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Dr Anita suddenly shouted, "Stop".
Her husband, Arun, a software engineer, stopped the car wondering
what was happening. After a few seconds, he realised that a frail
person was coming from nowhere, trying to the cross the road. He
fell in front of the car. The couple helped him get into the car and
took him to a nearby nursing home. On closer examination, Anita was
shocked to find that it was her collegemate Vinay, who had the
distinction of winning five gold medals in the MBBS examination from
the Madras Medical College about 15 years ago. He was the darling of
all professors.
Anita was the only daughter of a
leading diamond merchant in the city and it was a rare combination
of wealth and brilliance. She was also a rank holder in the medical
college. She had later specialised in oncology. Vinay's humility and
gentle manners attracted everyone in his batch, but he was in love
with Anita. Son of a lower division clerk in the Accountant
General's office, he had considerable family responsibilities. he
could never pick up enough courage to propose to Anita.
Hailing from a very rich family, Anita had no
desire whatsoever to marry Vinay. She respected his intelligence and
it stopped there. When she distributed her wedding cards, initially
there was no reaction from Vinay. He congratulated her in all
sincerity.
That night, Vinay couldn't sleep. He cursed
himself for hailing from a poor family. He decided that he should
also strike it rich in life so that his children never had this
problem. With his brilliant performance in MBBS he could
subsequently pass MD. His professors suggested that he should do DM
(cardiology) also, which he did with ease.
His roaring practice started. He treated poor
patients for free and charged the rich ones heavily. He convinced
himself that he was doing the correct balancing act. The time had
come for him to get married. He chose anandhi, a graduate from a
middle-class family with the condition that she should never take up
a job. He would be happy if she were a good wife and a good mother.
Two years after his marriage, he realised that
Anandhi, like the women of her generation, felt as if she was
imprisoned in the house. Because of the nature of his profession,
Vinay rarely took her for a movie or a holiday. He was totally
committed to his profession. Anand, the man living next door
exploited the situation, and with all her education and good family
background, she fell for him. Initially, when Vinay heard about the
affair, he dismissed it with a smile. He had so much confidence in
his wife.
One evening, when he returned late night from the
clinic, he was shocked to find a note from Anandhi that she had
decided to live with Anand, as Vinay had very little time for her.
She was gone.
Vinay's depression had started. His batch mates
who had specalised in psychiatry battled to bring him back to normal
but in vain. Subsequently, he became an alcoholic also.
Anita was sobbing daily, thinking of their
college days. She regularly visited the clinic where Vinay was
admitted for depression as well as de-addiction. Arun supported her
with all his heart.
Inevitably, Vinay died of liver failure. His life
was a typical example as to how fate is all-powerful. Anita's clinic
is now called 'Vinay'.
V
Balasubramanian
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