Falling in Love
Jagya checked his watch. It was 1:10PM. Why did time seem to be passing so slowly? It was almost as if time had come to a standstill. He had checked his watch so long ago, but the time had only been 1:09PM. He shook his watch again. Nope the time was still the same. It was still 1:10PM. He knocked on the cover to see if the seconds' hand was moving. It was. But then why was time passing so slowly.
And it wasn't just time. He was screwing up simple things like food. He had accidentally eaten another doctor's lunch thinking of it as his own. He hadn't even recognized his tiffin box and it was the same one he brought every day. There was surely something wrong with that picture. He wondered what it could be though. Because obviously it was something. Something that had happened in the past few days. Something that had changed his life completely.
Thank god though he wasn't screwing up his practice. If he ended up doing the wrong operation then it could mean someone's death. But the funny thing was when he was practicing or doing an operation he wasn't so confused. His mind was clear. He knew what he had to do. Him and Ganga worked really well together as a team.
Ganga had just come back from Mangalore as their new nurse and she often worked with Jagya on operations. While Ganga had wanted to stay in Mangalore and had even refused Jagya when he had invited her back here, she had eventually come back after her Mangalore doctor gave her the option of either coming back here or going on to Mumbai. She hadn't been too keen on going to Mumbai wih Mannu so she had come back to Jagya's hospital.
Jagya shook his head of these thoughts. He had to concentrate. He had an important operation scheduled at 2PM and he had to study the case to see what he could do. He didn't have this time to waste on these thoughts. It was his first operation after almost a month when he wouldn't have Ganga's assistance. Ganga was busy preparing for Mannu's birthday. He had tried to get away as well to help her, but this operation had been booked for 2 months and the doctor who was supposed to do fell ill yesterday and Jagya was asked to cover for him. So now Jagya was working, while Ganga was at home alone.
Jagya wondered why his thoughts kept turning to Ganga. He had been looking at an X-ray when he had suddenly started feeling restless and had started checking his watch and now his thoughts kept turning to Ganga. Almost as if out of nowhere his door opened and Ganga walked in wearing her uniform. She said, "Ma'am ne mujhe bula liya tha kyun ki koi nurse khali nahi thi aapki madat karne ke liye."
"Lekin tumne toh chutti li thi Mannu ke janam din ke liye," Jagya said.
He was still a bit dumbstruck that the object of his thoughts had just walked in. Ganga replied, "Haan lekin party toh sham ko hai aur sab madat kar rahe hain isli main aa gayi. Dadisa ne kaha isli aa gayi."
"Lekin""
Jagya started to object again, but Ganga came over and looked at the X-ray becoming all business. "Main isme kya madat kar sakti hoon?"
Jagya leaned over her and pointed to the stomach. Ganga leaned closer to the stand awkwardly, but Jagya didn't notice. He was too busy breathing in Ganga's scent. Ganga turned around to face him and said, "Jagyaji aap kuch zada paas aa""
Jagya put a finger to Ganga's lips and said, "Nahi main zada paas nahi aa raha hoon. Main wohi kar raha hoon jo mere mann ko karna hai." Then talking a deep breath he said it, "Ganga main tumse pyaar karta hoon."
Ganga looked at Jagya in surprise. Then she smiled. And with ease she reached up took Jagya's finger off her lips and said, "Aap mazak acha kar lete hain."
"Main mazak nahi kar raha hoon. Main sach main tumse pyaar karta hoon."
Ganga looked at Jagya again, this time seriously. Her eyes seemed to register surprise, then acceptance, and then she said shyly, "Main bhi aap se pyaar karti hoon."
Jagya stood back to hug Ganga, but then the phone rang.
Jagya's hands came out from under his chin as he reacted to the phone call. He looked around and was surprised to see that Ganga wasn't there. Then he realized that he had started dreaming. But at least in his dream he had seen the reality. The reality was that he loved Ganga. And he was going to tell Ganga.
But first to answer the call. "Hello?"
"Jagyaji main Ganga."
"Ganga?" Jagya put his hand over the phone and pinched himself with his other hand to ensure that this time it was reality. Yep it was. He uncovered the mouthpiece and said, "Haan Ganga. Kya huya?"
"Kuch nahi. Bas jaana chahti thi ke aap kab aayoge. Hume woh party karni thi naa."
"Ganga mera bas ek operation hai phir main ghar aa jaonga. Toh shayad 5 baje tak."
"Thik hai...aur Jagyaji..."
"Haan Ganga?" Jagya prompted.
"Woh kehte hain naa...goo lock."
"Tumhara matlab good luck hai naa?"
"Haan wohi. Good luck."
"Thank you Ganga."
Ganga hung up and Jagya smiled. Yep he was in love. But he would wait until he got home to tell Ganga. Right now to concentrate on the operation and with that he turned back to the X-rays.
