Chapter Two- The New Comer
“Wow! What a heavenly girl, your silence suits you”
The room is in complete silence in that moment like a melancholic situation has occurred in their family. Few stray dogs in the colony are mourning in their high pitched crescendo sound. It’s not usual for the dog to mourn at night. It signifies mischief and destruction at times.
Hearing that a female patient from Kurtoe has been admitted, Ledra has already rushed as soon as he heard it from Selzang in the phone call with Wangpo. Selzang supports him in his career and anytime, even in the most special time like child’s birthday she dares to send her husband to attend his patients.
No sooner did he reach the hospital than he parked the car near the Emergency entrance and hurries up to the Emergency Room. He sees a small group of people sitting hopelessly, tears rolling down their eyes.
“What happened to her?”, he inquires in his softest voice wearing a fake smile on his shrunken face. The patient is laying on the bed unconsciously, body still and cold as if dead.
“We have checked her conditions”, Wangpo provides the patient’s report to Ledra.
Ledra carefully studies the report and the attached patient’s history. He is mad at his final diagnosis.
“Wangpo, can you give her these many pills at the moment”, he prescribes the drugs for the patient. She has suddenly fallen down in the kitchen garden yesterday and rendered unconscious. For the last fourteen years, she was badly suffering from hemiplegia after the similar incidence and still worked like a normal woman. She had STROKE caused by hypertension and this time, it is the recurrent STROKE. She may neither talk nor live now, the chance for the both is very little like the dews clinging from a banana leaves. In a condition like this, a person like Ledra has no choice but to let it happen automatically.
It is difficult for Ledra to let it happen but the situation being severe and too late to treat, he just need to make her relatives know the truth. He opens the door and comes out to apologize them though it’s not his fault. “I am sorry, Selmo’s condition will be same until her death”, he remembers the patient’s name in her medical history. “We will send back once the pressure drops down, it’s good to hope sometimes. Until then keep her in the Female Ward.”
Saddened by the situation, he covers himself under the blanket, his heavy head on a pillow still thinking of poor Selmo. It’s 11:30 p.m. Selzang is already sleeping peacefully who wakes up on sensing Ledra’s presence. “Is she alright now? I hope so”, she is eager.
“No, it’s one of the serious cases. I am the useless neurologist. There is nothing I can do. It’s too late”, he cries as Selzang throws her arms around his neck. “It’s all going to be fine soon, you did your best” is all she utters consoling Ledra. She is always there for him.
Ledra told her trustworthy friend Namden that he was feeling for his recent dance partner. Bewildered by what Ledra told, she exclaimed, “Oh! are you talking about Selzang? The new comer. The cute one.”
“I mean she is beautiful. If only I am interested in Relationship, I can ….”, Namden interrupted,”You can propose her, right?”. Ledra smiled showing that he agreed the point. Conflicting emotions filled Ledra’s mind now and then. He neither loved nor hated a single girl since birth. Moreover, his interest in study kept him away from unlocking this episode in the life. “May be my hormone is excited now”, Ledra smilingly murmured as he walked out for the lunch from the class. ‘She is so beautiful’ repeatedly lingered in his otherwise busy brain.
You are Selzang. Am I right?” he pushed himself in Class VII ‘A’ as if he is the new comer on that day. She nodded wearing suspicion on her face. Everyone was overwhelmed to his abrupt appearance into the class. “I know you very well, do you know me?”, he whispered this time, close to her ear. No response from Selzang. “Wow! What a heavenly girl, your silence suits you”, he praised her well. Selzang was dumbstruck on seeing her Boedra dance partner talking to her as if they have been the best friend. She is smiling though. History teacher Paldro sir entered the class. Everyone wished him ‘Good Morning’ while Ledra was still sitting with his chin on his palm. Namden saw him and suddenly woke him up. He smiled as he stood up quickly. His mind was always wandering in the upper campus while his class was in lower campus, a few minutes walk down the school Canteen. He remembered Selzang’s smiling face. Namden had noticed this unusualness for last few weeks. She didn’t inquired for the reason.
“Dad, What happened yesterday”, Bubu gently jumps near Ledra who is still on the bed as if he is so eager like Selzang. It’s already bright, sparkling rays fall on his face as he opens the window curtains. Stretching his limbs he flips some pages hanging on the wall to have a glimpse on it. Calendar reads ‘Sunday. 10th June, 2050’. “Nothing boy, it’s SROKE”, he responds knowing that Bubu is still there. Bubu lowered his head. He knows what stroke is by now. The same cases had been presented over the last few year, four to five times a year.
Sunday is the only time he get to play football. Otherwise, he has a hectic life being a doctor.
His call beeps. It’s Wangpo again.
“Doctor, she passed away”, he hears a saddened voice.
