Part 10
At night when Asad came to sleep, he saw that his whole bed was wet.
Asad: "Seriously Zain? Is that all you can think of to get back at me? Next time ask for my advice. Even if it would be against me it would be better than this."
Zain: "It's not all I can think of. I could have done worse but you wouldn't be able to handle it."
Asad: "Hahaha you are so funny. Look I am laughing."
Zain: "Don't worry. This laughter won't last long."
As Ishan was the only one who agreed, Asad shared the bed with Ishan that night. He couldn't sleep properly as Ishan kept snugging his quilt underneath himself and Asad felt cold. When he couldn't take it any longer he got up and looked around. Zain was sleeping on his side. He slowly pushed the quilt off him and pushed him off his bedding with his leg. When he had finally made room for himself, he made himself cozy in Zain's bed, took his quilt over him and went to sleep.
The next day Zain was nowhere to be seen in the camp. When he finally saw him in the afternoon, he was standing with Zoya holding something woolen in his hand. As he moved closer he heard them talking.
Zain: "When I went to the village nearby in the morning to check Mrs. Gangu, the very old frail lady who came here day before yesterday, I saw a man selling woolen sweaters and I thought of you. You don't have any warm clothes and have to wear this big misshapen coat that is not even yours. I instantly bought these for you."
Zoya: "Oh Zain that is so nice of you."
Asad talked to himself as he heard Zoya say this.
"Oh Zain that is so tharki of you. Zoya why don't you get it he just wants you to be charmed by him."
Zoya: "I appreciate your thoughtfulness but I really didn't need these. This coat is quite warm. Thank you so much."
Zain: "You haven't tried these on yet! The locals have made them. Purely hand-made."
Zoya took the sweaters from his hand and said
"Okay. Thank you so much again for your thoughtfulness. You didn't really need to do this."
Zain: "Why didn't I? After-all friends do care for their friends and you are so lovely that one has a difficult time not caring for you."
Zoya laughed and replied.
"You are so cheesy. Anyhow thanks once again for the sweaters."
Zain: "My pleasure."
Zoya smiled and walked away as Zain kept standing there smiling at her back.
Asad made a face behind his back and went away.
An hour later when he saw her standing at the pharmacy, she was still wearing his coat. An involuntary smile crept on his lips.
He walked up to her and said.
"You know what? I have heard the sheep around here have a serious condition."
Zoya: "What kind of condition?"
Asad: "You know there is some epidemic, so the wool they get from those sheep causes pruritis (itching)."
Zoya: "Urgh! Asad can't you give it a rest. The guy is actually nice. You saw him giving me the sweaters. Right?"
Asad: "And you took them from that buffoon."
Zoya: "Asad why do you hate him so much? I haven't seen him doing anything bad to you."
Asad: "You haven't seen him because he doesn't do anything in front of you. Last night he wet my bed because I accidently threw water on him. I couldn't sleep properly and now I can't work properly. See how evil he is."
Zoya: "What am I supposed to say to that? Don't irk him and he won't bother you."
Asad: "Now that is my fault too."
Zoya: "It's nobody's fault. I am just telling you the solution."
Asad: "Leave that. You are not going to wear those idiotic things he brought. You know you can't trust him. You just met him three days back. Who knows he applied some chemical on them."
Zoya: "I washed them if that helps. Now when they dry I am going to wear one of those sweaters and you can't stop me."
Asad: "Fine! Then don't talk to me."
Zoya: "Asad! Why are you acting so childish?"
Asad: "I am not and you are not going to wear them."
Zoya: "You are and I will wear them."
Asad: "You will not."
Zoya: "I will."
Asad: "Please don't."
Zoya: "Asad go do your work. Dr. Sapna is coming this way and I don't want her to scold me second time."
Asad: "Fine. I am going."
"Idiot, donkey, useless burden on earth."
Asad cursed Zain as he went back to his table.
"I need to teach the buffoon a lesson. He thinks he can charm Zoya with his tactics. I will not let him."
He kept thinking of ways to get back at him when an idea struck him. Zain had been his friend's room-mate last year. From him he had heard that Zain was allergic to dishwashing detergents.
When he was free from his duty for the time being he got up and went to the pharmacy again. He asked the Pharmacy guy where the dishwashing detergents they were using nowadays were kept.
He finally got hold of a bottle and ran back to his tent. He saw Zain's shoes by his bedding. He poured some of the liquid into his shoes and walked out. Then he filled a glass of water and went where Zain was standing. He deliberately collided with him and dropped the water on his shoes.
The water soaked his socks as well leaving no choice for him but to go and change them.
Zain cursed him while Asad apologized him sweetly and went back to work himself.
Zain couldn't understand why his feet were constantly itching. He couldn't even stand still due to this very reason. He had been assigned to work with Dr. Ashutosh for the first time and he wanted to make a very good impression on him. He had this inherent urge to be a teacher's pet. There were many advantages of being in your seniors' good books. To his dismay his "happy feet" were not supporting him today.
Dr. Ashutosh observed him for some time and finally asked him.
"Why are you dancing? Is something wrong?"
Zain: "No Sir. It's just that my feet are itching."
Dr. Ashutosh: "You can leave if you can't work properly."
Zain: "No sir I am fine. I will just be back."
When he came out he saw Asad. There was something fishy about his expressions. When he called out to him he sounded way too cheerful than his usual self. This instantly made Zain suspect him. He must have something to do with his shoes. He had earlier made his shoes wet. That must be a part of his plan. He went to the tent and put off his shoes. His suspicion was confirmed when he felt his shoes reeking of dishwasher. He went to the stream and washed his feet as properly as he could but the itching didn't go away completely till the next three hours and Zain cursed Asad every time he felt his feet itch.
When Zain went back to Dr. Ashutosh wearing his slippers now, Zoya was standing there with him. When he went out she asked him.
"Why are you wearing slippers in such a cold weather?"
Zain: "Thanks to Asad."
Zoya: "Why? What happened?"
Zain: "He put dishwashing detergent into my shoes and I am allergic."
Zoya: "Oh not again! Will you two give it a rest?"
She picked up the files in front of her and went out.
Zain went to Asad and said:
"Just stop it Asad. Don't bother me and I won't bother you."
Asad: "Stay away from Zoya and I won't bother you."
Zain: "Why should I stay away from her and who the hell are you to ask me to?"
Asad: "I am not asking you. I am telling you."
Zain: "Listen you have no right over her or me. You don't decide who she talks to and who she doesn't. Keep your big nose out of my business."
Asad: "Why are you so keen to impress her? Stay away from her. She is not like those girlfriends of yours who you just use to pass time. She is my friend and I don't want her to get hurt."
Zain: "I don't need to give you any explanations but let me tell you. I genuinely like her. Stop trying to get in my way. If I want to have a serious relationship with her, what the hell is your problem? You are just her friend and better stay that way. Stay away from me from now on."
A man entered Dr. Sapna's tent coughing severely. He told her that he had been working as a driver in a big city when he started having sore throat. The people he worked for made him visit the doctor when his coughing didn't get better for a week. The medicine worked initially. He stopped taking it when he felt better but a while later his throat became even worse and he had been having fever ever since. When his coughing wouldn't get better they hired a new driver and fired him. His condition got worse and as he was unable to find any work in the city, he had returned to his village. She examined him and then asked him.
Dr. Sapna: "Did you take the medicine for as long as the doctor told you to?"
Patient: "O madam g, these city doctors tell us to buy more medicine for money. They can't see they are robbing a poor man off his hard earned money. I stopped taking the medicine when I got better but it is not working now. The medicine was not right in the first place. If the doctor had given me the right medicine I wouldn't have become ill again and lost my job."
Dr. Sapna: "You should have taken the medicine properly. You know what? You became worse because you didn't complete your treatment. Every city doctor is not always after money. Do you have anything that doctor gave you? Any prescription."
Patient: "I have this file. The Saab I worked with told me to keep everything in it."
She took the file from him and studied it. She asked Sajjal, who was sitting near her, to examine the patient and to explain what she understood from the symptoms and history of the patient.
Sajjal: "Ma'am he has Streptococcal sore throat infection. The first doctor prescribed him Penicillin which he didn't take properly so he is probably resistant to it now. This is why his condition is worsening even after taking the antibiotic."
Dr. Sapna: "Good. So what do we do now?"
Sajjal: "We start him on a stronger antibiotic."
Dr. Sapna: "Very good. Add Penicillin resistance on his charts and assign the case to Asad. Tell him to test him for Rheumatic fever. "
Sajjal: "Yes ma'am."
As she came out of the tent, she saw Zain coming her way. She asked him.
"Have you seen Asad around?"
Zain: "Yes. He was in the pharmacy."
Sajjal: "Okay."
She started to move towards the Pharmacy tent but then stopped and turned back.
"Hey Zain, can you please give this to him? Dr. Sapna has assigned him this case. I need to make a run for the washroom. Oh and tell him to test him for Rheumatic fever and the Patient is resistant to Penicillin."
Zain: "Write that yourself. Dr. Sapna asked you to do this. Didn't she?"
Sajjal: "Oh please you do it. What difference would it make? I gotta hurry! If she asks tell her I did."
Zain looked at the file for some time, then he opened it and read it. He took out a pen from his pocket and wrote "Test for Rheumatic" on the end of the first page. He was about to add "Resistant to Penicillin" but then an evil thought came to his mind.
"Let's leave that to our dear brother to find out. An additional day with us won't kill Mr. Sore Throat."
He went to Asad and handed over the file to him.
Zain: "Streptococcal sore throat. Dr. Sapna has assigned the case to you."
Asad: "Strange. Just give him Penicillin. Why would she need to assign it to anyone?"
Zain: "Dunno. She is much senior than us. She knows better."
Asad: "Okay."
Asad asked the nurse to bring the required medicine to the patient. He opened the file and read it.
He administered Penicillin to the patient and added it to his chart. Then he placed the chart beside his bed and left.
After Asad left Zain walked up to the patient's bed and now added "Resistant to Penicillin" in bold on the front page.
Later that evening, they were all standing together outside the camp when a very angry Dr. Sapna walked up to them.
"Asad Ahmed Khan."
Asad: "Yes ma'am."
Dr. Sapna: "What did you give to Mr. Dhawan?
Asad: "Penicillin."
Dr. Sapna: "Who can say you have passed third year and that you are the top of your year? You can't even read a history properly. Even a first year can do that."
Asad: "What happened ma'am."
Dr. Sapna: "You wasted the medicine on that patient when it is clearly written in bold on the front page that he is resistant to Penicillin. You know it very well that we have limited supplies here. If I hadn't checked up on the patient his condition might have worsened by morning. How can we trust you with human lives when you make such big blunders?"
Asad: "Ma'am but there was no mention of Penicillin resistance in his file."
Dr. Sapna: "That means you didn't even bother to read the file."
Asad: "Dr. Sapna, believe me I read it fully with complete attention."
She thrust the file into his hand and told him to have a look. Asad was really surprised as there was no mention of this in the morning.
Asad: "Ma'am but."
Dr. Sapna: "Now don't tell me it magically appeared afterwards or I wrote it now."
Asad: "No ma'am. I don't know how this happened. I read'"
Dr. Sapna: "Stop arguing Asad. You made a big blunder. Accept it. You are off the case. Rather you are off all the cases. I can't trust you with any of my patients. I will report you to Dr. Dobrial when we get back."
Asad: "I am sorry ma'am. I will be more careful from now on."
Dr. Sapna: "We are not done yet. I will talk to Dr. Ashutosh and we will decide what we will have to do with you. Whether we should send you back or if we keep you here what work are you going to do."
When they all dispersed to go back to their tents, Sajjal called Zain and asked him.
"You don't get along with him quite well. Do you have anything to do with all this?"
Zain: "What do you mean?"
Sajjal: "I asked you to enter the information in his charts. Did you mess up deliberately?"
Zain: "Why would I do that? If he commits a mistake why am I automatically involved?"
Sajjal: "I have a feeling you are involved. I think I should tell Dr. Sapna about this."
Zain: "Fine. Go tell her but mind it she is not in her best moods right now. You would be packing your bags with him if you do. The choice is yours and that still doesn't mean I did anything wrong."
Sajjal shut her mouth after this as she was too scared for herself.
Asad: "I am telling you he did this."
Zoya: "How can you say that? You just hate him that is why?"
Asad: "He threw water on my bed and did a lot of other things to annoy me."
Zoya: "You threw water on him and did a lot of things to annoy him."
Asad: "Why are you taking his side?"
Zoya: "I am not taking his side. I am just telling you the truth. How is he related to all this even if he hates you?"
Asad: "When he gave me the file in the morning there was no such thing mentioned. I would obviously go for the most obvious treatment plan."
Zoya: "Asad now you are being unreasonable. He plays pranks with you. That is what you do with him too. He won't make a joke out of a patient's health just to get back at you. You just have a whim and you are blaming him. Learn to accept your mistakes."
Asad: "Why should I accept it when I didn't make any mistake?"
Zoya: "Asad just stop being stubborn. Think about what we are going to do now. Things have gotten really bad."
Asad: "I don't know how but I will expose him."
Zoya: "There is no proof Asad. It's no use."
Asad: "You don't believe me, right?"
Zoya: "Why wouldn't I believe you? Try to understand what I am saying. There is no way we can expose him. We need to think of a way to get you out of this situation."
Asad: "We don't have any proof YET."
Zoya: "You are so damn stubborn. She is going to send you back. Even worse she will report you to Dr. Dobrial and all you can think of is how to get back at Zain who apparently has nothing to do with all this. Rot here all night. I don't have time to waste on a strong-headed, stubborn person like you."
They were sitting around the fire in a circle discussing what would happen now when Dr. Sapna came there. All of them stood up.
She looked at Asad and said
"I discussed things with Dr. Ashutosh and we have decided not to send you back on persuasion of one of your friends but that doesn't mean you won't get punished. You need to learn not to ignore such important things in future. I am forgiving you this time because you are still in your learning phase. Twenty miles from here, there is a village. The people there are way too conservative. You are supposed to walk there and persuade them to bring their sick ones here to this camp to get them treated. According to our sources there are five sick girls they are not sending here due to their rigid beliefs. So Zoya do you think this time I am not killing the greatest doctor in the making with this punishment."
Zoya: "No ma'am."
Dr. Sapna: "And I have realized that you have such great convincing skills that we would be making a great mistake by not sending you there. You are going to accompany him there as you decided to take responsibility for any further mistakes of his. I think you should start practicing now. Any questions?"
Zoya gulped and asked.
"Dr. Sapna twenty miles, we have to walk all the way to the village."
Dr. Sapna: "No sweety, we will hire a chartered plane for you. Any further questions?"
Zoya: "No ma'am."
They were not very happy with the punishment but it was still better than being sent back to Mumbai and getting a bad report. The only person not happy at all was Zain for his plan had failed miserably. Even worse was that Zoya was going away with him alone. Why did Dr. Sapna have to involve Zoya? She could have sent Asad alone and he could have gotten a whole Asad-free day with her. Alas Mother luck wasn't on his side tonight.
Precap:
The old man shook his head and said
"These city people! They have no manners at all! I tell you beta. Girls and boys move around together and talk to each other shamelessly when they are not even married. Lord save us from such waywardness. Beta you are married na?"
Asad: "Yes yes uncle, we are married."
His wife turned to Zoya and asked in a low voice
"So haven't you thought about a kid yet? You know kids strengthen the bond of husband and wife. We ourselves have twelve. Don't get fooled by those city people who say wait for two to three years before having your first kid and limit your children to only two to three. Bullshit!
The more the number of children, the more the love."
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