Another Night Shift

The car was the only object that was threatened by the

loneliness at the entire parking lot at the hospital named Ruby.

I was often with these surroundings as during my night shifts I

used to come up here to look how my Calcutta looked in the

absence of both the moon and the sun but only with the dwelling

yet flickering street lights. The illustration depicted by few

late night workers on the street with the prolonging effect of

the yellowish light to create a mystic painting in golden

monochromatic vision.

“Would like to bum a smoke?”

“Yeah, sure why not.” I replied to one of my colleagues who used

to accompany me.

Sheila was her name, she was an intern.

“Sir there’s an emergency case. Will you please come down here

Sir?” asked a nurse.

“Come on man! We don’t even get paid so much that we can’t even

take a break. For heaven’s sake leave me alone and ask an

intern. I will be there after five minutes.”

“Calm down dear” said Dr.Sheila.

I had thrown my words at such a pace that the nurse soughed

her way through the exit of the parking facility.

“You should work on your temper doctor, we also work here and

even if we are obsessed with all these stuffs we have to do it.”

“I also vouch for that. But I had to feel some smoke before I

could see any more drop of blood.” I replied.

“Okay now I think we should head back.”

We entered the hallway and as I neared the O.T my father bloomed

in front of me and slapped me hard with interns and nurses as

observers. I had no words on which I could trust to express my

shock. I was just staring at him.

“You didn’t have time to save your wife.”

Each words from his mouth was like a drop of an acid rain

falling over an inexpensive statue and corroding it. And nobody

even bothered to take a look at it. When I neared her body I saw

her face blushing as if she saw her dead husband.

At last all I could do was walk till that parking lot where I

used to smoke.