day she would get married and go away to the city. That’s the reason she enjoyed Aladahalli—it was a short stay for her. Your sister hardly comes to Aladahalli any more because she likes Bangalore. And don’t talk to me about Champakka. She always compares me to Mridula and talks too much.’
Vatsala just needed a reason to
fight and could not stand hearing Mridula’s name. She wanted to stay in Hubli and visit Aladahalli only during weekends. When she looked at jewellery shops in Hubli, she felt like buying similar ornaments, but the elders at home did not allow her to do so.
Mridula came to the village once or twice a year. Now, Rukuma had arthritis and Bheemanna had become hard of hearing. Mridula did not feel comfortable with Vatsala. Vatsala would start taunting her and pick a fight with her as soon as she arrived. Because of the unfriendly atmosphere, nobody would eat that day and Vatsala would cry. Then she would take her son and go to her mother’s house. It made Mridula feel sad. So she would spend a maximum of two weeks in Aladahalli.
Sanjay would make fun of her: ‘Oh, Mridula, you’re so talkative that you can befriend a stone. Why not Vatsala?’
Mridula would think sadly, ‘Yes, I can make a stone talk, but not a stone-hearted person.’
From Aladahalli, she would go to Satish’s house in Hubli and spend a week there. Shyla was very hospitable. But Sishir would get bored in Aladahalli and Hubli. He would insist on coming back to Bangalore. He liked to stay only in his home and in Kantamma’s house.
Sanjay’s brother-in-law, Shankar, had also got promoted to assistant manager and had bought a car. But they hardly ever visited Mridula and Sanjay. Lakshmi was not close to Sanjay. Ratnamma never came to Bangalore either. Sometimes, Sishir went to T. Narasipura. Ratnamma would give two bananas from her small shop to her grandson every day. She advised him, ‘Sishir, you shouldn’t spend too much money. If someone gives you money, invest it so that it increases. Don’t buy sweets and spend everything. Anyway, sweets are not good for health.’ Then she would say, ‘Child, whatever I am earning and saving right now is for you after I die.’ Still, there was no emotional connection between Ratnamma and Sishir.
These days, Anita was in Bangalore and Mridula went out shopping with her regularly. Anita was not happy in the Middle East. She said, ‘I get bored there.’
‘Why can’t you work?’
‘Women can’t work there. When we go out, I have to wear a burka. All women must wear burkas irrespective of their religion. Women are allowed to have restricted professions only, like working as a teacher, doctor or nurse. I don’t know how to spend time there.’
‘Do you have a lot of work at home?’
‘No, there’s hardly anything to do at home. We never have guests there either. Alex is always busy. You know that I’m fond of the choir and church. But the only thing you can do there is shop for gold.’
‘Oh, are there many gold shops?’
‘We have gold shops there the same way that you have fancy stores here. There are varieties of ornaments and all of them shine yellow. All the shopping malls are centrally air-conditioned and lit with bright lights. The jewels dazzle under those lights. But Mridula, I don’t feel like wearing any gold. When I wear jewellery, I like my friends to compliment me. That possibility is so low there. So I don’t wear any.’
‘Anita, why don’t your in-laws visit you?’
‘My in-laws don’t want to leave Goa. They have a house on Miramar beach, a cashew farm, and they get plenty of fresh fish. Their house is a paradise. The church is also near. Feni flows like water in their house. Tell me, why would they want to go elsewhere? My parents are not interested in visiting me either. Mridula, if I send you tickets, will you come for three months?’
‘That may cost a lot, Anita!’
‘It’ll be my gift to you. If I had a sister and had she come there, I would have done the same. You are more than a sister to me. But if it makes you feel better, I will leave the shopping to your account.’ Anita continued, ‘Mridula, we want to come back to India within a few years. I’ve told Alex that if we come back, we’ll settle in Bangalore. It is a big city with better schools and it is more cosmopolitan. And I can still talk in Kannada here. More than that, you are here.’
Anita was straightforward, generous and very affectionate. Whenever they talked, she touched Mridula’s heart. There was a good understanding between the two of them. Mridula did not feel the same way about Lakshmi, Vatsala or anybody else.
Meanwhile, a phone call from Chikananjappa brought disappointment to Sanjay. He said, ‘Doctor, I have checked all the confidential files. There are three people who are getting the sponsorship. One candidate is from Gulbarga. He’s related to someone in the Opposition party. If they don’t give the sponsorship to their candidate, there’ll be too much noise in the Assembly. The next candidate is somebody from Kolar. From what I have gathered, his uncle supplies machines to the government. The third one is Dr Suresh. He’s been selected because his father’s a minister. Doctor, please don’t tell anyone that I have shared this with you. I don’t have the power to remove any of the candidates and give you the sponsorship instead. I can just give you the information.’
‘Thank you, Chikananjappa, for the trouble that you’ve taken for me. I won’t mention your name at all.’
Sanjay put the phone down. He thought, ‘All the candidates are neither gynaecologists nor teaching staff. Their training will be of no use to the government. They’ve been chosen because of their connections and not because of their merit. Alex would say “I told you so”—merit alone is of no use. A person must be at the right place at the right time.’ He felt grateful to Chikananjappa. ‘At least, he told me that I haven’t been selected. Otherwise, I would have waited with hope.’
Alex and Anita came to Sanjay and Mridula’s house for dinner that night. Alex looked at Sanjay and knew that something was wrong. He asked, ‘What’s the matter, Sanjay?’
Sanjay did not feel like sharing the news with him, so he said, ‘Oh, it’s nothing.’
‘Come on, Sanjay, don’t hide anything from me. I know you well. Is there a problem in your department? Have you been transferred or penalized for something you haven’t done?’
‘No, Alex. That’s not it. Even if I tell you what’s bothering me, the solution isn’t in our hands. And I already know what you’ll tell me.’
‘Sanjay, my logic is different. Let’s assume that you get a salary of ten thousand rupees. Half of that is to accept the injustice around you and the other half is for your actual work. If you still don’t understand that, then you’re foolish.’
‘According to you, I’m always foolish.’
‘Sanjay, my intention isn’t to hurt you. You know that you have to make some decisions regarding your career.’
Politely, Anita left them and went to the kitchen to help Mridula.
Sanjay told Alex everything about the sponsorship. At the dinner table, Alex said, ‘Mridula, I’ve given Sanjay my opinion about his career. I know that both of you have taken a loan to buy this apartment. At the rate that you’re going, you’ll be busy repaying the loan for the next twelve years. By then, Sishir will be in college. Both of you are educated and give preference to education. If Sishir wants to study medicine and if he doesn’t get admission even with merit, then what will you do? You must realize that the days when only merit and talent were respected are gone. Today, the competition is high and there are reservations in every field. As a good friend, I must tell you the facts—even if they hurt you. Look at yourselves. Sanjay, you’re still running around in a scooter. Your students themselves own cars within three years of private practice and build their houses within five years. Within eight years, they have their own nursing homes. Isn’t that true?’
Sanjay knew that Alex was right. Alex continued, ‘Along with talent, a strong sense of practicality is essential. There’s nothing wrong in earning more money. If you want to help people, keep aside a percentage of your earnings for philanthropy or treat some poor patients for free.’
Sanjay had always thought that poor patients went to government hospitals, which was why he had wanted to work in one. But listening to Alex, he realized that he could in fact help the poor through a private practice too. Alex said, ‘Look at me now. I’ve made enough money working in the Middle East. I help our ch
urch in Panaji and Anita helps an orphanage in Mangalore. I’ve purchased a cashew farm for my brother. My family is happy. Money is a useful tool. It’s like a knife—you can either kill a person with it or you can cut an apple. It’s up to you to decide how to use it.’
Alex turned to Mridula. ‘You have a permanent government job. So if Sanjay leaves his employment, life won’t be difficult for you, though it may hurt while repaying your loan. But there’s no gain without pain. I plan to return to India after a few years. But for now, I’m looking for a business partner. I want to make the first offer to Sanjay. I won’t mind if he refuses. But I think that it’s a great opportunity. I’m not saying it just because I want Sanjay. This also benefits you and your family. Think about it. Sanjay shouldn’t leave his job and regret it later.’
After Alex and Anita left, Mridula asked Sanjay, ‘What do you think about Alex’s proposal? It’s a big decision. If you aren’t happy with what you’re doing, then you should consider it. There are many hurdles in working for the government. Getting transferred is a big issue. I know how difficult it is to stay in Bangalore even in my job. We aren’t well-connected people. My nature is different and I don’t take life so seriously. But you don’t share your feelings with others and you take everything earnestly. So maybe you can resign and start something of your own.’
‘But Mridula, it isn’t easy. Private practice doesn’t mean that money will pour in immediately. It takes years to establish oneself. Until then, our only source of income will be your salary. We may not have the same enthusiasm after a few years either. Of the two of us, you’ll be the person carrying the maximum load.’
‘Sanjay, don’t worry about me. I don’t have a habit of buying things or spending too much money. Your satisfaction and joy in work is more important to me than my difficulties. I have never given private tuitions at home. But Sishir is growing up now. If needed, I can start giving tuitions at home in the evenings too.’