The Misinterpreted Title

Not-so-warm breeze,sight of the beach,coffee and 6 in the evening with mom was one of those rarest occasions for Avni.After a long time she was on vacation with Mom and 6 year old daughter. Minnu,Avni's daughter got busy watching her favorite channel as her Mom and Grand mom settled outside the cottage talking to each other.Avni and her Mom Aditi were busy watching the waves and the strenght it brings to hit the rocks.They were admiring the optimism in it each time it hit a rock.
" So what are you writing about now-a-days?" It was Aditi who broke the silence. " I'm still thinking mom,I need something interesting to write about. I want to write about those moments that couldn't have had any names." Avni said as she smiled.
Aditi : " Like?,Like what?"
Avni : " Hmmmm,like you know mom....something which you might have enjoyed for that moment but haven't gone too far."

Aditi fell silent like it disturbed some old memories.Avni was not the one who would let go off " So tell me Mom,let me start from you. What was it?" Aditi managed to smile " Nah ,not all that interesting,forget it." as she completed she looked at her daughter only to find a perseverant look on her face. She gave up and looked at the sea for a moment and spoke after a while.

" It was after 6 years of your father's death.I was in my late forties and was travelling to Manali to visit you at your college. I was in the A/c compartment and there were only 3 of us inside.A girl in her late twenties and a Man in his late fifties,his name was Dr.Polanski.His father was a Russian.Healthy built,fair complexion,spectacles with thick black frame,clean shave,brown hair and was carrying a briefcase and a big book...."

Avni cut her mom off and asked " What was the name of the girl?" .Aditi tried to remember the name but in vain ,so she said " I don't remember now.It was 10 years ago." Avni had a mischievous smile. " Oh really? what was the name of the book he was carrying?" Aditi replied " Fingerprints of the God!" " Avni smiled at her mom and asked her to continue.

Aditi tried to remember the conversations they had and continued after sipping some coffee." Initially the girl and the Doctor got along well and they were talking in general till the girl said she was expecting and was a 4 months pregnant. Doctor seem to know very less about gynic and neither did we ask him about his specialization. That was when I pitched into the conversation. I told her it was not safe to travel until 4th month is completed."

" So mom,you were trying to impress him? eh?" when Avni said with a wink Aditi blushed but didn't respond to it verbally. She continued like she didn't hear the daughter's comment. " After a while the girl was tired and she slept off. So I moved to the opposite berth where the doctor was sitting. He was a very warm person but I found him not so good as a subject matter expert as he hardly knew anything about medicines. He knew more about music than his profession

...."As Aditi paused Avni spoke suddenly " I know you are not a music lover.Hehehehe and you still liked him? I mean liked talking to him?".


Aditi replied to this " Even I wonder Avni. It was his mannerism that drew me to continue conversations. He was polite,warm and caring.We casually switched to talking about his family and that's when I thought his Doctor degree might have been bought as his parents were stinking rich.I felt sad about the part that he lost his family,wife and children in a major road accident. I didn't want to ask more about it. He said he was staying in some ashram in Bangalore and was travelling to Manali for some musical program.For the number of years of experience he had as a doctor it should have brought more knowledge to him than he actually had..."

Avni interrupted again " Oh Mom. Poor him.Why are you stressing on it so many times. Why don't you just continue my sweet Mommy." Aditi paused and sighed. " That night I spent talking to him was the best of all. In fact,we hardly spoke to each other. It was not one of those teen days or falling in love sort of a thing but the warmth that was spread was amazing. Looking at each other in a sealed compartment,just smiling now and then and trying to build a polite conversation was an ecstatic feeling in itself. The girl woke up in between and spoke to her family over the phone to say she was fine and told her husband to receive her next evening.But lest did she know what would happen by then."

Avni got more curious now," what did happen Mom? Did he turn out to be a beast". Aditi continued " As we were awake through out the night I was asleep by sunrise. When I woke up it was around 12 in the noon.Doctor was awake and was busy with the book,he looked at me and smiled.The girl was looking a bit unwell.After I got refreshed and came back to my berth I found the left overs of the Papaya fruit.I asked him about it and the girl replied it was her. It was alarming. Papaya to a pregnant woman is like poison. It aborts the foetus and especially any woman needs to be very careful till they complete 4 months.I got worried and panicked,asked her how was she feeling and she said she was not feeling all the good.I even got to know that the doctor had bought it for the lady at some station when the train stopped as the lady felt like eating one.

I was furious at the doctor but he looked like he never had a clue about all that. I never gave him a chance to speak as I was worried for the girl. By the time we reached Manali the state of the girl was worsened and she kept on throwing up. All these while the doctor was following my instructions but had hardly done anything on his own.Once we reached Manali station,I looked for her husband and told him what happened upon meeting him. I went with him to the hospital but they could not save the child.The girl also had suffered a lot of bleeding. I was mad at that man and could not forgive him any day. I don't remember when we separated.He had given me his # to contact and the address,I was so furious at him I even tore the card off"

Avni recollected her mom when she had come to visit her. When Avni asked her whether anything was wrong Aditi hadn't said anything then as she was supposed to meet Valmeek who was in love with Avni. After that neither of them had spoken anything about that. Aditi added " That was the day I realised good looks are not as important as the knowledge you possess."



Both of them hugged each other tightly. Later that night Minnu, with her mom,was showing her photo album to her grand mom. Aditi stopped at a picture and asked Avni about it.Avni said it was Minnu's classmates from music school and the old man was the founder of the music institute.She said " He is..I mean was Bhargav,he had great knowledge and even had received Doctorate for his achievements.Dr.Bhargav Polanski". as Avni completed something struck to her.She looked at Aditi and found her nodding her head in acknowledgement.Avni knew that very moment that her mom was regretting for her assumptions.