The Doctor and God

Sreekumar K

My feet, held by the surgeon, were open like an alphabet book in the hands of a child taking his first steps. 

He had discarded the left page and was staring at the right.

Now it was like an unusually big lump of clay in a sculptor's hand.

The hands glowed as if they were guarding a candle flame.

"I am opening this. Scared?"

"No."

"Why fear? I am right here, you know?"

"Yes, doctor."

"There won't be any pain. That was already blocked."

"Thanks."

"You can afford it, can't you?"

"I don't know."

"I know you can. Didn't you see someone signing the consent?"

"Yes."

"Who is that? Your brother?"

"Yes"

"And I heard everyone is out to help"

"Yes, yes."

"Good your brother had set aside some for his own medical emergency. He won't need it now. But, you may repay him."

"I can."

"I know all that."

"I was much apprehensive about the money."

"Why? Money should be the last of one's worries. Not even the last. You have been on the run, round the clock."

"Not exactly running. But stayed up late every night."

"Yes, that's what was meant. Racing with novels, PhD thesis, retail manual, flood reports, editing, translating..."

"Yes."

O, God, so well informed, I thought.

Sighs had made the room too humid.

Is mine the only mind that is happy?

The evil in me had darkened into a lump of rotting plasma under my foot and the doctor was scraping it all out.

"So, you have been to this house warming! Is that where you fancied so many people visiting you?"

"Yes."

"So silly! They are all coming now, in a procession. Enjoy!"

The Doctor started laughing. 

"Now that you are down, you may as well pick up a few lessons.

"Surely, I need those lessons.How perfectly you perform tasks!"

"Perfection is my synonym." 

"Sreekumar, it is over. I had to remove quite a lot." The doctor now sounded different. Or was I talking to someone else?

I tilted my head to look at his hands.  They still glowed.

"Sreekumar, why are you so quiet? Are you reticent by nature?"

"No, doctor, I am talkative."

"I thought you didn't like me. That is why I didn't say anything."

I put my head back and closed my eyes. 

There was no pain at all.

But my eyes were streaming with tears.

As I was being pushed out on a trolley, I lifted my head to take one  more look at his hands.

They were still glowing.

I put my palms together to greet.

Divi soorya sahasrasya

(The light of a thousand suns)

Inside and outside.

 

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