A large, well-known city in Maharashtra. It's ten o'clock in the morning. Living in a flat on the twenty-first floor of a high-rise building, thirty-five-year-old Manseebehan rang the doorbell of Anandibehan Saluke's flat, who lived next door. No sound came from inside. Anandibehan was a seventy-two year old woman. Lived alone in the flat. The son-in-law had 'settled' in Australia. After ringing the doorbell three or four times, there was no response, so Mansibhan slammed the door with his hand and started shouting, 'Tai! Joy! Open the doors!' The faint sound of someone's moans fell into the ear. Mansibehan realized that this voice was of Ananditai. But why didn't she speak in a clear accent? Mansi went to the lift and called the watchman. Watchman Gautam was young and Akhadian. Grabbing the drainage pipe near the window of Tai's flat, he peered inside. A scream came out of his mouth, 'Ti Jaminivac Padli Ahe.' After that there was no need for anyone to give instructions to the watchman. Taking a heavy hand from Mansi, Gautam broke the glass of the ventilator above the main door of the flat. Put his hand inside and opened the stopper. Mansi and two or three other neighborhoods rushed in. Tai fell on the ground. Fortunately there was no serious head injury. There were minor injuries on the head, right arm and waist, but the major injury was on the leg. Tai could not move more than a foot, which means that the leg bone must have been broken. Mansi inquired from the half-conscious old man, half by a gesture and half by a flutter of lips, where the contact number of Tai's son was written. Mansi contacted Arham who lives in Australia from his mobile phone. Tell everything. Arham expressed helplessness, 'Mansibehan, I can't come there. Take the eye and go to a good doctor. Do what the doctor advises. If necessary, mail me the doctor's certificate. Based on that, maybe if I get leave from work, I will be able to come there, but that will not be possible now.' Hearing Ananditai's painful confession, Mansi quickly ended the conversation and called 108 number. The car arrived. Now Mansi took the full responsibility of Ananditai's treatment on his shoulders. She called her husband and told, 'Tai has fallen in the house. A fracture has occurred. I took Dr. Going to Narvekar hospital. You eat in your office canteen. I will also need money. Your a. T. M. Give me the card in the evening.' Dr. Narvekar cheerfully checked, x-rayed, then said, 'Fortunately, aunty did not have a head injury. Everything is fine inside the stomach too. Thapa's leg bones are fractured. An operation will have to be done, but before that his general condition will have to be fixed. Heart, lungs, blood pressure, blood sugar are all important to consider at this age. Operation only after the anesthetist says yes…' Tai was hospitalized. Dr. Narvekar was not only skilled in his medical work, but also a businessman. Before starting the treatment, he asked Mansi important questions, 'Are you related to this patient? What is the financial status of the patient? Is the patient's mediclaim taken? They may need a blood transfusion. Do you have a blood donor?' Mansi said, 'If you look at it this way, I am not a relative of Tai's, in other words, I am Tai's first relative, i.e. neighbor. Tai did not file a mediclaim. Don't worry about fees. Tai's son is abroad, for now I have to bear all the expenses. Then we will understand the account. You please start the treatment.' Dr. Narvekar started the treatment. Blood tests were done, after that the necessary medicines were given according to the reports, two bottles of blood were transfused, the physician took a cardiogram etc. and gave a fitness certificate, the anesthetist came thrice and checked Tai. The expense meter kept spinning at a fast pace. Finally the day for the operation arrived. Before taking Tai to the operation table, the doctor called Mansi and said, 'Sister, this is not as easy as you think. This is a major operation. A particular risk is that the patient is older. A patient may die from any cause during or after an ongoing operation. In that case you will not find me guilty. I will do the operation only if you agree…' Mansi called Australia and discussed with Tai's son. Arham said, 'Right now you are our everything. Whatever your decision will be final. Go ahead.' The operation was completed successfully. There were minor complications but eventually Tai's bone was 'set'. Tai was discharged home on the fifteenth day. Another bout of physiotherapy was still to come. During these fifteen days, Arham was constantly talking to Mansi over the phone, making a video call once a day and communicating with I. Dr. Narvekar also justified the bill, 'There is no mediclaim of the patient, so we have created a bill of one lakh and ten thousand rupees. Can you afford it?' 'Affordability is not a question, sir. Tai's son earns in dollars. Compared to that, this bill is nothing. Treatment abroad is so expensive that Tai's feet turn to gold.' Mansi paid the bill. Mansi called Arham after coming home. Arham got angry after hearing the amount of the bill, 'That's how much the bill would have been, Mansibehan? The doctors there rob. Knowing that I am in a foreign country, your doctor cut my pocket! He doesn't know how much we have to sweat to earn dollars here in an unknown country. I want to scold you too. The doctor made the bill, but why did you pay that amount? That too without discussing with me? I don't endorse your…' Mansi hung up. Tai, listening to this conversation, cried, 'Son, my son is like this. He does not even think twice about squandering money for his wife. For those who know…' 'Tai, don't worry. I have treated you with my money. I don't want to take that amount from your son. God somehow compensates everything. Six months ago my mother fell like you while walking in the house. He had a serious head injury. She died instantly. I will believe that I spent this money for my mother.' Mansi started crying saying this, while Tai was crying. – Title Line : Dr. Paresh Solanki
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
