What a friend means

You know how sometimes you maybe friends, and I mean really great friends with someone for a really long time and I mean really long, say 7 odd years? And how you became friends in the first place thanks to your blog and hers? But you never get a chance to meet until recently when your friend comes by to town and you have her over for a sleepover and man you realise how and why you've been such good friends all this time.

It's like it is with my other best pal, my husband, more or less.

She was every bit as curious to see my home, all the little corners and nooks, my fridge was her own, she wondered where my books were kept, she came up and met my mom in law and pop in law, giggled with me at my ever late for work hubby, miraculously got my dog Maya to fall in utter desperate love with her, watched horror movies with me, drank several glasses of fruity Himachali wine with me, thoroughly relished the homemade pizzas I'd made for dinner, watched my wedding videos and poked fun when and where I would have, enjoyed watching me tell her who I liked and who I despised and I felt so free and unencumbered unlike how it usually is when entertaining.

She was here, my buddy, my soul sister and the only one other than my mom and Nikhil who love and accept me as I am and for all my gazillion flaws...see the best in me. What a refreshing change from people for whom no matter what you do or how lovingly or how much, nothings ever good enough, and you're always judged in the wrong way. 

We met through her blog and mine when I replied to one of her blog posts. We maybe different in a lot of ways as you can see from visiting her blog link and then mine but...the hearts are the same. Unapologetically crazy. She is extremely intelligent and sure to be a famous author one day not too far down the line. The extremely intelligent part of her is what drew me to for a friendship with her and it is part of what still continues to sustain it. However now it matters very little to me, I think if when we're old and she/I are senile, we will still be tight/

I gave her a nice batch of hazelnut chocolate truffles I'd whipped up while she slept, a book by Monica Ali that I wanted her to read and a silly pretty but useless (like she wanted) sand art souvenier from Dubai. Went to her place, met her mom in law, sis in law who insisted that my hubby come inside and have some coffee and bong sweets which were unlike anything I've ever had so far. She made us feel at home and welcome and showed us a Bong wedding tradition whereby a fish is dressed up like a bride and sent to the bride's home for good luck. There's Amrita posing with the fish :)
Something she doesn't know. The day after she left I was extremely grumpy and when my mom started asking me why I couldn't help but tell her I was just sad she left. :'( such is life.

Doctors don't get asked for autographs.

....It's true. We don't.

We stay up nights.

We ease your pain.

We don't sleep well, or in peace, ever.

We worry even after you leave.

We wonder if you'll feel better.

We wonder if you'll call and let us know you're better.

We OD on caffeine to stay alert. We sometimes need a pill to sleep in peace.

We refuse wedding invitations to be there for our patients.

We put our lives on hold, to learn more, to educate ourselves more.

We sacrifice our family lives, often.

We don't go out and party because we can't get drunk because we won't be able to treat you efficiently. Yes, we're geeky.

We sit by your bedside and wait till the pain subsides.

We never even hint that we want to go back to bed. We can't go, not while you're hurting.

We care.

We hurt when causing you pain too. Did you know that? The local anaesthesia is as much for us as it is for you.

We never let our anxiety show.

We never let out insecurity show.

We listen to you.

Without looking at our watches repeatedly.

We even put up with your sometimes Know-It-All attitude despite your ignorance or incomplete information.

We try to educate you, dispel your fears.

Even as we deal with our own fears.

We watch people younger to us getting married, having babies, being happy...and we still put our lives on hold till we can complete the chunk of our education.

We watch them and sometimes wish we were them.

We get out of touch with friends...often we live in our own world of medicines.

We wish you wouldn't doubt us.

We hate dealing with your distrust.

When we stand by your side to support you while you watch your stillborn baby, we fight to hold back our tears. We cry for your loss and pray for your souls after you leave.

We rub your tummies, we wipe your tears, we even clean your piss and vomit.

But its SRK or AB or PC whose autographs you want.

Dedicated to all conscientious Doctors around the world. And Janitors, nurses, sweepers and all medical personnel.