Never a dull moment

 That's life  Boarded the metro at Chatharpur, New Delhi. A young girl in a cap and a middle aged man were occupying the senior citizen's two seater. On seeing me, the girl looked at the man ( hmm... dad and daughter) and he got up. "You are getting down All India Institute of Medical Sciences ?" "Yes" I patted him on his shoulder twice. As I got up to deboard the metro, I whispered into his ears," Everything is going to alright. You are going to the best doctors" He said something which I could not catch. He kept looking at me as the doors of the metro doors. I waved at him. Brought back memories of several journeys on the same the route years ago. Like this dad and daughter combo, we were also silent looking nowhere in particular. It will take a while for me to smile.

My Andhra athai's ( bua )  last son Murali fell into viraku aduppu ( firewood choola ) when he was around three years old leaving him with 50% burns.  He was two years older than me. He used to be brought often to Madras for a fortnight's confinement and treatment at children's ward in Stanley Medical College  Hospital, popularly known then as 'kanji thotti'. Superintendent there was a close family friend.   I used to be in Chennai during my long  holiday breaks at school in Kerala. If Murali was admitted during such school breaks,  I used to go and stay with him wearing hospital dress and sharing his cot.  We used to play with all the kids in the ward. Of course, we ate 'sick diet' served by hospital kitchen. I can not think of such a possibility now. This was in 1960s.