Promises are meant to be broken

“Happy birthday Grandpa!” said Sneha walking into Dr. Agarwal’s room “75 cool! And still going strong, what’s your secret?” “Thanks dear, the Secret! It’s no drinking, no smoking and definitely no sex before marriage” “Grandpa! I rather live a short life & enjoy it than living a long boring life” said Sneha with a laugh & continued “How can you lecture me about not drinking when you don’t even go one day without drinking?” Agarwal smiles. “Ok! Grandpa! Let’s make a deal, you quit drinking everyday and I will stop drinking and smoking, what say? deal?” taking Sneha’s hand  Agarwal replies “Deal”

“Grandpa, What you doing? Today morning you promised me you won’t be drinking & you already drinking, Deals Off!” said Sneha walking into the balcony were her grandfather was having a drink. Dr. Agarwal whispered “Promises are meant to be broken” “Mummy tells me you never used to drink till some 20 years ago, what happened?” asked Sneha while poring herself a drink.

Agarwal looking into the night sky replies “I purposely killed a patient” “What!” exclaimed Sneha. You killed a patient”

Dr. Agarwal replies with a sigh “Well! I had to tell the truth someday” He continued

“I was just starting as an intern at the hospital when I met Susan, your grandmother”

---X---

“Hi come in! Take a seat” said Agarwal to Susan as she walked into his office. ”Aren’t you a bit too cute to be a doctor?, hey Sorry I didn’t mean to say that out aloud” “It’s Ok Ma’am!”said a blushing Agarwal to Susan “Please sit & tell me what’s wrong” “Don’t call me ma’am it makes me feel so old, call me Susan” replied Susan taking the chair “OK! Susan, what’s wrong?” “I am having fever and feeling bit sluggish for last 7 days” “Ok! We will do a few blood tests and check” Handing over a file she had on her lap Susan said “Here, I already took the test, I was a bit worried you see” “Ok! Your results look pretty normal, Now since you have gone ahead and taken these blood test I feel that you might have tried to self-medicate also” Smiling Susan admits “Only crocin” “Ok! Here am writing a few medicines, take them 3times a day for next 2days. ok?”

“Hey Susan, Come in, take a seat, you are looking great today, how are you feeling?” “All better Doc, feeling great, the medicines really worked, I am here to ask you something” “Sit down Susan! What’s wrong?” “Nothing’s wrong Doc” replies Susan smiling “I just wanted to ask if you are free tonight for a cup of coffee” “Wow!! You are asking me out! Wow! Sure, how about 7ish today” “That will be great Doc, waiting for tonight” said Susan smiling getting up to leave.

---X---

“That day was my first date with your Grandma” “Cool, Grandma asked you out” exclaimed Sneha. With a smile Agarwal replied “Ya, It was one of the things I loved about her. She was strong, knew what she wanted and got what she wanted”

“That first date led to a series of dates, late nights on phone & just like that I found myself proposing to her”

---X---

“Michael, I am so glad you came” said Agarwal “Susan, this is Michael, my friend from school, I have told you about him” Susan replies “Yes! If you weren’t a guy I would be really jealous from the way he talks about you” “Shut up Susan!!” says Agarwal with a smile on his face. Michael giving the gift he had in his hand to his best friend says “Buddy, we have a lot to catch up on, but right now enjoy your marriage day with this beautiful lady, and you really have to tell me how you got her to say YES to you”

---X---

“My wedding day was the first day when Susan met my friend and betrayer Michael” “Betrayer?” asked Sneha. “Yes Betrayer! I found out he is a betrayer 7 years into our marriage, 5 years after your mother was born. I clearly remember the weekend I had just been promoted to Assistant to the Chief of Medicine."

---X--

“Dear look after Shikha, I am going out" said Susan to Agarwal who sat watching his daughter sleep. Turning towards Susan he exclaims “Wow!! You have really dressed yourself up for your little kitty party; do you really need to go? Can’t you come with me, you know they are hosting the party for me” “All I have being hearing last 3 weeks is about your promotion, sorry sweetie but I have to meet my friends” saying this Susan walks out after giving Agarwal a peck on his cheek.

After the party with everyone coming and congratulating him, Agarwal thinks “I better take a cab back considering how much I drank, Its good that Susan didn’t come, she would have killed me” Just about to call for a cab when looking across the road he sees Susan kissing Michael then climbing into a cab and leaving. Before he can react Michael climbs into another cab and also moves off.

“Look Sweetie Papa is home” says Susan looking at Agarwal and talking to Shikha. “Susan, I need to talk to you” “What’s up sweetie-pie?” ask Susan scowling at him. “Shikha go and play in your room I need to talk to your mother” Shikha picks up her toys and runs to her room. Susan looking worried asks “what happened?”

“I saw you kissing Michael today, you said you are with your friends, and you were cheating on me with my friend” “Oh! So you found out. Ya, I have being having your friend for about 1 year now” “What?” “You were either always busy with your work or playing with Shikha, you never had time for me, He understands me, I wanted him, and I took him” “What! Susan you are married, you are my wife, you are a mother and you are talking like this” “Yes! I was about to tell you soon, good you found out, I am asking for a divorce, the Lawyer will talk to you soon” “What!” exclaimed Agarwal, getting desperate he adds “What about the promises you made, to love me for ever, to death never part?” Susan replied in a cold voice “Promises are meant to be broken”

---X---

“What?” exclaimed Sneha. Dr.Agarwal took a sip before repling “She walked out of the house then, Next day I got a divorce notice from her and only met her again in court.  As the settlement I got to keep your mother Shikha, while she got half the wealth and the house.” Rubbing a tear off his face Agarwal continued “Few of my friends helped me through that, Shikha was my bright light, I picked myself up for her, brought a new house and started a new life without her mother” “Dam! She was a bitch! But how does it connect to you killing someone?” asks Sneha. ““It happened about 10 years after the divorce; Michael was admitted to the hospital”

---X--

“Dr. Agarwal, this patient in room 405 is requesting that he be treated by you” said Nurse Gloria. “Who’s that? And why is he requesting for me” “His name is Michael he was admitted yesterday complaining of pain in the left side of the body, a minor heart attack, he is stable now, but is requesting for you” Hearing Michael’s name Agarwal was shocked, he started thinking “Can it be him? It can’t be, there are many Michael in this city, but if it is him, Heart attack, good if that bastard dies” “Please ask Dr. Siddhartha to handle him, Gloria.  Am busy.”

“You don’t want to treat him because of me isn’t it” says Susan standing at the door. Startled seeing Susan Agarwal replies “No! What kind of doctor do you think I am, I am a professional, noting personal can come between me and saving a patient’s life.” “Dear, Why can’t you check him, he is in pain and he trusts you. He still considers you as his best friend and is still hurt that you don’t talk to him, it was not his fault what happened; I just took what I wanted” Glaring at his ex-wife Agarwal replies “Ok! I will check up on him”

“Come in Agarwal, Michael has just gone to sleep; the nurse came in and gave some medicines” “OK! Let me check what he is taking, I will come back later when he is awake” replying thus Agarwal exits the room and goes to check what medication Michael has been put on. Agarwal notices that Michaels has been prescribed Digoxin, he quietly increases the dose.

---X---

“Michael died 2 days later” “What? How could you do that Grandpa” asks Sneha, Agarwal looks down and takes another sip from the glass, “I did it, at that time I just wanted him dead, I am so sorry” Sneha asks in a quite voice “what about the Hippocratic oath?” Agarwal looking at Sneha replies “Promises are meant to be broken”