OUT OF THE NEST

Alarm clock's metallic clatter jolted Dr Anu out of sleep at seven in the morning. Putting her right arm out of  the quilt, she silenced the clock at the bedside table and propped herself up on a pillow. Still half asleep, she surveyed the room using a pocket torch to get her bearings. It was not the bedroom her mother had lovingly and tastefully furnished to provide the best comforts money could buy or the side room of ward six, Lady Hardinge Medical College where she had taken countless short naps on a two feet wide wooden bench to rest her tired body during the twenty four hour duties. The room lacked plush furnishings, but it was clean and spacious with necessary furniture for a two-day business trip. Getting out of the bed, she pushed the switch marked "Light" on the right wall. A fluorescent tube over the head of the bed flickered a couple of times before coming to life, filling the room with its bright light. She looked around the room once again, shook a chair to make sure it was not a dream then pulled aside the thick window curtains to look outside but it was still too dark to see anything except some scattered lights far in the hills. She would have spent some more time observing the place, but the chill forced her back to the bed. Back under the warm quilt, she  

listened for human presence outside, but it was quiet out there. Nothing moved, not a single man-made sound heard. Switching off the harsh light, she poured herself a glass of water and tried to piece together the events of the last two days that had thrown her out of her comfort zone into the present precarious situation. 

Having boarded Jammu Mail from Old Delhi railway station at night on 29th September 1989, she had travelled AC Second class alighting at the Pathankot Station early in the morning. Taking such a big step wasn't easy and she could never have overcome the fear of traveling alone to an unknown place by a night train, had a greater fear of impending events not pushed her. Having exhausted all possibilities of persuading her father to rescind his decision, it had seemed to be her only option. She knew it was escapism but couldn't think of anything better. On several occasions she had lectured others to face problems instead of running away, but here she was, a coward, a deserter. It would be a shock to her mother, even her father would take it hard. Despite his strict control and sovereign thinking, he loved her in his own way. It pained her to think of her mother, who will miss her badly and worry about her endlessly. She also felt sorry for her father for putting him on a backfoot in a battle he didn't want to lose but she couldn't have faced the upcoming ordeal. While leaving for the hospital that fateful morning, her father told her to be home by five. She guessed the reason and wanted to tell him she won't be able to do what he had in mind but couldn't repudiate. He had never allowed anyone to counter his decisions, not even his only child. There had been hushed discussions between her mother and father over the last few days. While her mother recommended a conciliatory approach, father wanted to go for the jugular. She wasn't directly told about the upcoming events but she was afraid her father will order her to do what his lawyers recommended but she didn't want to go through the disgrace of making herself an exhibit in a court of law, even to win the legal battle she couldn't afford to lose. Though the bugle was sounded only yesterday but she had seen it coming and was ready with her escape plan.  

By the time she reached the Lady Hardinge Medical College, she had resolved to execute her plan. Having already secured the post of a specialist at Suman Charitable Hospital, Dalhousie a few weeks ago, all she had to do was to call them up and confirm her acceptance and convey the intent of joining the next day. She tried to book a berth in a night train, but all the trains were running full. Option of travelling alone by bus through the night was unacceptable so she called one of her patients whose husband had the right connections and by four in the afternoon she had a confirmed ticket in her hand. She wanted to see her mother and father before taking her first independent step, but fear came in her way again. Frightened, unsure and unprepared she boarded the train at half past nine. Spreading a sheet on the upper berth, she lay down, trying to get some sleep. The ticket collector came after half an hour, checked her ticket and left. Other passengers were already in sleep mode. Though the coach was air conditioned, but it got cold as it ran towards the Himalayas. By two O'clock it got quite cold and by four she was almost shivering. She had been so worried and frightened of the adventure that she had not had food all day. She had nothing to eat and the idea of going out to a deserted platform during a stop in the middle of the night to buy food was scary. Hunger and cold seemed to be the first punishment for revolting against her protectors.  

She had left a letter in her room under the table lamp, addressed to her mother, telling her she was leaving to start a new life for herself and would let them know about her wellbeing from time to time. She couldn't say as to when she would be back, but she will stay safe and eager to return as soon as the situation permitted. The letter also said she was aware of the consequences of not appearing in court but still did not want to do so and was ready to lose whatever would be lost by not appearing. Finally, she apologized to them for leaving against their will. The envelope also contained all the papers for the court hearing, duly signed to enable the legal team to proceed in her absence. Using a pay phone at the railway station, she called her mother and told her she would get late. She also informed her of the envelope and requested her to go through it. With a quick goodbye and "Love you mom" she disconnected. The option of going back to her designer room, the cosy bed and familiar territory was tempting, but she also knew her father would push her to the legal battle sooner or later. There had been occasions in the past when she had resolved to get on with life on her own terms, to leave her cradle and craft a life of her own choice but they had never been strong enough to overcome the fears that lay deeply rooted in her personality. This time she was driven by a greater fear! 

While the train was running, her fears were at bay. She didn't mind hunger and cold to stay in the pseudo security of the train compartment but what lay outside when she landed was more on her mind. There had been a few occasions she had travelled alone by train but those had been guided tours. Someone had come to see her settled safely and comfortably into her firstclass coach providing her with everything from a ticket to an inflatable pillow. On arrival someone would be waiting at the platform, ready to get in, collect the luggage and guide her to the comfort of a waiting vehicle. No such luxury was expected this time. With chilled body and numbed mind, she kept thinking about alighting at Pathankot, taking a bus to Dalhousie and reaching the charitable hospital. It would have been far more comfortable to take a taxi and she could very well afford it but travelling alone with an unknown driver through hill roads could not be considered safe and she wasn't willing to run a risk. It was another matter that she had never travelled by a public bus, not even the school bus. There was always a luxury car ready for her wherever she went. Travelling by public bus would be another trying experience. Overwhelmed by so many uncertainties, fears and emotional shock of leaving her parents she started sobbing. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but no sound escaped, thanks to months of covert crying. After releasing some of her sorrows in the form of tears, she set the travel clock to go off at 5.30 am and drifted to sleep, bringing some respite to her troubled soul. When the alarm clock went off, Pathankot was still at a half hour run. Everyone in the compartment was asleep. She looked for her luggage and found it safely secured at the luggage rack. Nothing seemed amiss. The train was running through the countryside that was barely visible in pre-dawn light. Morning brought a new courage, a new determination. Half an hour later she was standing in the passage with all her luggage, ready to get down. At 6.02 the train crawled to a stop at the Pathankot train station. There were only a few people ahead of her. First up were a man and a woman in their thirties and their two children aged around 4 and 2. Next were two old gentlemen around 65, talking to each other, standing at ease, apparently in no hurry to get down. By what she could gather from their talks, they were returning from the funeral of a friend who died of a sudden heart attack. Their discussion mostly focused on how the stress of modern life was killing people. As the train came to a stop the first family warmly received by two boys who seemed to be the woman's brothers. Greetings were exchanged, luggage taken care of and the children were secured. Chatting happily, they left the platform. The old gentlemen were next to get down. They disembarked unhurriedly, not expecting anyone who might have come to receive them and casually walked towards the exit gate. To her surprise, she managed herself well. Taking hold of the luggage she got down to the platform without much difficulty. For the first time in life, she was alone in an unknown city. For the first time no one was there to receive her. Not that she missed a reception but because she had never made travel plans for herself. She knew she was not good at planning trips, travelling public buses, hiring taxis, deciding where to dine and just about everything else. Every time she had travelled, either she had a man with her or waiting at the destination. He could be her father, lover, husband or servant but a man was always present. Under those circumstances, she would just hand her luggage over to the escort and follow him to the waiting vehicle where she would drop herself and let him take charge. Back then, she had resented such guided tours and envied friends who could travel alone, far and wide but now that she was traveling alone, it had left her terrified. The confidence of alighting from the train quickly faded. The challenge of carrying luggage, finding the bus stand, getting on the bus, the travel, finding Suman Charitable, food and shelter felt overwhelming. Fear sneaked into her mind once again, making her sweat and tremble. Afraid of being seen by someone in this state and becoming an obvious target, she controlled herself and nonchalantly walked to the nearest stall for a cup of tea and some milk rusks. She had not eaten since last morning. Tea and rusks seemed to restore some energy and confidence. While paying the vendor, she asked him about the bus stand, keeping her voice as casual as she could. He told her to go left from the main exit and take a five-minute walk to reach the city bus stand. First bus to Dalhousie was scheduled to leave at 6.45. Deciding to stay at the platform till 6.30, she sat at a bench, keeping the luggage on her side, pretending to be going somewhere. Not that there were many people around but her internal fears made her expect danger at every step. However, no such danger appeared from any corner and soon it was time to leave. Picking up her things, she walked out to the road. Compared to Delhi rush, it was deserted. A quarter mile walk brought her to the bus stand. Unaccustomed to lifting weights, her elbow started aching, hands and fingers got utterly fatigued but her morale was up at having accomplished the feat. There were several Himachal Roadways buses parked side by side at the bus stand. As she approached the nearest bus, a conductor enquired about her destination in local dialect, misjudging her to be a Himachali because of her fair complexion. Though she could not exactly understand his dialect but could guess what he meant and told him about her destination in Hindi. His bus was not going to Dalhousie and he was at liberty to turn away and mind his own business, but he took her luggage and led her to the right bus. Conductor at the bus to Dalhousie was also nice. At first, he asked her to put the luggage at the top then realized his folly and suggested she hired a coolie. Upon her consent, a coolie was called to hauled up her luggage and secure it at the top. She settled in a window seat. Travelling in an ordinary, unclean bus was not a good experience but she took it in her stride. At 7.15 the bus rolled out, but no one was complaining of the delay. Lifestyle where half an hour was considered significant had been left behind. 

First hour of the bus ride was uneventful. Through Pathankot city to Pathankot Cantonment, to rural roads it was world as usual though a bit rustic and undeveloped. After an hour's drive the bus reached a small village named Katori. Landscape started changing from there on. Plains gradually changed to plateaus to ridges to hillocks then changed to Himalayan hills. The bus now travelled slowly under its heavy load as its ageing engine barely managed to climb up. Every time there was a sharp bend, the vehicle creaked, passengers got thrown around and speed dropped to just above the stall limit but each time it somehow recovered to continue climbing. As the altitude increased, engine power went further down due to less oxygen in the air, resulting in incomplete burning of diesel. Driver compensated for loss of power by flooring the accelerator and succeeding in making it chug along, but the engine started making a high pitched, headache producing noise. Escaping fumes of unburnt diesel from the exhaust pipe right under her seat made it worse. The fumes, the rocking motion, the noise and the slow climb worked together to make her sick. She developed a bursting headache, ears got blocked and vomiting seemed imminent. Each time the bus negotiated a turn, a fresh wave of nausea struck her till her resistance broke and she put her head out of the window. The act of vomiting was so harsh, it pushed acid from her stomach out not only through her mouth but also through her nose. This was a contingency she had not planned for. There was no drinking water with her, nothing to clean her face and mouth. She felt helpless and stupid for not having kept a towel and a water bottle with her. She should not have eaten at the railway station and should have taken some medicine before commencing the hill journey. The wave of insecurity, fear, uselessness, incompetence and fragility gripped her again. Tears gathered just under the eyelids, ready to flow at first opportunity. Looking inside, she tried to find the conductor. Everyone was watching her, but no one said or did anything as she happened to be the only non Himachali woman in the bus. Probably they felt as disconnected from her as she did from them. She called for the conductor, but her voice drowned in the noise of the engine. Though her own voice failed to reach the conductor, but the other passengers shouted in unison, sending the conductor hurrying to her seat. She told him she did not feel well and requested him to stop the bus so she could fetch a towel and a water bottle from her luggage. He listened to her request but told her the bus could not be stopped for if it stops on the climb, it would be very difficult to put it back into its uphill motion. He indicated how the vehicles coming down always stopped to allow priority passage to those going up. Surprisingly it was done without signals and traffic police. Promising to do something, he went to the front of the bus and returned with a dirty towel and an old soft drink bottle filled with water. She could not drink from his bottle but cleaned her face and hands. Conductor retreated, passengers started chatting again, no one took any further notice of her. After spewing all the acid produced by overactive acid producing glands overnight, her stomach had become empty. There was nothing more to throw up, so no more vomiting occurred. She cleaned her face and hands as well as she could and settled back in her seat. Constant engine noise felt like ringing inside her head rather than the ears. The ordeal continued for another hour, thereafter the road became wider and the climb less steep.  

    Engine gave up its grunting and started rumbling along. A few minutes later the bus stopped at Dunera. Everyone got down. She also got down and bought a mineral water bottle, drank a few sips then washed her face. Most other passengers were taking tea, biscuits, patties and other little snacks that a solitary little shop had to offer. She didn't feel like eating but took a pack of fruit juice and some tissues. After cleaning her hands, she pierced the juice pack with straw and started sipping. There was no reason for her to feel guilty. She had not done any act of commission or omission to earn any guilt. Taking a decision not to face a legal battle for her rights may be an act of cowardice but it was not a sin. Taking up a job in a hospital was what she had trained for. There was no reason to feel guilty. She thought of her mother and felt a pang of heartache.  Conductor announced departure and everyone got back to their seats, engine started once again. As the bus moved on, climb got steeper, engine grumbled louder, it moved even slower but went on. Feeling a little better after the break, she drifted into a relaxing sleep, getting tossed from one side to the other as the bus negotiated winding roads. On occasions she leaned on the woman sitting to her right, but she didn't mind. An hour and a half later, the bus eased into Dalhousie. Filled with fear and pleasure in equal measure, she alighted. Conductor was at the top of the bus, throwing soft luggage on the road and handing the hard cases down. She got her two pieces and moved away. It was a small bus station. Just a wooden kiosk sitting on a rectangular piece of tarmac along the road, having a small table and a rough wooden chair inside manned by a solitary Himachal Roadways employee selling tickets and serving as enquiry officer. There were a few shops on the other side of the road, selling daily need items, dairy products, souvenirs, honey and some other items of tourist interest but there were no autos, no rickshaw and no coolies in sight. She moved to the town map painted on a board right next to the roadways kiosk to plan a route to the hospital, easily locating the two-kilometre uphill walk to her destination. It would not be much of a challenge to an acclimatized person but would prove difficult for an unacclimated girl and impossible with two pieces of luggage. She tried to phone up the hospital, but no working phone could be located nearby. Finding no means of carrying her luggage, she requested a shopkeeper for safe keeping while she arranged a transport. After some reservations, he agreed. She thanked him and proceeded to the hospital on foot.  

With a single road winding up, losing one's way was impossible. She climbed on, inhaling pure invigorating air and treating her eyes to the views of the lush green hills. There was no traffic on the road barring an occasional walker going in the opposite direction. In no time she was at Subhash Chowk where two circular roads joined each other. The longer northern loop had hotels, shops, viewpoints, restaurants and sunlight on its west half while the east half passed through dense Himalayan forest having very little human presence. The smaller southern circle housed city's most luxurious hotel, an iconic departmental store, city courts and government accommodations. She started northwards on the western limb of the bigger circle. The road was level and easy to walk, the scenery changed every few hundred yards. A cool breeze with wild scents soothed her mind. The walk was so enjoyable, she covered one and a half kilometres without a hint of fatigue. Gandhi Chowk was the most happening place in Dalhousie, easily recognized by tens of horses waiting for tourists. There was a relatively large market on the right-hand side where one could buy everything from groceries to electronics. Walking a little further, she took a smaller road on the left, just next to the Kwality restaurant as suggested by the map. A hundred yards down she passed the famous Tibetan market. A further two hundred yards walk brought her to another small road to the left, descending to an old building situated on a plateau some distance away. As she reached the building, a big board displaying Suman Charitable Hospital told her she had arrived. It was an old building that seemed to have gone without paint for years. Moulds and fungi were all over the walls. She entered through the open iron gate into the hospital compound. Some fifty feet further in, she crossed a heavy and strong but rough and unpolished wooden door to enter the reception lobby. A middle-aged man wearing an old coat, a monkey cap and woollen gloves with heavy rimmed glasses of a grossly dated design greeted her at the reception. She thought of asking him as to where could she hire help to fetch her luggage, but the man looked so dumb, she decided against it. She started getting worried about her luggage, but nobody was around to help. By local standards, the suitcase itself was quite expensive. The contents may not be of much use to someone else, but she couldn't imagine losing all her degrees and cloths at this strange place. Insecurity and worries gripped her again. Her face got blanched and a slight tremble set into her body, compounded by the cold. Overcoming her fears, at least temporarily, she went up to the man at the reception and told him she had come to submit her joining report to the Medical Superintendent. Knowing who she was and why she was there, he stood up, bowed respectfully and offered help. He was aware of the process and led her immediately through a corridor to a small waiting hall having 4 wooden chairs. Absolutely bare, no decoration. The MS office was right in front. Everything about the place looked dull and boring. He disappeared in the M S Office through an old style swinging wooden half-door. Within a minute was out, motioned her to go in and left. This was a break down moment for her. Cold, lonely and depressed in the corner of a shabby mountain building, about to enter a room to face an unknown, unwelcoming man shattered her confidence. If she could possibly run back home, she would have done so, irrespective of the consequences. But there was no escape now. Minutes went by and she stood there, petrified. Unable to move, unable to flee, on the verge of crying. Several minutes passed but she did not make a move, there was no call from the office either and no one was around to ask her why she wasn't going in. At last she gathered courage and decided to go in for there was no option other than to join and seek help to fetch her luggage and find a shelter. Gently pushing the swinging door in, she entered the office. The office was a large hall having a big wooden table in walnut finish, several trays with files were stacked up on the left. A year planner was spread in the middle of the tabletop, a phone and a pen stand were on the right. Across the table there was a swivel chair, presently unoccupied. In front of the table, there were 3 wooden chairs with a contoured wooden seat in the same finish as the table. Along the wall just to the right of the door stood two steel almirah. On the left there were two bookshelves with some old books at the top shelf, the lower ones were empty. The wall across the table had a map of Himachal Pradesh displayed on a pin board. A man in a mauve colored jacket and blue jeans stood facing away from her. Apparently taking a close look at the map on the board. Either he had not noticed her, or he was purposely ignoring her presence. Her fears and uncertainties were at their highest. Dreading the next moment, she addressed him in a barely audible voice. --Sir 

He did an about turn in a swift fluid movement and stood facing her. She was expecting an old, bald ageing doctor who knew everything other than medicine, always on the lookout for opportunities to bully young doctors but to her surprise he turned out to be a young man, may be just a few years older than herself, around six feet, fair, handsome having an average built. His lips were so pink one would suspect he had a makeup on. Brown happy eyes, straight high nose, a large forehead and a radiant face made him look like a model. He looked at her and smiled. That all winning smile could warm anyone's heart and she too felt the warmth despite all her troubles. He continued to behold her with kindness and compassion for a second then spoke, 

--Welcome Dr Anu  

His voice was so sweet, loving and pure, it could instantly establish a bond with an alien from another galaxy. 

--Thank you, Sir. 

--Please sit down. I am Dr Neeraj Sharma. Welcome to Suman Charitable. 

Taking one of the chairs, she sat down feeling safe, welcomed, respected and protected. Taking his seat, he asked her --Dr Anu, when did you get here? 

--Sir I reached a few minutes back. 

--Hope it wasn't too much of a bother. 

     --Not much sir.      She lied. 

--Have you come from New Delhi. 

--Yes sir 

--If someone has come to drop you, please call him in. 

--No sir, I have come on my own. 

--So how did you travel 

--I took a train to Pathankot. From there I took a bus to Dalhousie. I could have taken a Taxi but did not know if it was safe. 

He waved an approval of her mode of transport with a wave of his hand and said, 

--Bus is nice. You get to converse with locals and get to know about their lives. I myself travel by public buses whenever there is an opportunity. Hope your journey was comfortable. 

--Yes sir, it was fine.  

Another lie for the sake of decency! 

He picked up a file, opened it and started reading, then stood up from his chair and excused himself. Rushing out through the swinging doors, he was away for a minute or two before getting back to his chair. 

--So, Dr Anu you are from Lady Hardinge Medical College. Completed post-graduation this year. 

He paused for a moment, then continued in a friendlier tone, 

--You are welcome. People need you. So many women are developing complications. I know your college and its level of training. It will be great to have someone with your credentials. --Thank you, sir, but I haven't completed senior residency. 

--Never mind. You will have enough opportunities to gain experience. 

There was a knock at the door and a woman appeared with a tray having two cups of coffee, some biscuits, and two glasses of water. She gently placed it on the table, turned to Dr Neeraj and asked him if he wanted something else. He, in turn, asked her if she wanted something else. She didn't want anything hence the bearer of the tray left the room. Dr Neeraj turned to her and said, 

--Please have coffee, it is good. Try the biscuit too.  

She had water. Smell of the coffee was tempting besides she hadn't had anything since morning except a little juice. Putting all problems out of her mind, she picked up the coffee and started sipping. It tasted nice. She had a couple of biscuits too. Dr Neeraj was calmly sipping his coffee and apparently enjoying it. While they had their coffee, neither of them spoke. He finished his and put the cup down in the tray with perfect grace and ease, then excused himself and went out again. Now that the threat of facing the Medical Superintendent was over, immediate concerns were back on her mind. She wanted to be over with this interview and set out to retrieve her luggage. Besides, she had to find a place to stay. 

Dr Neeraj was soon back to his chair and spoke to her in an official tone. 

--Dr Anu, this is a charitable hospital catering to local Gaddi tribes. Initially you will have some difficulty understanding their language, but I am sure you will learn in no time. It is very important to know the local language and customs to treat patients effectively. This hospital provides secondary level care. For tertiary care, patients must be shifted to PGI Chandigarh or CMC Ludhiana. Driving in the hills is never easy and it gets worse when there is rain or snow. Obviously, all patients don't make it that far. You may choose to treat more serious patients here if you think they will not survive the long journey, but you are not bound to. You will be responsible for all patients under your care. Emergency patients keep coming all the time. Let me warn you, life is tough here. 

He paused for a few seconds then spoke in a friendly, soothing tone. 

--It must have been a long and tiring day for you. You have to fill in some forms, submit copies of your certificates and undergo a medical examination before you can formally join us, but it can wait till tomorrow. 

He moved to the only window at the side wall, called her there and pointed to a double storied modern building over a stone parapet with white walls and red roof. A narrow winding road with a very steep climb went up, ending a little beyond the building. At two thirds of the way up the road, a few stairs ran to the right, going up to the parapet from where one could enter the building. The road beyond the building extended up to a patch of flat land where it looped around a circular feature and joined back to itself. Both sides of the road had scores of colorful flowers contrasting with the lush green hills. Snow clad peaks in the distance provided a beautiful backdrop. It was a sight to behold. 

--Dr Anu, this is the guest house of the trustees and they are kind enough to let us use it when they are not around. I have taken the liberty to book a room for you without taking your preference. I hope it is okay. You see the front balcony on the first floor, facing towards us. I hope you will be comfortable there. Caretaker Chenka Ram is a nice guy. Do tell him your preference for lunch and it will be ready by the time you are ready to have. Please make yourself comfortable.  

She had felt insecure all through but this moment it all felt good and safe. Dr Neeraj had already done so much for her without her asking so she decided not to bother him with her luggage problem. She would offer money to the caretaker to get it up to the guest house. Recovering from her thoughts, she responded, 

--Thank you sir. 

With a charming "You are welcome" he rang the bell. A female peon led her out through the back gate to the guest house. The road looked even more beautiful up close but it was steeper than she thought. Vehicles going to the guest house had to climb further up past the building and loop around a circular feature to return to the road for the downhill leg to pick up or drop their human or material cargo before making a controlled descent. She climbed without much difficulty and entered the guest house. It was like any other large house having a sitting area, complete with two sets of sofas placed around two big central tables in the center and a few single seats with small tables placed in front of the windows. Rear side housed the dining area, having a premium quality wooden dining table for sixteen with carved, cushioned chairs. The woman shouted for Chenka in local dialect and he appeared right away. She spoke again to which Chenka replied in the affirmative then turned towards her and spoke with due respect in Hindi. 

--Madam please let me show you to your room.  

He led her a corridor on the first floor, running from one end to the other. Six doors opened into it. He led her to the farthest room on the left side, almost above the main entrance. Chenka Ram unlocked it and held it open for her. Without entering the room, he described the room to her and asked her to ring up 9 on the intercom if she needed something. The room was large and clean though furnishing was average. Chenka Ram was about to leave when she addressed him, --Chenka, I have a problem.  

He stopped in his tracks and turned towards her, standing by for information. Getting back his attention, she said, 

My luggage is lying at a shop near the bus stand. Can you get it here? I will pay.  

With an expression between surprise and jest, he replied. 

--Your two suitcases! A blue one with long handle and wheels and a smaller soft brown case.  

--Yes. But how do you know? 

--They are in the cupboard over there, right beside the bathroom door. Dr Neeraj had sent his Jeep to get them. 

 Last of her worries was put to rest. She had a job, had a roof over her head and whatever else she needed to start a new life. Chenka broke her chain of thoughts. 

--Dr Neeraj asked me to switch on the Geyser in case you would like to freshen up. I have cooked mixed vegetables and Dal with roti and rice. Please let me know whatever else you want. I will cook by the time you are ready. 

--That should be enough Chenka. I will have what you have cooked. Thank you. 

 She offered him a tip, but he politely declined. The big curtained window overlooked the hospital. Bed was not very expensive but sturdy and clean. A very thick light blue quilt lay neatly folded over the foot of the bed. A water jug and two glasses were placed on the bedside table. After a long, arduous, physically and emotionally tiring journey, she felt comfortable as everything seemed to have fallen in place. The room was nothing in comparison to her room in Delhi but still good enough to rest and sleep. She opened the luggage and took out clothes, a towel, some toiletries and entered the bath. 

Half an hour later, refreshed and dressed easy, she got down to the dining area to have a simple lunch in clean dishes, laid on the dining table. She sat comfortably and started eating.  

Chenka Ram was waiting on her. There was no one else at the table. She asked Chenka if there would be more people coming. He told her only Dr Neeraj had lunch but not every day. Sometimes there are other guests but that was infrequent. 

--So, Dr Neeraj is coming for lunch? she asked casually, looking for an opportunity to thank him for everything and what better time to do so than on the dining table. Chenka Ram replied 

--No. He has cancelled for today and tomorrow. 

--Why? 

--Don't know madam, he didn't tell me. 

After lunch she retired to her room, covered herself with the quilt and tried to think about the train of events over the past months but she had not slept for over 32 hours and fell asleep within minutes. It was 6 in the evening when a knock at the door woke her up. Chenka Ram was at the door to deliver an envelope and take her preference for dinner. She was used to being asked for her choice of food for every meal. There were three cooks at her home who took each member's choice for the meal, cooked to his or her taste and served at the desired time but this was not her home, and this cook probably didn't even know the dishes she might like to eat. She told him to cook rice and dal with curd and serve at 9 pm. Chenka Ram left. She bolted the door, moved to the table and flicked the lamp on. The envelope had four different forms and a note. Forms were the standard employee forms requiring personal and 

professional details. The note was informally written 

Please fill out the forms, leave blank if you are unsure of what to write 

Attach a copy of all your educational qualifications. In case you don't have a copy, there is a copier in the guest house.  Chenka Ram would make copies for you. 

Paste photographs, don't staple. 

Submit to Mr. Parmar at personnel department room number 11 at 8 am. He will give you a medical form. 

Go to the parking and find a green full body jeep. Jogi Sah drives it. There will be a paramedic Ashok Saini to help you. They are trustworthy staff. Go to the district hospital Chamba. After X ray and giving samples, go to the M S office and see the Civil Surgeon Dr S K Sood. Ashok will take care of the rest. Once the reports are available, you will get a fitness certificate. Head back to the guest house as early as possible. 

Best of luck 

It bore no name, but she guessed it to have been written by Dr Neeraj. Like an obedient child she started filling the forms then realized there were no photocopies indeed. As instructed by the author of the note, she contacted Chenka Ram and he did everything in a few minutes including pasting her pictures with gum. With all forms filled out, signed, folded and put into an envelope, it was time for dinner. 

Back at the same table, she started her second meal of the day, all alone. She had no idea who else was living in the building. During dinner she asked Chenka Ram about other guests staying there. Chenka Ram informed her Dr. Neeraj permanently stayed in room 103, right opposite her room. However, he usually came late and most of the time he had dinner in his room. 

Anu decided to thank him. After dinner, she requested Chenka for a blanket, ordered a coffee and sat on the sofa watching television. Dr Neeraj walked in at half past ten. She didn't say a word, waiting to see if he was sober and worth talking to. She expected him to initiate a conversation, but he didn't notice her. As he got on his way to the stairs, she said, -Good evening sir. 

He turned around, looked at her and responded --Dr Anu you are still awake. Hope you are comfortable. 

He sounded sober.  

--Yes sir, I am fine. Thank you. 

--Please allow me to advise you. It gets cold here and a person from warm areas may fall sick if exposed for a long time. Better sleep early. Good night. 

--What an anti-climax. She expected him to sit by and have a conversation. Most men took lots of interest in her which she disliked and avoided but being unceremoniously dismissed by a man hurt her ego. She never craved for male attention, but such a cold response was unexpected. She had waited so long to thank him, so she said 

--Sir I was around to thank you for your help. You got me a room without my asking and got my luggage retrieved before I requested. Thank you so much. However, I have been wondering all day as to how did you know I had luggage at the bus stand and how did you manage to get it here. 

In a dramatic style, he turned around and said,  

--Elementary, Dr Anu. You had taken a bus so you would have alighted at the Bus stand. Since you are here to stay, there must have been accompanying luggage. As no local transport or porters are available in this part of the world, you would not have found anyone to carry it for you and I would only be a fool to believe you could carry your own luggage up a steep climb so the only option you had was to leave the luggage in someone's custody. I took your picture from the file and dispatched my driver to the bus stand for you were not expected to have gone far to leave your luggage. Rest is simple. Shopkeeper recognized my man and he also recognized you from the picture and handed your luggage over. So, how did you like my little detective work? And if it is a bit confusing, there is a simpler explanation. I faced the same problem when I joined! 

Changing his expressions and voice to that of a character of the Jungle Book, he said, 

--But if you want to know how I got my luggage up, that's another story.  

Turning his serious self again, he bade her goodnight and moved on up the stairs. She was surprised at his ability to change his mood and voice so dramatically but didn't delve on it for long and retired for the night.  

Chenka Ram brought her back to reality by ringing her doorbell at half past six with bed tea. Sitting in the warmth of the quilt she sipped the tea and took a bite of biscuit. After spending half an hour at leisure, it was time to get ready. She took a shower, shampooed her hair and changed into a nice but simple suit. Locking her luggage in cupboard and putting valuables in the purse she came out of the room. Chenka had laid out his standard breakfast of Aloo Paratha, curd and pickles. After breakfast, he led her out to the Personnel department building. Rest of the job was easy. This place was not like New Delhi where scores of specialist's hurries to work while the office staff came late and harassed the doctors at will. Everyone took notice of her, eyed her and summed her up as the new Gynaecologist. She felt important and euphoric. At 8.15 she located the Jeep. The two men standing by it introduced themselves as Jogi Sah and Ashok Saini. While Jogi just said Namaste, Ashok came over and took the papers from her, wished her and opened the rear door of the Jeep. Once she sat in, he climbed into the front seat and Jogi Sah brought the engine to life. Neither Jogi Sah nor Ashok said anything more to her, they continued with their own conversation in local dialect of which she could only gather a word here and a word there. Descending to Banikhet taking a very scenic route, they turned right to drive past Bonkhri Mor and reached Bathri by nine. Ashok got down to get lunch from home which happened to be close by. In the minutes that the vehicle was stationary, she alighted and looked around. From the edge of the road, she could see the Ravi flowing at the bottom of the valley, birds were flying around the shrubs, insects hovering over wildflowers. The area was fringed by green hills on all sides. A cool, fresh, fragrant breeze blew past her face, blowing worries off her soul, filling it with calm and happiness, albeit temporary.