Know me first
Maira
Tring Tring Tring... It’s just 6:30...
Snooze for 5 min
Tring Tring Tring
Snooze for another 5 min
‘Hey, don’t you have your class today?’
’That’s wishful thinking, Mom. But, my prayer never seems to reach him ( the almighty). Dang those clouds for hindering with my prayer!′
’Well, then baby girl, you very much need another praying real soon if you want to make it on time.′
‘Huh?’
‘It’s 8 o’clock’
‘Whaaatttt, I am scre....’
She gave me a sharp glare causing me to stop mid-air.
’Oh mom, come on, you know I am a grown-up now. I need a way to channelize my stress’ I pouted hoping she would finally give-in her rule of “not swearing inside her house”.
’Hmm, Adults do have a hard time, and sometimes it’s okay for them to swear I guess. But, you, miss are very far from being called an adult. Which adult wakes up at 8, just seconds before she has a class to attend?′
‘You’re 22. When I was your age, I used to....’ I very well know where this is going and I don’t want to hear this story again. If you’re an Asian or born from Asian parents, you know what I am talking about! And this is a sign that you should stop arguing. So, as usual, I gave-in.
‘MOM, not again! I’m late. Can you plz lay the breakfast? I will get dressed and come downstairs.’ I told her trying my best to change the topic.
‘How will you manage when I am not around?’ She sighed.
‘Ma, buckle-up, cause we’re going to be around each other for a very very long time. I am not that easy to let-go’ I grinned earning a chuckle from my mom.
I glanced at the mobile. It’s already 7:30. Oh, yea, My mom has a habit of exaggerating things, one of them is saying 8 o’clock when it’s just 7, and just like that, I end up falling for it every time. This, my friend is another special talent my mother has.
’But, if I don’t hurry I will be late. I just have 30 mins to take a shower, decide the outfit, slip into them, paint my face, feed my tummy, and take a 10 min ride to the college, which if you’re a girl, you know, isn’t much time. However, this is my superpower if anyone thinks I’m a superman or should I say super-woman′
Just as I was parking my scooter, I saw a car, red ford car. Four-wheelers’ parking space is a little further away from two-wheelers’ space. It was going there. Yea I didn’t need to check its number plate to know whose car is that or should I say, who is inside there’
I tried to turn away but I just couldn’t. My feet just wouldn’t listen to me. It’s as if someone else is controlling them. My heartbeat, my pulse, they were on the ceiling. If anyone had checked my vitals, they’d have probably taken me to ER. So, unable to move, I stood there, like a statue.
From the distance, I see him. Well, that’s another superpower I have, I can spot him from anywhere, even at a distance where he appears the size of a sesame seed. But, no one knows about this superpower of mine and I like to keep it that way.
Why you may be wondering. Don’t worry, you won’t be wondering that for long. Just wait until I reach my class.
Dressed in a two-piece blue tux, a shade lighter than the navy blue, with a white shirt and brown leather shoes, he looks no less than a celebrity.
Man, the way he walks! I seriously think he should try modeling. This ain’t a runway and yet, I can see a lot of people gathering around, capturing this magic moment! Seriously though, this is a hospital area, how come people have leisure time like this! Do they not have anything else to do other than googling him!
‘and make me jealous’ My subconscious voiced.
I am like 2 seconds away from him...I should quit staring and turn...turn..turn. Ughh I hate this...None of my muscles is taking my command. It feels like locked-in syndrome, the only difference is they do move but for someone else!
He is here. Look down...okay maybe just blink...blink fast...
Eyes: You’re not the in-charge sweety
Stupid eyes!
Oh my god! Did he just look at me? No, he must be looking for something else which happens to be in my direction. Yea that must be it.
Who knows it might be you? ‘It was stated by my subconscious ofc’
Yeah, just like the fact that I am the hottest girl in this hospital! *mark my sarcasm* I scoffed listening to my subconscious bizarre conclusion! Clearly, it stops functioning when he is around.
And he is gone, so is the mass that had gathered seconds ago. This is still a mystery to my mind, how do these people know he is here and then vanish in thin air as soon as he is gone?!
I look at my watch. Oops, I should run like a leopard now if I don’t want to stay late today. Well, those who are late should stay at the hospital and take a history and examination of three patients and present in the rounds the next day, and that is still not the hardest part, being asked all kinds of questions in front of 20 people (including your juniors, and oh yes, even the patient himself) in rapid-fire is !!!! It makes me sick in the tummy just thinking about it.🤢 If that doesn’t give you nightmares, nothing will.
Sometimes, I just think being a doctor is just not me. After all, communication is not my best suit. I mean, I am not bad at it, but it’s just that I care too much about people’s opinion, and that makes me nervous, very very nervous. I doubt me. I shouldn’t I know but I can’t control it. The roots of me doubting myself has sprung very deep into my brain and to get out of it is tough at this point. Nevertheless, I am trying. 😔
Breathless...but finally I am here..Annex II. That’s where we “junior interns” are supposed to wait for our professors/ consultants to come. Seeing that it hasn’t started gives me a relief, a huge one. I sighed.
‘Hallelujah! What happened Mimi? You are wearing rose more than you should! Wait a min, you don’t even wear rose! Who did you see that made you blush like this?’
Oh no! I touch my cheeks. Indeed they are hot. What am I supposed to say?! I don’t want anyone to know. This is one of those crushes that I am happy seeing from a distance! Nothing is ever gonna happen. And expressing my feeling to anyone will just make me fall deeper. I don’t want that. And even though she is my best friend whom I trust with my life, this little info is better hidden!
No, that is not the reason! If truth be told, it’s ’cause you’re embarrassed! He is a teacher, and way mature than you. You are afraid she will judge you for having a crush on someone who is at least 10 yrs older than you!!! My subconscious chimed in.
Why do you always have to interrupt when I am talking, my subconscious? See you and me we should be a team and not be exposing each other 🙄
So you are accepting what I just said?
Man, you are impossible!
‘MIMI, Is everything okay?’ She brought me back to the reality
‘Yea’ I nodded.
’So, who is that lucky boy?′
‘Why are you assuming it’s a boy?’ I winked
‘What?’ She gasped. Seriously, her mouth was so wide open that I could fit a regular-sized apple in her mouth!
‘You’re les...’
‘You didn’t know?’
At this point, her expression was as if she had seen a ghost! I was honestly enjoying this conversation’
′ I am so sorry Mimi. I honestly didn’t know. Oh, I am ashamed. All these years, we were friends and I couldn’t even figure this out.′
She looked hurt. Now, I’m feeling guilty. I was just trying to divert the topic but this was getting a little far. 😅
′ I am not’
‘What?’
‘Initially, I just meant that It could be a man and not a boy. But then you assumed things on your own, so I went with the flow’ I gave a nervous laugh hoping she wouldn’t kill me right there.
‘DO NOT TALK TO ME’ She yelled
‘Hey’
‘I am not talking to you’
‘It’s so cold here. I better put my hands into my apron pocket.’ Then I make a noise with the wrappers of the M&M that was inside my pocket. That immediately caught her attention.
Okay, step 1 of consoling her completed. Now I just have to tempt her. I internally laughed.
′ Oh, look what I found! a large size M&M. I know someone who is absolutely crazy about these. But...she is not....talking to me.′ I said in the most unhappy voice possible.
‘What should I do with these? I guess I will eat them myself. I can’t keep it inside the pocket for if anyone else sees this, they will steal it’
‘Mimi, you are so mean!’ She finally spoke
‘And only you can tolerate me’
‘Yeah, Now give me the M&Ms. But next time, these bribes won’t work.’
‘come on, Riri, We both know that’s a lie’ And she glared at me telling me to shut up. I got the clue.
‘But, truth be told Mimi, who is that person?’
Oh not again.
‘Umm....I...ummm he...he is..’
I saw Mr. Lamsal ( the one taking today’s rounds) walking in our direction.
‘Good morning sir’ Never have I been so relieved seeing the rounds start.
Riri turned back facing the sir and greeted him.
Riri and I are friends for 5 yrs. She was my first friend in medical school and the best one. We both annoy each other a lot but we also enjoy each other’s company. She is the twin sister that I wish I had.
Oh, and her real name is Noori.
N
‘Oh, finally it’s done.’
M
‘Yeah, I am so tired. Hey, do we have class at 12 today?’
N
‘Oh, I totally forgot about that class. The surgery department sure is so dedicated to teaching. While in Medicine posting, no one even cared to take a class for Junior Interns’
M
‘Yea that I agree’
N
‘Lemme ask Mihir about that!’
N
‘Mihir said that we have a class on Examination of swelling today at 12’
M
’And who is taking that?
N
‘MS Resident 3rd year, whoever is on the duty. Mihir has sent the duty roster on the Viber. We can check there’
M
‘Okay cool’
N
‘Some dai (means brother in my language, “Nepali”) named Arogya. Wow, let’s just hope that he is hot. So that, we won’t doze off in the middle of the class.’
M
‘Riri, we are here to study not do some NSP’
(NSP ‘Nain Sukh prapti’ is a slang in Hindi which literally means delight to the eye. But it is used synonymously as checking someone out without catching their attention and enjoying the view 😅)
(Someone who knows it better, plz explain to others😁)
N
‘Oh, come on, don’t be a nerdy-nerd. Loosen a bit, have some fun, will you? See you’re already 22, by the time, MBBS is over you will be 23. You need to have at least 1 yr of experience for joining residency. And by the time you join residency, you will be around 24. They will start pressuring you for marriage and by the time you will be 25, they will hand you to someone else, life is then over babe. No more fun.’
M
‘Yea whatever’
(Skip to another chapter if you just want to focus on the story, and do not want to read me complaining about the life of a medical student😊😇)
See this is the thing that I don’t like about our medical fraternity. All the things she just said, just breaks my heart cause it’s true. We have to study 5 to 6 yrs just to get a bachelor’s degree. And add another 4 5 yrs to finish the residency...By the time you are done, you are an old lady. And don’t even get me started on the amount of hard work we have to endure..No social life...Sleeping is a luxury most of the time.
And for girls, either you’re studying or you’re doing some chores or doing both at the same time!!
What worries me personally is if I don’t settle on time and have kids by the time I am 30, I might end up having syndromic babies (You must have heard about DOWN’S SYNDROME). One of the risk factors for having such a baby is the age of mothers above 30.
If only I had enough money, I would store my ova and retrieve it later, do an IVF and be pregnant 😅
