Tongue-in-cheek, Soumya talks about a doctor friend, whose major weakness is spiritual upliftment in congenial company. An exclusive for Different Truths.

I have a friend in the medical profession who is a bit of a oddity. He is a competent doctor but laid back. He prefers a less demanding regular job which is part time with flexible schedules and a clinic that opens for a few hours only despite a heavy rush of loyal patients. His major weakness is spiritual upliftment in congenial company and the bars in the city look at him as their favourite customer.

Often his assistant calls from the clinic to remind him that patients are waiting and our doctor, reluctant to leave a good party, would often talk to the patient on the phone and prescribe that way or tell his assistant what medication to give.

Often his assistant calls from the clinic to remind him that patients are waiting and our doctor, reluctant to leave a good party, would often talk to the patient on the phone and prescribe that way or tell his assistant what medication to give. He did not charge for this telephonic consultation and didn’t mind losing the fees at the cost of losing time in the company of friends imbibing the cup that cheers. His explanation was that he knew the family of the patients for decades and didn’t want to fleece them as they were loyal customers.

On the day of our story he had given the clinic a total miss, carrying on long distance consultation from the hotel room of an out of town friend who was visiting the city and had organized a get together. The party finished late in the night and the good doctor decided to drive back home dropping me back on the way as I was unwilling to drive in such high spirits.

He was a careful driver and even more careful when he’d had a few, but on this day he seemed confused, stopping and starting frequently.

He was a careful driver and even more careful when he’d had a few, but on this day he seemed confused, stopping and starting frequently. Woken up from my restful slumber by the erratic driving I enquired whether all was well.

He replied that there seemed to be a flyover missing.

Remember these were the days before Google maps stringent traffic rules and multiple flyovers.

Surprised I accused him of being blind and that flyovers can’t disappear.

He patiently pointed out that there used to be a flyover right there and he couldn’t couldn’t see any.

He patiently pointed out that there used to be a flyover right there and he couldn’t couldn’t see any.  My suggestion that he had either not reached it or gone over it already met with a perfectly logical counter that the road sign proclaimed that we were where the flyover should be

I peered out into the dark night and saw that he was right. A road sign did announce that we were exactly where the flyover used to be. But it wasn’t there.

The road was deserted. I found a homeless man sleeping on the pavement and woke him up to inquire about the whereabouts of the flyover.

I got off to investigate. The road was deserted. I found a homeless man sleeping on the pavement and woke him up to inquire about the whereabouts of the flyover. The very peeved gentlemen shouted back that it was above our heads.

He was right. We had somehow managed to land below the absent flyover. Problem solved

He said that the problem had spoilt his inner peace and he needed another helping of the elixir of life to regain his equilibrium.  He accordingly took out the supplies always present in his backseat and proceeded to fix us a few strong  ones.

All we had to do was retrace our route a few hundred meters and we could go over the flyover and to our respective homes. But the doctor had other ideas. He said that the problem had spoilt his inner peace and he needed another helping of the elixir of life to regain his equilibrium.  He accordingly took out the supplies always present in his backseat and proceeded to fix us a few strong  ones. He even invited the irate homeless man and our savior to join in,being quite democratic in his sensibilities, and thus earned heartfelt appreciation and blessings from our guide and full pardon for his rude awakening

In the meanwhile, the ruckus created by us attracted the attention of the law keepers and we were accosted by some nocturnal members of the constabulary.  An angry policeman asked us what we were up to in the middle of the night under a flyover in a parked car. After peering inside and witnessing the good doctor mixing drinks with utmost concentration he was furious and rhetorically asked what he was doing.

Our doctor calmly replied that as he could very well see he was mixing drinks and in case he wanted to join in along with  his colleagues he was welcome and should quietly sit in the back seat.  Else he should keep quiet and go about his job elsewhere.

The fuming constable was speechless at the affront but his colleague noticed the cross on the windshield marking this as a doctors car.

The fuming constable was speechless at the affront but his colleague noticed the cross on the windshield marking this as a doctors car. He asked my friend whether he was in fact a doctor

The doctor replied in the affirmative and said that if any diagnosis is required they’ll have to wait until he finished the drink.

The policemen mellowed down and enquiring about the location of his clinic wanted to know if he could be of help for certificates and such matters.

The policemen mellowed down and enquiring about the location of his clinic wanted to know if he could be of help for certificates and such matters. The doctor replied that he could on occasion depending upon merits of each case but only if they joined him for a tipple today and guided us to the rediscovered flyover.

Thus ended peacefully another eventful evening with this highly unusual doctor!

Photo from the Internet