Her Calling

Face to Face

"You are trying to raise money for your NGO while you are in Mumbai?" she asked him after they had finished discussing the project.

"Yes. You already know that. That's why I had met your uncle."

"Yes, yes...." she appeared flustered, then collected herself, "Actually, Kaku was asking. How is it going? And if you have met your target yet?"

"He was?"

"Yes. Just yesterday..."

He took a deep breath and leaned back. "I haven't met my target yet. But I am at almost eighty percent. I am sure your uncle and others will be able to introduce me to more donors."

"Yes. I am sure. How much... What kind of money are you looking at?"

"Ms. Banerjee. I'm afraid I have to rush for a departmental meeting now."

"I... I am sorry," she leapt to her feet and chuckled nervously, "I shouldn't keep you."

"Ms. Banerjee," he stopped her when she was at the door.

"Yes Sir?"

"I had spoken to and updated your uncle the day before."

As he had suspected, she fled away on hearing that.

--

"Please do take a seat, Ma'am. Dr. Sinha ran into an unexpected meeting. But he'd be here anytime now."

"No problem." Rupali picked up a magazine lying in the waiting area and flipped through it without comprehending. Her outward calm belied her inner struggle. What was she expecting? She had filled up a questionnaire before she was given the appointment with Dr. Rajesh Sinha, city's leading psychiatrist. She had answered the question there. She wanted to separate the right form the wrong, the good from the bad. But could a psychiatrist really help?

She was pulled out of her reverie by the all too familiar voice. "Thank you, Rajesh. You have no idea how helpful you have been."

"Come on, Paritosh. We also need some good karma. No need to thank. And I would definitely visit your center, for at least a week, once you are back in Kumaun."

Paralyzed by shock, Rupali sat glued to the sofa. She hoped that Paritosh would leave the hall without noticing her. But that was not to be.

"Rupali!"

He must have been as shocked as she was. Because for the first time in close to three months, he had addressed her by her given name.

She willed strength to return to her legs, and sprinted out.

"What the... Wait, Rupali," he called after her, but she ran as if her life depended on it. And who could say? Probably it did.

Paritosh also ran after her leaving a puzzled doctor and his receptionist behind. He was fit enough to catch up with her within a minute.

"Ms. Banerjee!" Since she did not as much as slow down he perforce yanked her hand. She had to stop then, but she still jerked his hand away violently. Her swallowed his annoyance at insinuation implicit in such a gesture and spoke as calmly as he could manage. "You had come to consult Rajesh?"

She stood there tight-lipped and still.

"I'm sorry. I can understand that it is awkward. But you did not need to run away. There is nothing to be ashamed of. You are Psychology student. You should know that. Please go back. Our meeting was done."

"He is your friend..."

"So what? It's not like he can or will discuss his patients with me. And if this little encounter of ours is a problem, I assure you, it as good as did not happen."

She shook her head and walked away.

"For God's sake, Rupali. Do you have to behave like an unstable, drugged teenager all the time? Whatever happened to the claims of being an adult?"

"And do you have to..." she started replying in the same vein, but stopped midway.

"What am I to make of it? This is... You are not a child, Rupali. You are old enough and intelligent enough to know when you need help. And since you had the wisdom to seek it, go ahead and act on it. Please."

He saw hostility in her eyes, when she finally looked at him. "Sorry. You are right. This meeting as good as did not happen. I am going back."

"What?" What she said was incongruous with how she looked.

"I just agreed to do what you wanted. You don't need to worry." She turned and made her way back to the clinic.

His followed her with his eyes until she disappeared inside the building. Still unconvinced by her sudden change of heart, but unable to think of anything to do, he walked away slowly, to the nearest bus stop.

--

"Paritosh. I get it that you are concerned, but please understand, I can't talk about it..."

"For God's sake, Rajesh. I am not asking you to tell me anything about her case. But I have reasons to be worried. I just want to ensure that she did go back to you."

"A technical yes or no answer would be misleading. Anyway, since you insist, yes - she did come back. She insisted on paying for the session, because she was the one who was canceling. And no - she did not talk to me."

"Thank you, Rajesh. I appreciate it."