LIBERATING BOLTS

PRESENT

2033

Sitting at a therapist's office with nothing to discuss is now getting awkward, because we are not only wasting his time [he's getting paid for it], but also our time. I have been married for 2 years now and since there is still no child , or any mention of it, in the picture, well lets just say it goes against the Indian society norms and so my mother in law suggested us to go see a therapist , so we could resolve our or rather my 'issues', when we refused she informed us that she has already booked an appointment. So, here we are with absolutely nothing to talk about because we got married so that I wouldn't have to marry someone else. My husband is my friend, just my friend; we are a married couple only on paper, therefore nothing to talk about.

"Is it not time yet? I have other things to do", kabir asks. "oh and this is my new favourite job isn't it, rather than saving lives I like to sit with you in a therapist's office doing absolutely nothing, right!?", before I can say anything more the therapist intervenes "maybe you could talk about your tendency to argue?". "shut up!" we both say simultaneously. Well, we are friends, its second nature for us to fight with each other.

Finally after a long hour, we leave the office, kabir asks me if I need a ride but since I'm going to the hospital and I don't want any of my colleagues to see me with him, I refuse.

He goes his way and I go mine.

I am a surgeon, technically a resident surgeon; since Kabir says technicalities are useless I tend to leave the resident out sometimes.

After I completed my MBBS and MD I got a job in Bangalore and after we got married it was just more convenient for kabir to move here since I am still a resident and don't get may benefits on top of being treated like a labour every day. Kabir is an engineer and self employed, and if you're the boss you can do whatever you want, so here he is.

I took an uber to travel and after reaching the hospital it seemed like time flew by.

Today is an important day for me, I'll finally get to assist Dr. sidharth on his by-pass surgery .

He is by far the best cardio-thoracic surgeon I've ever met, and to work with him is not only an opportunity but also an honour. After the pre-op procedures are completed, the nurse, Ms. Indrani, informs Dr. Malhotra and I finally get to stand beside him in the OR.

When a doctor enters the OR, it feels like they have entered another universe where the only people existing are the doctors, nurses and the patient on the table. Period.

Holding the scalpel gives you an adrenaline rush better than any drug ever could, and when you touch the heart for the first time, everything you have sacrificed to get to this point seems justified and worthwhile.

The surgery goes on for almost 7 hours due to the extensive blockage in the patient's arteries , but now it is done finally.

After checking the post-op reports I decide to gove myself a break. My head is going to burst any time now. So, instead of going home, I decide to nap in the on call room for some time.

Drifiting away, my last though is :It isalready 12:30am, so I will wake up in an hour and then go home.