THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE VANISHING DERMATOLOGIST

STRANGE AS IT SEEMS THIS HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I WAS ON A SHORT TRIP TO AGARTALA FOR A MEDICAL CAMP. THE HOSPITAL HAD BOOKED FLIGHT TICKETS FOR MYSELF AND A LADY DERMATOLOGIST. I DID NOT MEET HER TILL LATER ON .

I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THIS HOSPITAL AT TIMES TO DO SURGERY ON SOME PATIENTS.I AM A GENERAL SURGEON BY PROFESSION AND AFTER MIGRATING TO CHENNAI I DECIDED TO DO FREELANCE SURGICAL CASES RATHER THAN START MY OWN CLINIC.

AND THEN I WAS ASKED BY THIS EMINENT CARDIOLOGIST TO GO TO TRIPURA FOR EXAMINING PATIENTS AND DO SURGERY IF NEEDED.THIS WAS PARTLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT I CAN SPEAK BENGALI FLUENTLY DUE TO MY BEING IN KOLKATA FOR UMPTEEN YEARS. IN TRIPURA THE MAXIMUM POPULATION IS BENGALI .

THIS OFCOURSE WAS A GOD SENT OPPORTUNITY TO ME SINCE I LOVE SEEING PATIENTS AND DO SURGERY ON THEM IF NEEDED.

WELL ALL  THIS SEEMS TO BE OUT OF MY TOPIC SINCE I WANTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE VANISHING DERMATOLOGIST. BUT YOU WOULD NEED THIS INTRODUCTION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.SO EXCUSE ME FOR THE RATHER ELABORATE INTRODUCTION.

WELL I RUSHED TO THE AIRPORT ON THAT DAY  IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING WITH A PACKED BREAKFAST. THERE WAS HEAVY TRAFFIC AND I WAS LATE AND THE INDIGO GROUND STAFF SO HELPFULLY RUSHED ME THROUGH CHECK IN,SECURITY CHECK UP AND BOARDING.MANY TIMES THEY HELPED ME JUMP LONG QUEUES. THESE INDIGO PEOPLE ON THE GROUND AND ALSO ON THE FLIGHT ARE ALWAYS SMILING AND HELPFUL .I HAVE HEARTFULLY FELT THIS MANY TIMES.

AND NOW I WAS SAFELY ON THE FLIGHT AND THERE WAS THIS YOUNG LADY IN SHORTS  AND SWEATSHIRT LISTENING TO MUSIC ON HER HEADPHONES.SHE WAS YOUNG SMART AND FASHIONABLE. I DID NOT KNOW THEN THAT SHE WAS ACTUALLY TRAVELLING WITH ME TO AGARTALA.I LIKED HER .AND SUDDENLY SHE SMILED AT ME.IT WAS THEN THAT I GOT INTERESTED AND WE EXCHANGED COURTESIES .I CAME TO KNOW THAT SHE WAS DR. SARIKA BAJAJ AND SHE WAS TRAVELLING WITH ME.I FELT NICE THAT THIS TIME A LADY WAS COMING TO AGARTALA WITH ME.SAME SEX AND YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE YOU SEE.TRAVELLING TO A DISTANT PLACE AND YOU FEEL SECURE THAT A LADY IS WITH YOU.

IT IS ALMOST 2 TO 3 HOURS FROM CHENNAI TO KOLKATA.AFTER THAT WE WENT BACK TO OUR MUSIC AND AFTER SOMETIME I FOUND THAT THE LADY WAS NOT IN HER SEAT.I THOUGHT MAYBE SHE HAD GONE TO THE WASHROOM.AFTER ABOUT HALF AN HOUR THE LADY WAS STILL NOT IN HER SEAT.SO I GOT NERVOUS AND ASKED THE AIR HOSTESS TO HELP.SHE WAS NOT VERY INTERESTED AND SAID THAT THE LADY WILL COME BACK.SO I RETURNED TO MY MUSIC AND MY XONE WIREFREE MUSIC PLAYER.

THIS MP3 PLAYER IS MY CONSTANT COMPANION AND IT IS SURPRISINGLY VERY GOOD .THE QUALITY OF SOUND IS FANTASTIC AND THE THING FITS SNUGLY OVER YOUR EARS.VERY COMPACT YOU SEE.AND NO WIRES!!!AGAIN I AM WANDERING FROM MY SUBJECT.

I MUST HAVE DOZED OFF.WHEN I WOKE UP AFTER HALF AN HOUR THE AIR HOSTESS WAS CALLING OVER THE MIKE TO FASTEN SEAT BELTS SINCE THE WEATHER WAS A BIT STORMY.AND I NOTICED THAT THE LADY HAD STILL NOT RETURNED.NOW I WAS REALLY NERVOUS AND ASKED THE AIR HOSTESS TO SEARCH.SHE UNDERSTOOD THE SERIOUSNESS AND STARTED SEARCHING THE WASHROOMS AND OTHER SEATS.

IN THE PACKED UP PLANE THE VANISHING LADY HAD ACTUALLY FOUND HERSELF ANOTHER SEAT.THAT WAS THE FIRST INSTANT I LOST TRACK OF HER.AND FOUND HER.

WE HAD A FORTY MINUTES LAYOVER IN KOLKATA AND WE DID NOT GET DOWN FROM THE PLANE.IT TAKES FORTY FIVE MINUTES APPROXIMATELY FROM KOLKATA TO AGARTALA.THE PLANE TOOK OFF AND WE SOON LANDED IN AGARTALA.WHEN I ALIGHTED FROM THE PLANE I HAD A BRIEF GLIMPSE OF HER AND THEN SHE DID THE VANISHING ACT AGAIN.

I JUST HAD HAND BAGGAGE AND I EXPECTED THAT SHE TOO WOULD HAVE HAND BAGGAGE ONLY SINCE THE STAY WAS ONLY FOR ONE DAY.I WENT TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE AIRPORT QUICKLY. A CAR WAS WAITING TO CONVEY US TO THE HOTEL.BUT NO TRACE OF THE LADY.AGARTALA AIRPORT IS SMALL AND HAS ONLY TWO GATES AND THE ENTRANCE CAN BE SEEN FROM WHERE WE ALIGHTED.

I KEPT WAITING FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES.AND SHE ARRIVED ALL OF A SUDDEN WITH A BIG SUITCASE.WHICH I HEARD CONTAINED HER MEDICAL PARAPHERNALIA. THAT WAS THE SECOND TIME SHE VANISHED AND RE APPEARED.

WE THEN WENT TO THE HOTEL AND AFTER FRESHENING UP WENT TO THE CLINIC TO SEE PATIENTS.IT WAS ALMOST 11 'O CLOCK P.M WHEN I FINISHED AND AGAIN I FOUND THAT THE LADY HAD VANISHED.BUT THIS TIME SHE HAD FINISHED EARLIER AND HAD GONE BACK TO THE HOTEL.I WENT TO THE HOTEL AND SHE WAS RESTING IN OUR ROOM.

AT ABOUT 4 A.M  I WOKE UP TO FIND THAT THE LADY WAS NOT IN HER BED.I THOUGHT MAYBE SHE HAD GONE TO THE WASHROOM.SINCE I HAD TO USE THE WASH ROOM MYSELF I WAITED PATIENTLY FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR.NO TRACE OF THE LADY AND NO SOUND FROM THE WASHROOM.I GOT UP AND SAW THAT THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE WASH ROOM AND THE OUTER DOOR TO THE ROOM WAS OPEN.

I WENT OUT AND SEARCHED BUT NO TRACE OF THE LADY.IT WAS STILL DARK AND I CAME BACK AND DOZED OFF.WHEN I WOKE UP I FOUND THAT THE LADY HAD GOT READY AND WAS SITTING QUIETLY LOOKING AT ME.I ASKED HER WHERE SHE HAD BEEN AND SHE COOLLY REPLIED THAT SHE HAD GONE FOR A WALK.AT 4 A.M AND IN THE DARK JUST IMAGINE!!!

WE HAD BREAKFAST MYSELF A DIABETIC FRUGAL ONE AND SHE A HEARTY ONE WITH SIX EGG OMELETTE AND OTHER THINGS!!!AND WASHED OFF WITH A HUGE GLASS OF FRUIT JUICE.WELL YOUNG AND HUNGRY I SUPPOSE!!!

AND THEN WE WENT TO THE CLINIC AGAIN AND THE LADY AS USUAL WENT BACK TO THE HOTEL ROOM EARLY .WE FINISHED LUNCH AND WENT BACK TO THE AIRPORT.

WE BOARDED THE PLANE TO KOLKATA AND AFTER REACHING THE AIRPORT WE CAME OUT SINCE WE HAD TO CATCH  A FLIGHT TO CHENNAI AFTER TWO HOURS.I WANTED TO GO OUT THE AIRPORT TO SEE MY FRIENDS AND SEARCHED HER TO TELL HER THAT I WAS GOING OUT TO MEET MY FRIENDS.AND SHE HAD VANISHED AGAIN.THIS TIME I WAS NOT OVERLY WORRIED SINCE I WAS USED TO HER VANISHING ACTS.

WHEN I BOARDED THE FLIGHT TO CHENNAI I FOUND HER SITTING IN A BACK SEAT.I WAS IN THE FRONT.SO NOT MUCH OPPORTUNITY IN TALKING TO HER.

WHEN I ALIGHTED FROM THE PLANE IN CHENNAI I DIDNOT SEE HER AND SHE VANISHED FROM MY LIFE FOR EVER.THAT WAS THE LAST VANISHING ACT.NOT A GOODBYE NOT A SMILE NOT EVEN LOOKING TO SEE IF  I WAS ALIGHTING FROM THE PLANE.
MAYBE I WILL SEE HER SOMETIME SINCE WE ARE IN THE SAME PROFESSION.BUT I WILL CERTAINLY REMEMBER THIS LADY FOR HER DISAPPEARING ACTS.

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