Of comedy:
It was a case of suicide.
It was night and the doctor family was about to sleep. I remember we had a dust storm that evening. Pre-monsoon dust storms still tend to give bad asthma kind of allergies to the daughter of the doctor parents So, doctor parents were happy that she was still doing good. Their two kids had grown up to smart teens, ready to enter high school. Parents brimmed with hopes and the kids knew they had great parents.
I also remember that on the same night of suicide, one of the doctor parents had started to talk about the uncomfortable talk of growing up, having crushes etc etc you know. Esp when parents have a daughter like the one they had, parents get concerned about the kind of guys she hangs around with. Trust me she herself was a pretty smart girl. They did not have to embarrass themselves then. Whatever!
The iron door banged. "Doctorsaab! ise dekh lo" ( Doctor sir, see this guy.)
One of the doctor parent, went near the window beside the iron gate and asked "Kya baat hai bhai?" (What is the matter, brother?")
It is a bad area. They are so many people who would kill you and your family for some lakhs of rupees. Esp because the doctor parents have had not very popular political affiliations, there were many big shots out there who did not exactly like-like them.
So, there was this window. In the dark of night, one of the doctor parent would first confirm through that window that the case is genuine and only then let people in.
This was an all men party, and there was a teenage guy patient. The doctor parent returned to his better half and with a grave face said, "Seems like high school." Both doctor parents got busy working to save that teenage man.
I heard stuff like, "Sulfaas" and both siblings instinctively knew what it was. Sulfaas is the hot-shot drug in many towns and villages of North India (I am sure about North India.) You can get it on roadside for 10-40 rupees. It is damned killer. Minutes after consumption, the person collapses and few hours later dead for sure.
It is an easy death that comes with eating something with a bad smell. And yes, I have smelled it!
The siblings slowly made their way into the patient's ward. There was an old man shouting at the teenage boy. One of the doctor parent was like," Ok! Stop it now."
But, that angry old man kept on shouting, hurling abuses at the teenage kid. I realize now that the doctor parents would have asked them to rush to some government hospital because suicide is a medico-legal case. Only government hospitals are really comfortable dealing with them. But another man was thanking doctor parents from saving them from police. So, I understand doctor parents would have either pitied or known these people in person.
The old man was literally calling all sorts of name, spurting abuses...Yak! At least the daughter did not like the sound of them. He wanted the kid to die. He was " Mar jaa tu, paida kyun hua?" (Die! Why were you ever born?)
We learned from those abuses that the kid was a high school student. The result was out and he had failed. I should tell you this, U P Board used to be a BIG thing back then. Passing with 60% was a great job done and distinction (above 75%) meant a sure shot career (somewhere as a principal!?). Failing it was norm, only one-third passed! Still, there were suicides, some 2-3 every year would die in our hospital and many more in other ones and unaccounted deaths would happen inside homes - giving no chance to hospitals.
Doctor parents were doing what they could. What amazed them was- the old man still wanted the poor thing to die - and some how the poor thing who wanted to die (too) kept clinging to life!
3 hours later, that young high school man was still alive, fighting. The old man was still shouting and he was laughing too, saying stuff like - "Good you are dying"
Doctor parents knew the kid was not dying!
They slowly leaked out their hopes - "Maybe he will make it!"
The old man was stunned- quiet - shocked?
After a while the kid spoke - " I am not dying, am I?"
One of the doctor parent asked (mockingly?) - "Tell me what did you eat?"
"Sulfaas"
Doctor parent laughed aloud - "Yes you sure are dead now! And tell me for how many days did you keep it in sun?"
"Four"
Doctor parent- "Hero! You are smart! You are not dying. (Laugh!) How did you not pass the exam!"
Humor has it - but sarcasm has it better! Whatever that it is -
The old man who had been silent for a while - burst out again.
It was different this time.
He was weeping - "You survived! You will bring - us - shame. Doctors what did you do to him!"
He wept aloud - helpless.
The other doctor parent was annoyed. He had revolted against her sense of ethics - values - family. This time was her time - to make it clear. So she did make it clear -
"This is funny. You laugh when he is dying and you cry when we save him. You should be thankful. Enough of your family issues. Take them home. Go!"
They did go away but not without amusing me.
How intelligently do 'living' try to use death!
How wisely they actually risk losing life to punish those around them!
What an easy blackmail it is!
How true colors death shows!
And when they actually die how useless this punishment of suicide is!
How very interesting is death - like sarcasm - full of humor and bitter truths!
It was a case of suicide.
It was night and the doctor family was about to sleep. I remember we had a dust storm that evening. Pre-monsoon dust storms still tend to give bad asthma kind of allergies to the daughter of the doctor parents So, doctor parents were happy that she was still doing good. Their two kids had grown up to smart teens, ready to enter high school. Parents brimmed with hopes and the kids knew they had great parents.
I also remember that on the same night of suicide, one of the doctor parents had started to talk about the uncomfortable talk of growing up, having crushes etc etc you know. Esp when parents have a daughter like the one they had, parents get concerned about the kind of guys she hangs around with. Trust me she herself was a pretty smart girl. They did not have to embarrass themselves then. Whatever!
The iron door banged. "Doctorsaab! ise dekh lo" ( Doctor sir, see this guy.)
One of the doctor parent, went near the window beside the iron gate and asked "Kya baat hai bhai?" (What is the matter, brother?")
It is a bad area. They are so many people who would kill you and your family for some lakhs of rupees. Esp because the doctor parents have had not very popular political affiliations, there were many big shots out there who did not exactly like-like them.
So, there was this window. In the dark of night, one of the doctor parent would first confirm through that window that the case is genuine and only then let people in.
This was an all men party, and there was a teenage guy patient. The doctor parent returned to his better half and with a grave face said, "Seems like high school." Both doctor parents got busy working to save that teenage man.
I heard stuff like, "Sulfaas" and both siblings instinctively knew what it was. Sulfaas is the hot-shot drug in many towns and villages of North India (I am sure about North India.) You can get it on roadside for 10-40 rupees. It is damned killer. Minutes after consumption, the person collapses and few hours later dead for sure.
It is an easy death that comes with eating something with a bad smell. And yes, I have smelled it!
The siblings slowly made their way into the patient's ward. There was an old man shouting at the teenage boy. One of the doctor parent was like," Ok! Stop it now."
But, that angry old man kept on shouting, hurling abuses at the teenage kid. I realize now that the doctor parents would have asked them to rush to some government hospital because suicide is a medico-legal case. Only government hospitals are really comfortable dealing with them. But another man was thanking doctor parents from saving them from police. So, I understand doctor parents would have either pitied or known these people in person.
The old man was literally calling all sorts of name, spurting abuses...Yak! At least the daughter did not like the sound of them. He wanted the kid to die. He was " Mar jaa tu, paida kyun hua?" (Die! Why were you ever born?)
We learned from those abuses that the kid was a high school student. The result was out and he had failed. I should tell you this, U P Board used to be a BIG thing back then. Passing with 60% was a great job done and distinction (above 75%) meant a sure shot career (somewhere as a principal!?). Failing it was norm, only one-third passed! Still, there were suicides, some 2-3 every year would die in our hospital and many more in other ones and unaccounted deaths would happen inside homes - giving no chance to hospitals.
Doctor parents were doing what they could. What amazed them was- the old man still wanted the poor thing to die - and some how the poor thing who wanted to die (too) kept clinging to life!
3 hours later, that young high school man was still alive, fighting. The old man was still shouting and he was laughing too, saying stuff like - "Good you are dying"
Doctor parents knew the kid was not dying!
They slowly leaked out their hopes - "Maybe he will make it!"
The old man was stunned- quiet - shocked?
After a while the kid spoke - " I am not dying, am I?"
One of the doctor parent asked (mockingly?) - "Tell me what did you eat?"
"Sulfaas"
Doctor parent laughed aloud - "Yes you sure are dead now! And tell me for how many days did you keep it in sun?"
"Four"
Doctor parent- "Hero! You are smart! You are not dying. (Laugh!) How did you not pass the exam!"
Humor has it - but sarcasm has it better! Whatever that it is -
The old man who had been silent for a while - burst out again.
It was different this time.
He was weeping - "You survived! You will bring - us - shame. Doctors what did you do to him!"
He wept aloud - helpless.
The other doctor parent was annoyed. He had revolted against her sense of ethics - values - family. This time was her time - to make it clear. So she did make it clear -
"This is funny. You laugh when he is dying and you cry when we save him. You should be thankful. Enough of your family issues. Take them home. Go!"
They did go away but not without amusing me.
How intelligently do 'living' try to use death!
How wisely they actually risk losing life to punish those around them!
What an easy blackmail it is!
How true colors death shows!
And when they actually die how useless this punishment of suicide is!
How very interesting is death - like sarcasm - full of humor and bitter truths!
gud writing, keep em coming
ReplyDelete