“You may book your next appointment at the reception, Mr. Patel.”
“Hopefully not with you.”
“Absolutely not with me. Dr. Shravan will be back this weekend. I have written weekly follow-ups, but you can ask your GP to figure it out just as they would figure out the name there.”
“So you agree it’s illegible.”
“To you.”
His eyes narrowed. Why was he unable to intimidate her or pull her down to his level?
“There’s a 12 noon show at PVR,” he went for the kill. “Want to accompany me to stare?”
“We’ve established whose profession it is to stare.”
He cocked his head — “I make it a point of staring only at muses. Alas.”
Her cool, cutting face turned cold. She did not say anything back again. A buzzer sounded. And the door opened to Anu Madam.
“All done, Doctor?” She walked in genially, no doubt to escort him out. The medical version of a security escort. Nilay stared a beat too long at the woman… thedoctorin front of him. Then, because he couldn’t pull anything more from her —
“I’ll be at the ticket counter, Doctor.”
PART I: Dr. Kapadia
1. Piya Piya O Piya Piya
— RITU —
“You need bangs!”
Ritu stared at Maya over her water as the hairstylist worked on her length. Medium long layers — soft at the back, face framing at the front. Her usual. 30 minutes and done. Zero styling except leave-in conditioner. No colour, no highlights, no chemical treatments.
“I swear, you need bangs, Maasi, just look at your eyes right now,” Maya jumped up from her seat beside hers, the salon thankfully empty for her to frolic around like they were in middle school. Ritu didn’t need to look at the mirror; her mobile was pinging with messages.
“Look, look…” Maya’s perky voice scampered on in the background as she read.
DR. SHRAVAN (LONDON)
It’s TB, I am taking her to London
Already landed
RITU
Thank god it’s not what we thought
Did she start on the treatment?
DR. SHRAVAN (LONDON)
Yes
Typing…
RITU
Let me know if you need anything from me sir
