I’ve Come….

Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy on Unsplash

This is a tale that has remained embedded in my mind for almost 2 decades. That is a long time, but it doesn’t distract from the merit of this lovely story. I was commanding one of the ground units in the Air Force. This was a break from my flying days and is an essential requirement as per the norms of service in the Air Force. I was staying alone at that time.

One day, I felt an excruciating pain in one of my teeth, and I went to the Naval hospital at Colaba. The seaman onduty asked me if I had something urgent to report. I replied,” Yes, I have, as my tooth is aching, and I need some attention immediately.”

The rating on duty told me, “Sir, all the specialists are busy, but I will present you to Dr. Sonal, who will see you.”

“Very well,” I said,” what next?”

He pointed to a door, and I went inside and found a young doctor sitting there. She was perhaps about 30 years old, but she looked fetching. I found her attractive. It’s a silly thing that once you have a toothache, you still think about how a woman would look without clothes. I think this is part of life and is a biological fact that cannot be brushed under the carpet.

I introduced myself, and soon she attended to me. Her touch was like an aphrodisiac, and soon the pain subsided, and I went home.

The next day, I was sitting in my office when I received a call. Actually, it was my adjutant who attended the call, and I don’t remember his name, but he was a Warrant Officer. I could make out that a lady was on the line, and I heard the Warrant Officer tell her, “madam I will ask the OC to ring you back.”

Sure enough, after the warrant officer told me, I rang up the caller who had telephoned and was pretty surprised that it was Dr. Sonal. She told me she had rung up to inquire how my tooth was. I told her it was fine, and on the spur of the moment, I asked her, “What are you doing this evening?”

“Nothing in particular”

‘Then why don’t we meet there in the evening at the Annex of the US club?”

“Yes, “she replied ,” I don’t mind.”

We met at the gate of the US club and went to the bar. Her drink was gin and lime laced with crushed ice. I had my normal Chivas Regal, and we got down to an animated conversation.

We talked for a long time, talking with each other, and later had dinner. She had come in her car and left, and I had come in my official jeep and gone to my house.

The meeting, I think, had an effect on her, and then she rang up the next day and told me to come to the dental center. I told her I was better, but she insisted, so I once more went to the dental center, and that’s how an intimacy developed between us.

We soon began to date each other and remember taking her to the Hanging Garden and the restaurant on top of the Malabar Hill. This restaurant is closed now, but at that time it was a gay place, and we stood on the parapet overlooking Bombay city, savoring the beauty of the place.

I held her hand for the first time. It was something spontaneous, and I didn’t think about it. I had picked up my bike and then told her that I could drop her off at home. She said ,” Yes,” but there was a reluctance in her voice; she could not fathom why at that time. I had my way and continued with her, and headed towards the beach. The Juhu beach is wonderful at night.

With the cold breeze flowing, it was the first time Sonal and I came close ;then something spontaneous happened, and I kissed her. It was a chaste kiss, but soon became lascivious, and our tongues intertwined.

Heavenly moments don’t last. It was so this time as well, and perhaps it was destined to end this way. A few days later, she told me that she was going away to Canada as her parents had arranged a match for her. In any case, she said she was a short-service commissioned officer, and she would have to leave. She continued, “I have another month to go, and I don’t think we’re going to meet again. Unless of course, you have something relevant to offer to me.”

“What do you mean by this?”

“I mean as a permanent partner.”

I thought for a moment and said ,” It’s so sudden I’ll have to think about it”

“Why?”

“ I am married.”

“ Its OK, you can get a divorce. In any case, you live alone.”

Give me time.”

“That’s a commodity many don’t have. I’m sorry, in that case I’ll have to leave.”

I received a small note the next day, which stated,” My days with the Navy are over, and I have a flight booked to Vancouver, where my fiancé would be waiting.”

I immediately rang her up and asked her to delay her trip. She said ,”no my seat is booked the day after tomorrow, and I am happy to go. I’ve had a video chat with my fiancée, and he’s a fine chap.”

Nothing much I could do except to follow what has been willed. I was at a loss because I had a feeling that the doctor had told me was true.

I was in a bit of consternation and took my scooter and drove out. It was the wrong time to drive because just as I turned the corner, a double-decker hit me and I fell to the Earth. The moment I fell, I knew something terrible had happened, and then I realized I had broken my knee and my left elbow. I lay on the road, and some good Samaritans came and tried to lift me up, but I couldn’t stand. Somebody shouted, and the police jeep on patrol came. They asked me who I was, and I told them that I was an officer of the Air Force. That galvanized them, and they activated the siren on the jeep, lifted me up, and drove to the naval hospital.

The chief surgeon had already been informed that he was waiting for me, and they took me to the theater for the operation, but before going, the surgeon asked me, as they were going to give me general anesthesia, that some relation of mine was required to sign the certificate of consent and indemnity. I told him I had nobody, and then I heard a soft voice. ”MG, I have come.”. It was Sonal. My adjutant had come to know after the accident and had straightway driven to the hospital. I looked at her and asked her,” Your flight is today.”

“Yes,” she said,” I will not be going. I will go after another two days.”

“But you will lose a lot of money.”

“It does not matter.”

She held my hand and said ,”I have signed the consent forms, and now I’m going.”

This is the end of the story. I was operated on and recovered soon. Sonal never came to see me again, and I learned from my staff that she visited me in the hospital during the operation and sat there till the operation was completed. My Sergeant told me that she was crying, but that was all, as she had flown away to Canada. There was nothing that I could do because I was married, and I could not have married Sonal. Maybe she was thinking I would have a divorce, but that was not ordained, folks. This is a true story and almost like a fairytale, but some fairytales don’t have happy endings.