The Yakshi and the Doctor

Chapter 7: The Transition

Over the next few days, mohini was closely following the doctor who was literally over working without worrying about his health for the service of the poor people of her place. As days passed by she couldn't help but feel an admiration for the man. After all, who can hate such a person.

Another unintended consequence of mohini being at the side of the doctor in both avatars was that he could focus more on his research. He was now certain that the flu like disease was getting transmitted from one person to another in close contact. Evidence was also mounting that it was water borne. Hence, he started using the combination of drugs to treat cholera and flu for treating the same. He was getting fair degree of success as the mortality rate was coming down. But the challenge remained that once a person got the disease it remained for a minimum period of 3 months. During the period, chances of the person dying from his existing diseases remained high. He was thankful to god that both mohini and lakshmiamma were giving him full support during this period enabling him to carry on. The long hours at work and his fight with the disease had started to take a toll on his health.

Doctor was especially impressed with the way mohini was helping him treat the patients. She had a lot of patience and knew all the drugs by heart. She also didnt mind working odd hours. It was really amazing for a volunteer to be really passionate about the job, especially when regular nurses were having panic attacks dealing with patients day in and day out. If he was not able to bring a complete cure for the disease, he was sure that within a short span of time the entire population of the area would be reduced by half.

During one of the days when doctor was on his regular duty, he suddenly felt like his head was spinning and that his legs were not able to carry the weight of his body. He fell down with a loud sound and lost his consciousness. He did not know how many hours had passed and which day was it when he finally opened his eyes.

When he regained his consciousness, the fellow hospital staff and people of the area were overjoyed. It was clear that he after spending countless hours researching about the new flu had caught it. On the hand when people were quite concerned for him, he felt overjoyed that finally he could do the tests and try medicines on himself to find a complete cure.

Mohini was caught in two minds now. Thee easiest way was that she could literally ignore the doctor and allow himself to work to his death. This would easily solve her problems without doing anything by herself. Afterall, he was quite like a child refusing to give up and persevering when any other person would have long given up. He continued to help the poor and weak trying to find a cure. Any other sane doctor would have taken leave and gone. It was a government hospital and literally nobody would care even if, all the poor people of the area died. It was the tradition of the place. Over the years, nobody knows for sure how many people died due to various diseases.

But he had a child like innocence which captured the attention of all the people surrounding him. Despite all failures, he continued in his quest of a solution to allevate the suffering of the poor. It also brought unwavering devotion and admiration of all the people around him. So mohini as lakshmiamma brought food for him daily and scared for him in mohini avatar. As a consequence, people of the area started to believe that mohini was close to him and would marry him some day. As days passed by the health of the doctor despite all care and medicine started to decline. It looked like his end was near.

Mohini who had actually come to eliminate him, started to actually care for him and would be by his bedside attending to all his needs. She also feverently wished and prayed that the doctor would get well soon. In all her years, she had hardly seen anyone as good as him both as a doctor and more importantly as a human being. After coming to know him from close quaters, she did not want to lose him like this. She herself could not believe she was having such thoughts. On some days, she would be wondering to herself that if she had lost it, for thinking like a human. But she could not help herself.

No wonder people say that once good karma would protect their lives, even if everyone or everything is against them. But people are stupid to have such notions, her own good karmas had not protected her life. She had not even harmed her enemy in her life. But fate meted out such a cruel ending for her life. She wished atleast it would give justice for the doctor.

To be Continued.