by Sudha Murty
‘When will she meet us?’
‘Please wait. I’ll let you know as soon as she gets here.’
People waiting outside in the hall felt restless. Some of them got hungry and went to have coffee and snacks at a tea shop in front of the Health minister’s house. The shop was doing brisk business that day. Mridula started talking to some people around them. Sanjay felt frustrated. He said, ‘Mridula, I’m going to get myself a cup of tea. Do you want anything?’
‘No. You go ahead. I’ll stay here. If the minister calls your name while you’re out, I can go and talk to her.’
The elderly gentleman sitting next to them was listening to their conversation. He said, ‘I’ll also come with you.’
While walking to the tea shop, Sanjay asked him, ‘You don’t look like you are working for the government. Why are you here?’
‘I have come to ask for help for my daughter and son-in-law. Both of them are doctors and they’ve been transferred elsewhere.’
Sanjay told the old man that he was there for the same purpose. The old man said, ‘Oh, this is very common. Most people are here for the cancellation of their transfers. Everybody’s reasons are different. Some people lie and say that their spouse has cancer—and Bangalore has an excellent cancer hospital. They even get a false certificate. Some people are about to retire in a few years and are settled here. So they don’t want to leave Bangalore. People from north Karnataka come here for five years and then they don’t want to go back. Even people from different states come here and don’t want to return because of the nice weather here. Everybody wants to settle down in Bangalore.’
Sanjay thought, ‘That’s true. Bangalore has hi-tech hospitals for cancer, heart, eyes, neurosurgery and so on. It’s a good city for education too. Nobody would like to leave Bangalore.’
They bought tea and walked back. The old man wanted to talk more. He said, ‘Bangalore has around fifty-three engineering colleges and ten medical colleges.’
‘Do you know the minister?’ Sanjay asked.
‘Sort of. When the minister was young, she was a substitute teacher in our village school. Later, she got into politics and slowly went up the ladder. She is not very educated but has good experience in politics.’
‘How does she manage to do her job with so little education?’
‘Who says she manages? She has people under her to help manage everything. But I really appreciate her courage and aggressiveness, especially since she’s a woman. She doesn’t get perturbed even in stressful situations. There are many people more educated than her but they’re standing in front of her in a queue to request for the cancellation of their transfers. None of them has the guts it takes to be a minister. I tell my daughter—every year this transfer epidemic affects you. Both you and your husband are doctors. Why don’t you resign and start a nursing home? But they don’t agree. They say that there is so much security in a government job and private practice is difficult. So they send me every time to request for a cancellation. They don’t have the courage to even spread their wings.’
Sanjay thought of Alex. He was a man of courage. For a minute, Sanjay sadly wondered why he was not more like Alex.
When they got back, they saw that the crowd had increased and there was still no trace of the minister. The security man said, ‘Madam has tremendous tension. So she’s resting. I don’t know when she’ll be available.’ After some time, another peon said, ‘Madam is having a bath. Then she’ll do her puja and have lunch.’
It was one excuse after another. One thing was certain: the Health minister was not bothered about other people’s time. At 4 p.m., she finally came out. She was plump and in her mid-fifties. She was wearing an expensive silk sari and a lot of jewellery. The air-conditioning was on, but she was sweating profusely.
People crowded around her. The security men asked everyone to form a queue. Sanjay and Mridula stood at a distance. They noticed that everybody gave a written application and almost all of them were asking for cancellations or promotions. Mridula realized that if they continued standing there, nobody would see them. The Health minister may go back inside at any moment and then the whole day would be wasted. Mridula insisted that Sanjay go and give his application. By the time their turn came, the Health minister was at the end of her patience and looked tired. Without even looking at the application, she asked, ‘Which MLA sent you?’
‘Thayamma. She is an MLA from Kolar.’
‘Tell me, what do you want?’
‘I have been transferred to Bellary.’
‘And you don’t want to go there. Well, if nobody wants to go to Bellary, then how will our state progress? Karnataka doesn’t mean that you’ll only be in Bangalore. Moreover, this is a government order.’
Sanjay did not know what to say. The Health minister continued, ‘You’re young and energetic. At your age, there are usually no physical problems either. You should be bold and adventurous. If you were about to retire, I would have understood why you don’t want to move. But it’s better that you go to Bellary. Come again next year and I’ll relocate you back to Bangalore. I’ll also update Thayamma about our conversation.’
Her personal assistant came in with a cordless phone. The minister was happy to take the call. She took the phone and, without even turning back, went back into her house. Sanjay and Mridula did not have much choice and came out. Mridula said, ‘I’ve talked to other people here about our situation. Most have bigger problems than ours. In government service, you can’t refuse your transfer. We are young and Sishir is in a lower grade at school. Even the minister has promised us that you’ll be transferred back to Bangalore next year. I can manage to stay alone with Sishir for a year. We’ll try again next year.’
Mridula loved peace and did not have the capacity to bear conflicts. She believed everybody. If someone said a few nice words to her, she thought that they were genuine. As soon as she heard the minister’s decision, she made up her mind to live without Sanjay for a year.
A few hours passed; Thayamma phoned the Health minister. She said, ‘Madam, I’ve sent a candidate to you because of pressure from my son’s teacher. The candidate’s name is Sanjay. You can decide whatever you want to do in his case. The decision is completely yours. I don’t have a personal interest in the case.’
This was politics. All MLAs gave recommendation letters but that did not mean that they actually cared. Sometimes, they themselves called and told the minister not to do the work. If the work was done successfully, then they got the credit. If it was not done, they would simply say, ‘I tried my best. But nobody listens these days. Even God needs pujas and bells to remind him to do our work. A minister’s job isn’t easy. She gets pressure from party workers and the local and central government. That’s why she has high blood pressure.’
And the drama went on. In today’s politics, everything was an act but no actor was permanent. The only constants in politics were money and power. You needed money to be in power and you had to be in power to make more money. Why would anyone help Sanjay, who was never going to be in a position to return the favour?
Sanjay decided to go to Bellary for a year. The maternity hospital was in Satyanarayana Pet in Bellary. Sanjay rented a small room nearby with a kitchenette and an attached bathroom. Since he intended to stay just for a year, he did not buy many household items. Mridula continued to stay in Bangalore with Sishir. Rukuma and Bheemanna came and stayed with Mridula for fifteen days, but then they got bored. The pollution in the city did not suit them either. So they went back to Aladahalli.
On most weekends, Sanjay would come to Bangalore by the Hampi Express and go back after two days. During school holidays, Mridula and Sishir visited him in Bellary. People there were friendly and nice. Sanjay’s honesty was noticed and he became popular. Sometimes, Sanjay thought, ‘Why should I ask to be transferred back to Bangalore? If I tell Mridula that I want to stay here, she’ll agree. But Bangalore has its own attractions. It has good colleges. People like to send thei
r children there for education. I shouldn’t make Sishir shift to Bellary. Education is much better in Bangalore.’
A few months later, the Health minister was named in a corruption case and criticized by the media, so she was replaced. The new Health minister was different—he wasn’t corrupt and had entered politics with the sole intention of giving back to the country. He was in his mid-sixties and had a lot of experience. He delivered what he promised. But people still criticized him saying, ‘He isn’t a dynamic person.’
Meanwhile, Anita and Alex had bought an expensive penthouse near the Cantonment railway station in Bangalore. Anita had shared the details of the transaction with Mridula but she hadn’t bothered to remember them. It was a large four-bedroom apartment. Though they had relatives in Bangalore, Alex did not want to rent the place out to them. He said, ‘If you rent a flat to your relatives, you lose the house as well as the relationship.’ So the apartment lay vacant. Mridula went with her maid and got it cleaned every month. Despite Mridula’s reluctance, Anita insisted on paying her for the cleaning expenses.
A year passed by quickly and it was time for transfers again. Sanjay went to visit the new Health minister at his residence. This time, there were fewer people in the house. Sanjay met the minister and explained his situation. The minister carefully listened to him and said, ‘Doctor, I can’t transfer you back to Bangalore after one year without a specific reason. People will tell you what you want to hear. But the truth is that you’ll have to stay in Bellary for at least three more years. If someone has promised you a transfer to Bangalore in exchange for money, then they are lying.’
Sanjay understood. He felt like a baby who has come out of his mother’s womb and cannot go back there again. He longed to be back in Bangalore. But he thanked the minister and left. By the time he reached home, his head was spinning. He remembered Chikananjappa’s words: ‘Unless you pay money, you won’t be transferred back to Bangalore.’
Sanjay realized that it was time for him to make a decision. He thought, ‘I’m not like Dr Lata or Dr Saroja. I’ll never be sponsored for any programmes even if I’m eligible. I’ll eternally be the department scapegoat and the first person to be thrown out of Bangalore. What have I achieved after all these years? My students themselves don’t recognize me once they are out of college. My colleagues in Bombay have opened their own nursing homes. Santosh left his job in the Middle East and went to the USA after doing a computer course. Arun was a teenager when I first met him and he is now building a house in JP Nagar. What have I done? My wife is a government servant and both of us work hard. Despite that, we had to take a loan to buy a small apartment. I’m sending money to my mother every month too. I haven’t saved any money.’
Then he thought of Shankar. ‘Shankar is courageous. He’s bought a site in Mysore and is running a company in his wife’s name. Most of my family looks down on me because I haven’t earned enough money.’
When Dr Kamala was about to retire, she had told him, ‘Sanjay, times have changed. Now, we have to keep the consumer act in mind. Gone are the days when we used to take decisions on behalf of the patient. Today, the patients can sue us to get money. Even students have changed. They’re more interested in knowing how to get more marks with minimal studying. I can’t adjust to this new environment. You can either take voluntary retirement or you can adapt yourself to the new system.’
Now, Sanjay could relate to her words. He thought, ‘Mridula is no problem. She’ll support me in any decision I make. This time, the decision is completely mine.’
Then, he recollected what Alex had said: ‘It’s better to get out of the system and fight than stay in the system and struggle.’
He called Alex.
16
The Decision
Alex came to visit from the Middle East that week. He had decided to settle in India. Anita was moving back first and Alex would join her later. At dinner, Alex said, ‘Mridula, you should take the initiative this time. Convince your husband to do something on his own.’
For the first time, Sanjay interrupted him, ‘Alex, it’s our decision and not just mine. I’m ready to quit government service but I want to understand the struggles of starting a private practice.’
‘Sanjay, you can’t become rich overnight. Most people start fighting when the money starts rolling in. So we must be careful if we become partners—we must keep an account of every rupee. That’s the secret of a long-lasting partnership and friendship.’
‘Where do you think we should open the nursing home?’
‘It should be in a crowded area. We must keep it neat and clean. And we’ll need to invest twenty-five lakh each to start.’
‘That’s a lot of money!’ Mridula got scared.
‘Don’t worry, Mridula. You can get a loan for fifteen lakh. That way, you’ll need to put in only ten. We can divide the work into two streams—technical and administrative. I’ll look after the administrative side and Sanjay can take care of the clinical part. Both of us will draw a salary of ten thousand in the beginning. I have a building in mind.’
‘Where?’
‘On Bannerghatta Main Road. We can see it tomorrow. The area is good. The building has two floors and we can rent it.’ Alex looked at Sanjay and continued, ‘Sanjay, you’ll have to buy a car. Even if it means that you have to take a loan. If you come on your scooter, people will think that you have less knowledge and experience. I want to tell you something more but I’m a little hesitant.’
Sanjay said, ‘Tell me, Alex. What is it?’
‘With your immense knowledge, you don’t have much to learn. Still, you should go to England for at least six months and then work in the Middle East for another six. If people know that you’ve studied and worked abroad, then you’ll get more respect.’
‘But I don’t have the money to go to England.’
‘That’s why I suggested the Middle East. I can arrange everything for you. Male gynaecologists are not allowed there. So I’ll arrange for you to work as a general practitioner. Please don’t feel bad. These moves are essential.’
Alex stood up and was about to leave. Then he turned around and said, ‘I can help you financially, Sanjay, but that won’t be right if we’re going to become partners. It can lead to misunderstandings later. I know that you’ll understand.’
After Alex left, Sanjay started getting worried about the pace at which his life was changing. Mridula was also concerned. Life was about to become stressful. Till now, it had been flowing smoothly like a quiet river. But now, there would be waterfalls and whirlpools that they would have to weather.
Mridula was confident. She said, ‘Sanjay, don’t worry. It’s better to be out of the frying pan. Alex is with you and I support you. Even if you don’t earn anything, I can manage. We have our house and I have a steady government salary. It’ll be enough for the three of us.’
‘Mridula, there are still a lot of loans to be repaid.’
‘Sanjay, I have gold jewellery that my parents gave me during our wedding. I don’t wear much gold anyway. I can sell it. I’ll ask Appa for some money too. We can borrow the remaining amount from a bank. But we won’t take any money from Alex.’
‘But Mridula, all this will be really inconvenient for you.’
‘I don’t mind. As long as you earn money legally and ethically, I’m with you. I’ll help you in your struggle. You can earn money illegally too, but I’ll never approve of that.’
‘Mridula, should we ask Amma?’
‘Please don’t.’
Mridula did not say why, but Sanjay knew. Ratnamma liked Mridula but she did not give them any money even for festivals or occasions. She sent her blessings but not money. They could not ask Shankar either because Lakshmi and he were spendthrifts. Ratnamma regularly complained to Mridula about Lakshmi’s spending habits.
Mridula had never asked her father for anything since she got married. Every year, her parents gave her a gift and she was happy with that. Now, she had no choice. She thought
that it was better to ask for money from her father than from Sanjay’s family. So she decided to visit her parents.
When she phoned her father to inform him that she was coming alone, Bheemanna found it a little strange. But he did not ask any questions. Usually, whenever Mridula visited her family, she went with Sishir and Sanjay. Sanjay spent most of his time in Aladahalli reading or sleeping. He hardly talked to anyone. Now, she was going to Aladahalli alone for the first time after ten years of marriage.
When Mridula entered the house, she realized that the family home had gradually changed a lot in the last decade. When Mridula was a young girl, they had an embroidered tablecloth, a painting that she had made, an old radio and other things. Today, the old things had disappeared. The dining table had a glass top and the gadgets in the house included a Siemens phone, a fifty-one-centimetre television and the latest Sony music system. The garden had also changed. There were no jasmine creepers any more. Instead, there were wood roses and croton flowers. However, the kitchen remained almost the same and Rukuma was still in charge of it.
Everybody welcomed Mridula lovingly. Only Vatsala did not greet her or smile at her. Mridula thought of Lakshmi. Lakshmi always smiled at her and invited her in pleasantly. After lunch, Mridula decided to talk to everybody, including Vatsala. She said, ‘Can all of you please come and sit down? I want to discuss something important.’
Vatsala replied sarcastically, ‘I don’t have any authority in this house. After all, I’m an outsider. You can discuss whatever you want with your brother and parents.’
Mridula was hurt. How could she ask for money if someone was unhappy with her before she had even initiated the discussion? She said calmly, ‘To be honest, I’m the outsider now. You’re the one who takes care of my parents. Please come.’