Page 128 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

“How lucky is my baby to receive a huge donation from such a great person.”
“Yeah, how lucky,” he said.
In the first week of December, we showed baby Rinchen to his surgeon.
Dr. John blinked in amazement. He felt Rinchen’s hands and said, “You’ve grown so fast, Rinchen,” he said.
“Doctor, which hospital are you sending us to?” I said.
“Where do you want to take him? Vellore or Kolkata?”
“Vellore,” I said.
“Why?”
“Via train,” I said.
He shook his head. “Why?”
Choki nudged me on my back and relayed in sharchop, “He said ‘Why’ not ‘Via’.”
“Oh, I am sorry.”
Dr. John turned to Choki and said, “Why do you want to take him to Vellore?”
Choki flushed and glanced at me. “You tell him.”
“Okay, fine,” said Doctor John. “Give me the papers. I will forward them to the referral committee. You can
come after one week.”
So, one week later, I went to his chamber.
“It’s endorsed,” he said.
“Thank you, doctor. We are ever grateful to you.”
He patted my shoulder. “Safe journey. See you later.”
I went upstairs to the referral section. A middle-aged man on his rotating chair, nibbling on his mouthful betel
leaves.
“Excuse sir,” I said. “I have come for my baby’s referral letter.”
“Baby’s name, please?”
“Rinchen Zangpo, la.”
“Give the referral documents to the Liaison Officer at Vellore. And you must book your train tickets. Each
parent and the patient are entitled to one hundred fifty ngultrums per day, up to one month.” He slapped his left
chest to clear his throat the betel leaves had choked. “Ahem, ahem! After one month, one hundred ngultrums each.
You will get a travel allowance and train fare. Ahem!”
“Are you okay, sir?” I said.
He thumped his chest again. “You must arrive there in a month. Contact Mr. Rinzin, the Liaison Officer there.”
“I will. Thank you.”
Back home, Choke was peeping through the window. Her eyes were weak as a shrunken bead of a pea.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“I heard Vellore is very far. How would we go there? We’ll get lost. We need someone to escort us.”
“But who would escort us?”
“Um, can I ask my cousin-brother, Ata Gelong?”
“You mean the monk from Dzongsar in India?”
Her face sparkled with eagerness. “He often travels by train. He would be the right person for us.”
“Fine, if he is willing to escort us.”
“He would.” She dialed the number and talked for like ten minutes. “Now we must book our train tickets.” She
rang her cousin-sister, Phuntsho at Phuentsholing.
In the evening, Phuntsho said she had booked our tickets. The next day, we began our journey from Thimphu to
Phuentsholing. The same evening, Phuntsho Choden and her husband took us to the Shivaji Travel Agent at
Jaigaon. We paid him six thousand rupees.
“What about a taxi?” I asked.
“Don’t worry about that,” replied Shivaji. “I have arranged a taxi. Report here at 7:30 am, IST.”
“Which means 7:00 am, BST?”
“Yes.”
We arrived at the Alipur Railway Station at 11:30 am, one hour before the train schedule.
One hour later, a woman made an ear-splitting announcement over the speaker. “Attention, passengers!
Guwahati–Trivandrum Express (12516), headed to Kerala is delayed by one hour. Inconvenience caused is
regretted.” She repeated it.
“Delayed by one hour?” I said. “Oops.”
“It will come,” said Choki. “Always be alert with the people around here.”
Amidst the bustling railway station, I remained watchful. Anything could happen with many suspicious strangers
hanging around. But it was a strange place, full of odd surprises. The sight of the mendicants shuffling along the

128