The cherished X-ray!

There was this unique piece of kitchen item in the Kumar household. Heavy and expensive; bought by the husband on an official trip to a 'phoren' country many years back. It splendidly bejeweled the Kumar couple’s kitchen and was mentioned by him in almost every conversation with all their guests at home. And the way Mr Kumar cooked his favorite recipes in it and then made sure he cleaned and sponged it dry before decking it neatly, pushed Mrs Kumar to ponder whom he loved more? Her or it!

And so it happened one day. One of the not-so-good days! Mrs Kumar was having this different kind of feeling since morning. No, she wasn’t unwell but had spotted that 'black bird with yellow beak' sitting in her verandah, and another one just half an hour later on the window of her bedroom. 'OMG! One for sorrow...shoo!' she shouted as she tried to shoo away the bird. Something she always did whenever she spotted a solitary black bird, even as a child. Many years back, if on her examination day she spotted one then she would know that she may fail the exam and how she would look here, there and everywhere to find if she could spot two of them together, even if not together at least a few steps away, a little more steps away. You see, 'One was for sorrow and two for joy!'

But on that day, any companion of this black bird was nowhere to be found. This had literally made her gloomy right at the start of the day. Absorbed in her thoughts, as she picked that unique piece of kitchen item to begin the cooking for the day – a thud! There was a loud sound and so loud was it that Mr Kumar who was enjoying his bath in his newly renovated bathroom with the latest faucets and a bathtub, had to come out running in his towel. 'What happened?' he screamed and as he saw, 'Satyaanash!', he sighed.

On the floor was lying the jewel of his kitchen which he had bestowed to Mrs Kumar and on its fall, the heavy kitchen item not just failed the test of its endurance and flawlessness but also injured Mrs Kumar’s left foot miserably. Mr Kumar lamented, 'Oh! is my favorite fine, seems it got scratched. We can’t get it mended here in our des!'

Mrs Kumar’s 'moment of truth' which she later would always share with her family and friends was here as she, in her state of pain, realized that her husband seemed more worried about that lifeless object than her! Furious as a dragon, Mrs Kumar shouted, 'Will you help me get up? Can’t you see my foot is blue, this fancy item of yours has hurt me miserably!'

Her howl diverted Mr Kumar's attention towards her left foot which looked swollen. He quickly helped her lie down on the bed and consoled her while Mrs Kumar kept crying and shouting, and cursing the innocent black bird and Mr Kumar's love of life that had transformed her princess' foot into what looked like a monster's foot. Mr Kumar still absorbed in the melancholy of seeing his souvenir tarnished kept going back and forth between the bedroom and the kitchen confused whom to tender first.

'Call the doctor Kumar!' shouted Mrs Kumar.

Immediately a call was made to the nearby nursing home explaining the situation and an X-ray was recommended. After a few hours, the X-ray was in the couple's hand. Mrs Kaveri Kumar, X-ray – Frontal and Oblique views of the left foot. Since it was Sunday, the OPD didn’t have an orthopaedic on duty. The emergency doctor prescribed Mrs Kumar pain killers along with instructions for handling the foot. The couple was advised to see an orthopaedic the next morning.

Doubly grief-stricken and nervous to the core, thinking how difficult it would be to handle Mrs Kumar alone at home, Mr Kumar called up all the relatives and friends in town to share the bad news. One after the other, the well-wishers started to pour in. And it so happened, each one wanted to have a look at the blueprint showing Mrs Kumar's beautiful foot inside out. As the X-ray moved from one hand to another, everyone had their thoughts and advice encapsulated in sweet words of consolation. Dislocation to a hairline fracture to rheumatoid arthritis – it was surprising how many doctors were hidden in the couple’s circle.

As the day passed and people left, Mrs Kumar dozed off under the effect of sedatives, Mr Kumar so lovingly looked at her, as he caressed her hair. The X-ray lying next to her made him feel utterly bad about the pain that she was going through. He then went to the kitchen and looked at his other favourite but this time, not with that much love! The last time probably that he saw it.

By next morning Mrs Kumar’s swollen foot looked better and by another day – the swelling almost vanished. But all this time, Mr Kumar so tenderly looked after her without making any other mention of 'it'. Even when she jokingly inquired about the state of the other love of his life – he dismissed its mere existence! Somewhere deep in the heart, Mrs Kumar always enjoyed the feeling of triumph over that piece of 'phoren' kitchen item that Mr Kumar used to be so obsessed about.

Well, as I rummaged through my parents’ old medical records – here it was, that thirty five year old cherished x-ray of my mom – aka Mrs Kumar – which refreshed all the memories in my mind attached to it. The episode was retold by her many times and each time with a new flavour to savour.