Page 170 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

“It’s deep,” she said. “I will inform the surgeon.”
Dr. Sampath Karl came with a kit. He dressed the wound. “Don’t worry. The baby should be fine
now.”
Weeks later, the cough eased, and he played with his toys.
“Nunu,” he said, pointing at Choki’s bosom.
“No nunu for you until the doctor says so, dear,” said Choki.
He cried, digging his head into the pillow. “Nunu…boohoo!”
“We should ask Dr. Jacob,” I said.
“But I hope he won’t get annoyed.”
“Certainly not. He isn’t grouchy like Dr. S.K. Mitra.”
When Dr. Jacob and his team arrived in the evening, I said, “The baby is crying for milk.”
“You can try it, but stop if he gets diarrhea.”
“Oh, thank you, doctor! Um, what about food? Can we—”
“Try with soft foods, but little by little.” Before leaving, he tickled Rinchen’s cheek and said, “Glad you
are getting better.”
“You heard it, didn’t you?” I said to Choki, beaming. “We should buy a grinder.”
“A grinder? Why?”
“To grind Rinchen’s food. I must soften his balanced diet.”
“Do you find it necessary?”
“Of course, Ama!”
He deepened her thought, twirling her hair with her finger. “Okay.”
“But you mustn’t grumble over my choice.”
“Seriously?” She stared at me. “Do I grumble? But it must be of fine quality.”
I grinned. “I am always good at choices.”
Rinchen’s steady recovery brought me immense relief, but it was not over yet.
One of the junior surgeons said, “We have to close the stoma.”
“Does it mean another surgery, doctor?” I said.
“It’s a minor surgery.”
It robbed me of my breath. Until Dr. Jacob visited us in the evening, I bit my bottom lip for the
hundredth time.
“No need,” said Dr. Jacob. “The stoma would close by itself. It’s just a small hole.”
“Thank a million, doctor.”
Choki smiled up.
Rinchen could sit up and play. Sometimes, he would ask for anything he saw on TV and cried. So, I
would scurry out to the toyshop and return with cheap toys. Pleased, he would play with toys until he went
to sleep.
On the forty-sixth day, Dr. Jacob said, “we will discharge the baby tomorrow. Bring him for the check-
up.”
“Thank you,” I said. “When should we bring him for the check-up?”
“Weekly. You must take care of this catheter. There’s a risk of infection. And you must follow the
medication strictly.”
We nodded.
In the evening the next day, we carried Rinchen to our lodge.
A few days later, Choki said, “Maybe we should go to Chennai beaches.”
Ata Gelong said, “I will take you.”
I thought over it. “But it’s risky traveling around India. I find it unnecessary.”
“We would be safe with the driver,” said Ata Gelong.
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