Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Senescence

Had visited a doctor today for a strain of cough that's irritated me for sometime now. The clinic was pretty crowded. An old couple occupied the seats opposite to me. They were very old. The man looked weak & ailing. It was an excruciating wait for them too & all this while both were speaking sweet-nothings to each other. They smiled, giggled and in a way cheered each other up. I wondered how long they must have been together... They must have been with each other through every thick and thin and seen each other grow and then grow old!

Just then the door of the doctor's cabin opened and an equally senile couple walked out. On seeing them, the first couple sprang to their feet and greeted them with such zeal. Apparently they were friends and were bumping into each other after a very long time. "Aaj-kal to yehi pe milna hota hein" (It's just here that we meet thesedays), retorted the first lady and laughed aloud. I found this statement very touching. But that lady was very cheerful and so strong! The 4 spoke and giggled like kids totally oblivious to all other onlookers. They laughed at old memories, enquired about their kids and exchanged contact-numbers. For those few moments together, it seemed like there were just 4 kids in that room. They had forgotten everything about their ailments. It was a strangely entertaining sight...

Later, while talking with the doctor, he happened to utter a statement that I found very amusing. He happened to say that "Nature is the most possessive mistress". Cute, i'd say :-).

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