Small Story 619.

 Small Story 619

Facing the Consequences is an Art

Keshav had completed his Senior House Surgeon training and was posted as a Medical Officer at the Primary Health Centre in Poongulam village in Mysore district. His parents lived in Hassan, and he had studied at Mysore Medical College, where he earned many credentials. During his college days, he stayed in the hostel and often ate outside.

One evening, while dining at a restaurant, he met Kalpana. She was charming, pleasant, and had recently completed her Nursing course and was waiting for her posting. That day, Keshav realized he had forgotten his wallet. Kalpana, who had seen him earlier at the college, kindly paid the bill for him. The next day, he returned the money to her through GPay.

That small incident became the beginning of their friendship. While exchanging messages regarding the payment, they started chatting on WhatsApp. To their surprise, many of their likes and dislikes were similar. Within a month, they became close friends and gradually developed feelings for each other.

Meanwhile, Kalpana’s parents moved to Hassan because her father was a government employee. Around the same time, Keshav received his posting order to Poongulam and joined duty there. Every day, they spent at least thirty minutes chatting and whispering Kannada and Hindi songs to each other over the phone.

A month later, one morning, Keshav reached the hospital a little late because his vehicle had broken down on the way. As he entered, he noticed a large crowd of patients standing in the queue. A nurse in a white uniform was distributing tablets and instructing the patients efficiently, but he could not see her face clearly.

When he entered his room, he was shocked and delighted to see Kalpana standing there.

“Hey! How come you are here?” he asked excitedly.

She smiled warmly. “I got posted here. Today is my joining day. I wanted to surprise you.”

After finishing the outpatient work, Keshav took her to his quarters and offered her biscuits and sweets. Kalpana whispered happily, “It is God’s blessing that I got posted here. Now I can see my dear every day.”

Keshav then told her, “I spoke to my parents about us, and they have agreed to our marriage.”

Kalpana smiled shyly. “My parents have also given their permission.”

A month later, their marriage was celebrated gracefully in Hassan. After the wedding, they returned to Poongulam and resumed their duties happily.

However, fate had other plans.

Soon, Kalpana received a deputation posting to Kollegal and moved there temporarily. A week later, Keshav received a shocking message from her. She had met with an accident in the marketplace when a car hit her. She suffered severe injuries and was admitted to the hospital.

(Tobe continued)

K.Ragavan

23-5-26