BINODINI:
(So many beautiful woman remained unmarried in life, some are
known but majority are hidden treasures.Here is a story from that hidden
treasure)
Years gone by most of the novels were written by doctors or the stories and
dramas were from hospitals. Engineering institutes were dead after sunset,
where as medical colleges were full of life 7/24.Hardly any lady students went
for engineering course those days. There was and is lots of envy between
engineering students and medical students. Now that fifty percent students in
engineering colleges are ladies there are interesting romantic stories of late
from those institutes as well. Those days’ doctors used to spend half of his
life with nurses, lady students and lady doctors where as engineering students
lead a dry and unromantic life during sixties which lead to the rivalry.
Without going further in to hornet's nest,we start the story of
Binodini.
Sanjoy* was a house surgeon in a medical college when he
first time watched Binodini performing an Odisi dance on a college annual day function.That
was love at first sight. But she had too many lovers from senior students to teachers
to senior teaching staffs. She was too beautiful to be described. Those days’
nurses were from lower middle class or poor families with poor financial status
of their parents. During Sanjoy’ posting in the obstetric wards he met Binodini
for the first time. She assisted him in delivering a baby of a prime. Sanjoy was
nervous because of two reasons, the closeness of Binodini and lonely nights
where no one to help in case of complications.Binodini encouraged him and also
suggested Sanjoy certain medical steps which helped not only the mother but
also the nervous doctor. That was an eventful night in the life of Sanjoy, which
still lingers on and on in his mind on sleepless nights while traveling in the
sleeper coach of Rajdhani Express .Binodini
shift duty changed so also sanjoy’s.After three months of house job in
O&G ward Sanjoy assignment changed to other wards. They did not meet again
for months until one day when Sanjoy was admitted in student’s cabin for
typhoid fever.Binodini was the staff nurse on duty. Her Intramuscular
injections were painless may be due to her method or beauty one can’t say. One
night Binodini stood near the bed as if she wanted to speak out something. To
clear the deafening silence of the ward Sanjoy requested Binodini whether she
would mind if he asked her some personal questions? She did not answer, just
frown her eyebrows. Again Sanjoy asked why that mark in her throat? Still she did
not answer and went out of the room.
Next night she came of her own and took a stool and sat
beside sanjoy.You have hawk like eyes to have noticed that mark which is
covered with my high collar dress. That mark is the mark of a tracheotomy
wound. Now listen the rest of my story, no questions or interference in
between, OK? Binodini with her enchanting smile with moist eyes started
“When I was a student nurse I fell
in love with a handsome
house surgeon Chittaranjan and we decided to marry but the problem was
he was
from a higher cast and the only son of his parents after six daughters.
We
changed garlands in a Kali-temple .He was on his way to bring his
parents to me
to finalize the marriage dates. I waited for days but he did not come. I
thought like all men he too has ditched me. Months went by when I came
to know
that Chittaranjan fell from the running train and died on the spot. That
night
I consumed the whole bottle of phenobarbital tablets but my roommate
could know
about it next morning and took me to hospital. I remained in coma for
four days.A tracheotomy was performed for ventilator support. I survived
but
wished I were dead. The charm of life is gone. Now I am thirty two and
have
decided to spend rest part of my life as a spinster, never to get
married.”She
started to sob after venting out her pathetic life story which ended
before it
started.
Sanjoy Kumar Satpathy
*This is an imaginary story and has no resemblance to any
person living or dead.The name, in this story is no way related to this writer.
Partha, please give some comments.
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