Name Game
(844 words)
(Genre – Light Comedy)
(23 May 2007)
Prompt: You're at a hospital and someone calls out your name. Before you can respond, another person raises his/her hand and says, that's me. A person with the same name as you, how interesting! You decided to follow them.
These hospitals I tell you are like fish market. There are too many people and way too much noise. Add to it a peculiar stench of medicine. As I wait for my appointment in this fish-market like place, sweat trickles down the arch of my back ending up in my underpants. Even my face is full of drop-lets of sweat. While wiping it with a tissue I hear my name being called. 'Mr. Faiz Daruwala?' Before I can respond, another gentleman stands up and says, 'that's me' and enters the doctor's room.
Funny, a man with the same name as me? My parents always believed none of the Daruwalas could ever name their son Faiz-a Muslim name-thus, they named me so. The man was almost the same height as me. Even his built was slim, like mine. There were just too many coincidences, and I settled on to trailing him.
Faiz walked out of the doctor's cabin a good 45 minutes later. He was sweating profusely. The whole time that the nurse was readying his papers, he was crackling his fingers, a sure sign of nervousness. His eyes looked distant. Shoving the papers handed over by the nurse into his pocket, he sprinted out into the December breeze. I struggled to keep pace. He ended his race in a coffee bar a few blocks away from the hospital and took a seat by the window. Placing his order, he gulped down 3 glasses of water. His conduct began to bother me. I went up to him and struck a conversation.
'Hi, may I take a seat?' I asked politely.
He nodded. 'What brings you here?' he questioned.
'Curiosity' I confessed. He instantly became more attentive, and extending his hand he said, 'I'm Faiz, Faiz Daruwala, and you are?'
I shook his hand briskly and sang, 'Faiz Daruwala!'
'That's my name!' he whined.
'Mine too!' I chirped back.
It humored him, and he came out of his shell. He told me that he worked in LIC and we discovered we lived just a few buildings apart. He had gone to the doctor for a routine check-up. The doctor had some bad news
'What did the doctors reveal?' I asked digging for more information.
'They said my sugar level was over the roof. They told me to ban sugar and fats from my diet! I tried explaining that there was no history of diabetes in my family, and that I had been keeping good health, but they insisted I join their diabetes camp. Apparently, they're going to teach us food habits and exercise to live longer with diabetes.' He took a deep breath. 'I don't even know how to break the news to my family and my fiance. Our marriage is in two weeks!' he lay his head on the table and buried it under his hands.
'You don't have to tell them.' I spoke wisely.
'I can't lie' he muttered. 'I can't begin my married life with a lie!' he raised his head and looked at me appalled, as if I was talking nonsense.
'I am the one who should worry! I'll have to eat fewer sweets in your marriage. I'm assuming I'll be invited,' I smiled and waited for his response. 'You still don't get it?' I asked.
'OMG,' he shook his head is disbelief. 'Faiz', he said pointing at himself, 'and Faiz,' he added pointing towards me, 'Faiz Daruwala!' I grinned at his pronouncement.
'You've taken a load off my heart. I was beginning to worry….' He blabbed on.
'You talk a lot.' I said. 'You're making such an issue of a small mix-up.' I explained to him the whole story, about how he met the doctor, when I should have gone-after all I suffered with high sugar levels-and how I saw him worried and followed him.
'I hope you cut down on sugar and attend that camp.' He advised. 'I don't want to see my new friend suffering!' We talked for a while over a cut of coffee. He paid the bill, mine too-I was willing to pay-it was he who insisted.
We exchanged numbers and went our separate ways. Two weeks later he greeted me at his wedding and the first thing he told me was, 'There are lots of sweets, but don't worry, eat your heart out today, I won't inform the doctor!'
'You @#$@$' I said slapping him on the back, as if we were old pals.
'Faiz? Faiz Jaanu, come here please,' a sweet voice called out.
'Coming darling!' both he and I answered. Looking at each other we laughed. 'Your call buddy! No mix-up this time, you wouldn't like to lose your lovely bride!' I said winking.
His bride walked over and began to talk. 'So you are the other Faiz, I love hearing the mix-up. Jaanu told me….'
She talks way too much too! What a perfect match! Now when I look back at the mix-up, I feel this name game is funny. Had it not been for our names, I'd have never met this lovely chap.
(c) Preeti Datar
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
