Takku

"Classes in the morning, pediatrics posting at 9 00 am, hopefully a good clinic by a professor and I will be done for the day.. Will make a beeline for home.. Lots of work pending with exams around the corner.. Time to accelerate my speed of reading and augment my concentration to make the most of the little time I have
These thoughts crowded my rather preoccupied mind as I alighted at the KEM Hospital bus stop to head towards my almamater- Seth G S Medical College and KEM Hospital. One of my friends is a firm devotee of the Hanuman shrine, which is across the road, and he got me hooked to that tiny temple which one would probably miss in the run down factories and dilapidated buildings which characterize the Lower Parel mill area. But now I am soo addicted that I cant start the day without saying a hello to GodJ

One glance at my favorite temple and I knew it was a Saturday- the inconspicuous temple bears a festive look on Saturday- lord Hanumans day!! With devotees lining up, the constant chime of the lone bell at the entrance and eager beggars thronging the road awaiting alms- you know it's the big day of the week for the priest!With my customary obeisance , I rushed for my lecture- late as usual.

Posting time ' My friends and I generally skim through all the cases in the wards, take a brief history and discuss differential diagnosis and management for a case. Today we chanced upon a classic case of Protein Energy malnutrition- a nutritional deprivement disease in young growing children due to lack of calories / proteins or both.She was an eight year old girl with large eyes and a painfully cachetic stature. On doing her anthropometry studies, we found out her weight and height was that of a 3 year old child- a case of Grade IV malnutrition ' it doesn't get worse than that!. On obtaining a detailed history from her uncle- who seemed rather shady to us and was constantly asking when could we discharge her at the earliest ' we were told she was an orphan and had traveled all the way from Tamil Nadu on a train without a ticket to be with her only relatives in this whole wide world ' this distant uncle and his children. On asking for residence , he point blankly told us " we stay under a flyover. We recoiled in shock . Its not that we have not seen families living under flyovers but meeting and talking to one is an altogether different issue. There was dead air .. finally I regained my composure and proceeded with the rest of the history.

On clinical examination , the little girl ( they had named her Takku) was apathetic and listless. I was drawn to those large eyes which have witnessed so much suffering , to the frail insulted body which has been starved for so long. I may be utopian in my concepts but I staunchly believe no child , I reiterate no child deserves this.I was shaken out of my reverie as we made a dash for the clinic. But I couldn't stop thinking of her when I boarded the bus home and requested my mother to give me clothes and food for Takku.

Early next morning I had an extra spring to my step as I looked forward to meeting her. Sometimes one feels associated with strangers in a way far more profound than with relatives. Takku symbolized that association. She looked much better today morning and on giving her my T shirt and some food , she gave me a small smile. That smile made my day. Acting on the sagacious advice of my friends , I made her wear the t shirt lest it be used by her cousins. She looked radiant in the white T shirt ' she looked like an innocent angel to me as she munched on the biscuits. I headed for the lecture with a light heart.
Infact there was something about her- she made me look forward to every day and consequently with clothes and foods I would enter the ward. However one day to the sheer consternation of the resident in that ward , I was strictly instructed to adopt a more professional approach towards as it would not be correct to get emotionally attached to patients . I am here to cure not sympathize. And he forbade me from bringing stuff again . Though I agree it was for my betterment as a healer , it was difficult for me to swallow it. Takku was not a patient for me .. I connected with her.Why wouldn't he understand?

So the next morning , I visited the ward empty handed but intended to spend some time with the girl who would now acknowledge me with a smile and converse in broken hindi.But as a final year medical student loaded with lots of work , I would have to leave in some time.Infact in retrospect I would recollect them as memorable days because it gave me something to look forward to .One fine day when I entered the ward , I looked around for her , but she was nowhere to be seen. I made frantic enquiries in the doctors station to be told she had been discharged the earlier evening.

Strange are life and its ways . On immersing myself with tons of work , I pushed Takkus thoughts in some recess of my mind. But just sometimes she would flash in front of my eyes and make me smileJ

Just another day ' starting my day paying my greetings to beloved Hanuman ' Ah! Saturday again .. mummy had given me some food for the mendicants and I started distributing it. One tonsured child was smiling at me ' I smiled back.I approached the child only to realize she was wearing the same T shirt- Christ! Was that her? She took the food and was whisked away by a young girl before I could exchange another word..
It was soo quick ' I didn't have time to think.In a flash I meet her and within a moment she is gone..

But I still await her arrival to the temple and now I look forward to every Saturday¦n yes the hope of meeting her again will never die..