How I Met My Doctor While Traveling to Delhi

Being at a relative’s place is not easy, especially when they are too nosy. My parents would often push me to go to the relative’s house under the pretext of sending sweets, delivering clothes, fetching food, and what not. Generally, I don’t like to do anything that is concerned with my maternal or paternal uncles and aunts, still I try my best to be nice. However, there was enough of it when I had to sit by the side of an extremely inquisitive uncle, who happened to be my father’s friend.

So here it goes.

We had to attend a wedding in Delhi, and travelled for four hours from Bareily to be there. However, we had stay in Noida at someone’s house before the wedding. We took a car on rent in Noida and headed off to Delhi for the marriage ceremony. As anyone would dread, an Indian wedding is all about opening up your life in front of random strangers, whom we call relatives, but we meet them only when someone get married or dies.

I was waiting for my turn to fetch the aloo-tikki, which was my only respite in the boring wedding. I saw my father waiving at me from a distance, calling me to meet someone. No matter how hard I tried to look away from them, they found me. When nothing worked, he called me on my cellphone and told me to come there as soon as I got the aloo-tikki. I could hear the frustrating conversation already in advance, even before I had not talked to that uncle.

The uncle

Anyway, as I went there, Dad introduced me to his distant friend, Mr. Sharma, who lives in Chennai. Dad told me to talk to him as he would return in sometime with some snacks. I had a terrified look on my face, and Dad knew that I did not want to be alone with Mr. Sharma. Nevertheless, I had to talk to him.

Mr. Sharma: Beta, what do you do? Do you study? Do you work for a company? Where do you live? Your father told me you live alone? How much do you earn?

I do not need to mention that he bombarded me with a dozen more questions in a single breath.

Me: I’m good uncle. How many kids do you have?

Mr. Sharma: I have one daughter. She is studying medicine in Chennai.

Me: When will she complete her studies? When will she come to Delhi?

Mr. Sharma: I don’t know? Why do you ask?

Me: I would hang out with her and know about her job and salary. When can I meet her?

Mr. Sharma: I don’t think she will come to Delhi alone. She does not need to. I’ll come with her.

Me: I know, still I would like to be aware of her wellbeing and job.

I could realize the uncle wanting to kill me right there, but my father came at the right moment and asked about how the conversation was going on.

Mr. Sharma gave me a stern look, and went back to Dad. I could hear him saying that kids these days have become too modern. He, on his own, turned his back to me and went away with Dad. I don’t need to say that I had my food and drinks peacefully for the entire wedding, and no one dared to disturb me. Mr. Sharma recommended a friend for me, who happened to be his nephew to a good time.

Oh! Did I mention that the friend was a psychologist?

Never!