Delhi Diary VII: The Rickshaw-puller’s Pregnancy Dilemma
At 4:30 P.M., a soothing cool
breeze accosted me as I emerged from the air-conditioned chill of the OPD
chamber, which had enclosed me for the past seven hours, in a gladdening contrast
to the usual aversion of having to experience singeing due to the previously so-often-described
calefaction. It had been raining heavily to flood the roads by a few
centimeters depth! A faint drizzle still lingered on.
That affected my mind to decide on
spending four times the fare to reach home by choosing the luxury of a solitary
ride in a rickshaw instead of boarding a crowded mini-van which treats the
passengers as poultry!
The rickshaw-puller, RP, enacted a
cameo!
The guy was soaked in the rain and
his guts were soaked in alcohol. The air he exhaled was pungently repulsive.
He asked me, “Sir! Are you part of
the staff in the hospital?”
Me: I am a doctor.
RP: Then I have a problem to share!
Me: Yes, tell me.
RP: Do you have the pill to stop pregnancy?
Me: No! I don’t have it. How come
you need it?
RP: What to say sir! My wife will
have another child in her womb if you don’t help! We did it fifteen days ago
and she did not take her pills! She told me only yesterday and I am very
unhappy and thus I drank some more today! Please sir, only you can help! Give
me the other pill.
Me: Why don’t you want a child? How
many do you have?
RP: There are three!
Me: Then why don’t you undergo NSV?
RP: Why are you joking sir? My wife
will be taking pills regularly from next time! NSV is impossible for me! I
could be of use for somebody someday!
Now that was a weirdly immoral yet
rib-tickling statement!
Me: How so?
That subsequent question
sub-consciously followed while I tried to subdue laughter.
RP: I am thinking of helping those
who can’t produce children!
Me: Ok.
This man believed in the modern
concept of sperm donation.
RP: I have talked about it with my
wife! She will give me only one chance and no more to impregnate her sister!
Now, my head was spinning at the
grotesque statement but then, the words of the alcoholic sounded like truth.
By now, he was imploring me to
fetch him the prized pill. It was my luck that I reached my destination and did
it at half the usual fare for bearing with his story!
3 comments:
@gaurav da What's even more comical is that in the Indian smorgasbord, such preposterous moments are routine! Hilarity is retrospective, and facepalm the inevitable present. My mind is still trying to get over and at the same time very curious about the rickshaw-puller's family dynamics!!!!
Thanks for reading Mayurakshi! How are you? I met the Rickshaw-puller another time today but he was sober on this occasion and I dared not inquire further! :)
This hilarious anecdote reminded me of similar encounters during my rural life and I've posted it on my blog with a link to this post. Do read. And you were wise not to delve further into the mind-boggling life he leads! :)
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