What's her mistake ? - 7

The oncologist looked sharply at her. But Nammu Aunty was looking somewhere else. He then looked at me and raised his eyebrows. I could only shrug my shoulders. He took his subscription pad and jotted something and said “Could you give this to my junior who is in the next room?”

I got up and walked out of the room. Nammu Aunty was still looking the blue sky with white clouds which were being seen through the window.

I went to the next room and handed over the sheet to the junior. The junior was a girl of about 24 years. May be she was an intern.

She read the paper and asked “What is this?”

I dumbly looked at her and read the paper given by the oncologist. I had the following words.

‘I want to speak with you alone about your Aunty. You better come back when she is sent for tests’

I grinned at the girl sheepishly and came back.

The Oncologist was giving some instructions to Nammu Aunty. She was listening to him attentively and nodding her head.

“Oh, you have come! Please take her to the lab and get all the tests I have mentioned. Few tests have to be conducted on the empty stomach. I suggest you come tomorrow” he said.

His tone was so firm that I too could only nod.

I took Nammu Aunty to the lab. At the doorstep she asked, “How much for these tests Sonny?”

I had no idea and said so.

“Do you know what I think? I don’t want to undergo all these tests. Whatever the God has destined is going to happen to me. When that is so, why go through these?” Nammu Aunty was mentioning it in a low tone.

“The same God has told that we should put our efforts and then leave the result to the God” the words came from behind us and we saw the oncologist standing there and talking.

Nammu Aunty had no other chance of talking and she went into the lab. The oncologist made me stand there only and he went inside.

After what seemed like an eternity, he came out and asked me “Come!” with such a command in his voice that I just followed him to his room.

He sat in his seat and I sat in the chair opposite.

“What is her relation with you?” He asked.

I said, I know her from my childhood. A kindly soul who used to feed me during my struggling days.

“Where is the family she was mentioning?”

I came out with the whole story. Her sons, the daughters-in-law, the daughter, the son-in-law, the grand children, the untimely sad demise of her husband.

He was listening to the whole thing with rapt attention.

“Ohho, she was telling the truth when she mentioned that she has a big family!” exclaimed the oncologist and then sat thinking for quite some time.

Finally he opened his eyes and said, “I want to you to do something....” he started and went on telling me what he wanted me to carry out.

I was not very comfortable. I still had no idea why the oncologist is asking all these details. But I had a feeling that he meant good of Nammu Aunty.

I went back to the lab. Nammu Aunty was waiting for the last test to be conducted.

After it was done, I took her home in an auto.

She said while getting down, “Do I have to undergo some more tests?”

“Yes Aunty. We have to get it done. You saw how the oncologist made his point clear?”

“All right then. I hope you don’t have problem in taking me tomorrow? If you have a problem, then I will go alone”

I told her that I can’t get leave. She has to go alone. I requested the auto driver to take her in the morning. After fixing the time of departure, I left in the auto to my home which was in the next road.

I told the auto driver not to take money from Aunty and I paid him in advance.

Taken care of that, I now wondered how to take forward the suggestion given by the oncologist.