Inquest (Completed)

Why are we here?

The song "Summer of '69" by Bryan Adams was playing in the background; the three began the individual greetings and introductions. Krupa was very excited. A couple just came to sit near them, in a table diagonally down the aisle. They looked at the three, wondering what might have brought an evident businessman [the doctor was carrying a light briefcase] to socialize with a young boy and girl of similar ages. The doctor shook hands with Dhruv, "Would you like to introduce me to your friend here?" he asked, gesturing towards Krupa with his right hand, while his left hand rested on the table-edge.

"Yes... um... This is Krupa (she was smiling, looking at Dhruv, then at the doctor when Dhruv spoke her name), she's my school-friend."

"Hi Krupa! I'm Manish Vaid. Nice to meet you!"

"Hi doctor!" she replied. The two shook hands. As they settled back in their seats, she added, "I had attended your lecture around last December in Podar College -- I study in Ruia -- ... it was something related to stress-management I think..." Dhruv looked at Krupa with a look of astonishment, and the doctor shared his look. Dhruv wanted to ask her why she hadn't told him before, but then he paused and felt he should have suspected something of that kind since she seemed to be acquainted with the doctor beforehand on the other day when they visited the clinic. His expressions resumed neutrality.

Krupa had attended the lecture she mentioned, but back then she had misread the doctor's name as Dr. Vaidya. She came to know about the doctor and his clinic recently while passing by that road and she thought this was someone else [they didn't put up doctors' face on banners]. Today morning, she was chatting with Piya and came to know both of them are one and the same: Dr. Vaid, and she thought she'll just tell Dhruv in person instead of telling over chat.

"Is that so? Last December... [the doctor gazed up trying to recall, for a second] yes! It was on the topic, 'Stress and Health in college life'... how did the lecture affect you?"

"Um... I think... I have started reading few articles on stress management and... and I have developed my own stress-busting techniques since then"

"Good! Positive developments... Someday I'd like to try those techniques too.. But first, we're here for Dhruv, right Dhruv?"

"Huh?" Dhruv froze. The centre of attention shifted to him. He was supposed to give a proper explanation why he wanted to meet, but then he wasn't entirely sure whether he had just come here to meet Krupa, which itself sounded absurd to him, because he had certainly wanted to meet the doctor... But why did he want to meet this unacquainted doctor? Right, because of that odd feeling he got whenever Life brought him joys: He felt like something was wrong; that something worse was coming and the 'good' times were just like the 'calm' before a storm. But expressing how he truly felt would mean letting other people in, and he didn't want to let anyone in, not even Krupa -- because she didn't love him back; still it sounded stupid, since he loved her or thought he did -- but he could let the doctor in, couldn't he? After all, the doctor has experience in these kind of situations. Memories of tenth grade and eleventh came back slowly, followed by the reason why he had wanted the doctor's help.

Dhruv continued thinking, to himself, while Doc and Krupa were patiently waiting for him to respond (and Dhruv had a strange feeling, as if the doctor could clearly read his thoughts, because the doctor's smile seemed to subtly increase in intensity and because he was staring right into Dhruv's eyes): The doctor probably had a warm document ready to sign -- to reaffirm his confidentiality for his clients -- but this was not an appointment, and that meant Dhruv wasn't actually a client! Dhruv's eyes flitted between Krupa and the doctor while his train of thought was toot-tooting.

Dhruv finally mumbled, almost inaudibly, "I don't know why I'm here," to the doctor. Obviously, Dhruv thought, the other two didn't understand what he had said [or did they?], so he repeated his words, to the doctor, but this time it came out differently: "I wanted to talk to you."