Chapter 01
“Keep the mouth open really wide while keeping your features relaxed. Calm down Mr. Rane.” Dr. Kalyani said for the 4th time in a cool tone.
Malhar did try to obey her words already but has failed because the pain has been unbearable. Though it is now gradually getting better, probably because of the minty substance she had put in his mouth.
“How long am I supposed to keep my mouth open?!” Malhar thought in his mind being unable to speak as her hands were working in his mouth.
Kalyani noticed his fist and could sense that he was not in a good condition. She quickly continued taking the necessary steps to reduce the pain as soon as possible.
Malhar’s lips were drying like hell because of keeping the mouth open for such a long time. He was again about to close his mouth when Kalyani said
“Aap aise hi karenge fir mujhe daant hi nikal dena padega Mr. Rane.”
“Ye kaisi doctor hain?! Kisne degree dedi isse?!! Mujhe yehi hospital mila tha?!” Malhar’s thoughts had no plans to stop.
Kalyani finally brought her hands out of his mouth and removed her gloves.
“Don’t swallow. Gurgle it and keep it near the tooth before throwing it in the basin.” She instructed after putting some fluoride in his mouth.
He did as she said and laid again while closing his eyes as he was really very tired because of the continuous toothache.
Kalyani came in a minute after washing her hands and asked
“Kab se dard ho raha hain? Aapke gaal pe swelling dekhke lag raha hain kaafi samay dard sehna pada aapko.”
“Subhe se hi dard hain.” Malhar finally spoke after sitting in a better posture.
“Fir aap itna late kyun aaye Mr.Rane? Aapko subha hi aana chahiye tha.” Kalyani said politely.
“Main ek police wala hoon, kabhi bhi kahin bhi apne personal kaam ke liye achanak se nehi jaa sakhta main doctor. Mere upar bohot responsibilities hoti hain.”
“Par kya aap iss pain ke saath Kaam pe dhyaan de paa rahe thhe Mr. Rane? Sach bataiyega.” Kalyani had a smile on her lips knowing very well that no normal human being can stay sane with this much pain.
Malhar realised that he can’t cover it with the tag of duties anymore and he is having a hard time hiding his self ignorance and disinterest in terms of helping himself anyway. How would he tell this 'still mostly stranger' doctor that he has no will left in himself to do something for himself.
"Maine ek paracetamol liya tha but dard kuch der baad firse shuru ho gaya."
"Obviously medicine ke bina ye dard abtak bardaash karna possible nehi hota. Aur koyi bhi medicine permanently ye dard mita nehi sakhta, kuch dard aise hote hain jinko aap jitna dabayenge, wo utna aapko mehsoos hote rahenge." Her thoughts were not verbalised.
"Aur ye aap mujhe abhi bata rahe hain Mr.Rane?" She actually said.
“Agar aapko itni dikkat ho rahi hain to shayad mujhe yahan aana hi nehi chahiye tha doctor”
“Aap mujhe galat samajh rahe hain Mr. Rane. Humara toh kaam hi hain aapko aur sabko appropriate treatment dena aur sabki madat karna. Main bas aapke liye bol rahi thi.”
Malhar sat there with a serious look on his face.
Kalyani understood that he is thankfully not in much pain now.
Kalyani also noticed a baby who looks 1/1.5 by age, struggling hard to get out of the stroller.
“Hi baby. Aapke saath baatein karne ka mauka hi nehi mil raha tha" Kalyani smiled at the toddler.
The moment he smiled back with his newly got two teeth, Kalyani’s heart got filled with sudden rush of happiness and bliss.
“Kitna pyaara baccha hain” Kalyani made the aww reaction.
Malhar also looked at his child and ‘probably’ gave a smile which didn’t even make his lips move a centimetre. It somehow just annoyed Kalyani that how could a man not smile or be happy properly when he sees such a heart melting smile!
She is assuming the child to be his own. She is not sure though but she can see the resemblance.
“Utna chanchal toh nehi lag raha mujhe” Kalyani looked at the kid who was still trying to capture the new place with his beautiful eyes.
“Aap sahi hain, wo utna bhi shararti nehi hain. Kabhi kabhi karta hain badmaashi par mostly bohot zyada zidd karna ya kuch todna uski aadat nehi hain.”
Malhar paused a bit while saying then continued
“Par yahan bohot saare machines aur instruments hain, usne thoda thoda chalna seekha hain toh ab saari cheezo ko haat lagayega. Shayad aapke cabin mein bhi chale jaye”
“Koyi dikkat nehi hain Mr.Rane. Mujhe sachme mann ho raha hain ki usse stroller se utar doon. Baccho ko aise bandha hua dekhke mujhe bura lagta hain. Please let him come out, I insist.”
Malhar was about to get up from the orthodontic chair when Kalyani asked him not to that so and went ahead towards the stroller.
She kneeled down and looked at the baby.
She opened the belt of the stroller and he instantly jumped to come into Kalyani’s arms. He had a different kind of warmth. Kalyani smiled and made a face by scrunching her nose then kept him on the ground.
He got really excited and tried to walk holding the walls with unsteady steps.
Kalyani left for her cabin after receiving a call.
Malhar sat there for a couple of more minutes until Kalyani's assistant asked him to come to the cabin which was just on the other side of the treatment room.
Malhar went there holding the stroller as the baby had already gone there by crawling.
"Mr. Rane aapko apne oral health ko leke serious hona padega. Aapke daaton ke condition ki wajah kahin na kahin aap hi hain-"
Kalyani definitely wanted to say something more but Malhar could not let her speak for any more seconds.
"Aap aisa kaise bol sakhti hain doctor? Main humesha apne daanton ka enough dhyaan rakhta hoon. Daanton ko clean rakhta hoon aur aisa waisa kuch bhi nehi khata."
"Main nehi bol rahi hoon ki aap dhyaan nehi rakhte. Main bol rahi hoon ki aapka tareeka galat hain. Like how you probably brush in a very wrong way or use too many antibacterial products and that’s definitely not good."
Malhar's expressions said that he didn't understand much.
"Compulsive or over-vigorous brushing will eventually lead you to oral health problems. Har cheeze ka ek lehza hota hain. Har cheeze mein shakti ka istemaal zaroori nehi hain."
"But mere danton mein exactly hua kya hain doctor?"
"Basically aapke zyada harshly brush karne ki wajah se aapke daanton mein jo enamel ki layer hain wo patli hoti jaa rahi hain. Abhi bas ek daant mein hua hain kyunki uspe bohot pressure padhta tha. Agar aap acche se brush karna na shuru kare fir aage jaake dental abrasion, tooth sensitivity, gum recession jaise problems aapke liye must hain."
Malhar himself knew this somewhere. Har cheeze mein sakhti zaroori nehi hain, har kaam mein kathorta barakhna theek nehi hain. Par zindagi se wo bohot naraaz hain.
Malhar was about to ask her some questions about the treatment of his teeth but his eyes caught the view of the little baby of the room who was having a great time with the bottles of pills and medicines.
He had brought the packets and bottles out of the shelf as those seemed to be really interesting to him.
"Ye tum kya kar rahe ho Moksh" Malhar's voice came out as a small scream.
The little Rane somehow got muffled and scared as well.
Kalyani instantly went to the baby to calm him and to provide him with some comfort.
Malhar himself had no intention to scream but it just happened as he saw him bringing the pills out of the bottle.
"It's ok Mr. Rane wo Baccha hain. Bacche toh aise karenge hi. Maine hi aapko bola tha usse neeche utarne ke liye aso it's totally fine."
Kalyani said while pacifying Moksh while doing some tricks in order to take the medicines from his hands so that she can dispose them as the child can put them anytime in his nose or mouth.
"Isko bada pyaar aaraha hain Moksh pe. Beta mera hain par laad inka khatam nehi ho raha. Huh"
"Btw kya naam hain aapka? Mo..." Kalyani asked after forgetting what Malhar addressed him.
"Moksh. Moksh Malhar Rane" Malhar said from the back.
Kalyani had guessed it right! He is the father of this adorable toddler, Moksh.
"Itne chote se bacche Ka Itna 'hard to pronounce' naam kaun rakhta hain!"
"Toh wo humesha baccha thodi na rahega?!" Malhar replied and also thought in mind “Kya pagal doctor hain yaar”
"Haan pata hain ki wo bada bhi ho jayega and as a school name, Moksh is great but chote baccho ke pyaare pyaare naam bhi to hote hain!"
"Ek naam hain Moksh. Aur kitne naam rakhne hote hain?!" Malhar showed his irritation.
"Baccho ke cuteness se match karke unke cute cute se pet name bhi rakhe jaate hain. Aapko nehi pata. Jaise Moksh ko pills se khelne kitna pasand hain! Itni mushkil se liye maine ye pills. So moksh ka naam hona chahiye Pillu. Aww bilkul perfect!"
Kalyani again smiled and cupped moksh's face in her palms.
"Doctor main yahan apne daanton ke check up ke liye aaya hoon, apne bete ke naamkaran ke liye nehi"
Malhar rolled his eyes and Kalyani left moksh with some bottles which were too hard for moksh to open.
"Toh ab mujhe karna kya hain ye bataiye doctor." Malhar tried to ask without showing his irritation.
"Aapko bohot acche se slowly brush karna hain first of all, use the proper technique. Aur hard bristle wale brush toh bilkul use nehi karna. Maine aapko toothpaste aur brush dono ke brand likh diye hain you just need to buy. Abhi kuch dinon ke liye uss daant se bone type kuch na hi khaye aap toh behtar hain. Bottle caps type cheeze daanton se open mat kariye."
"And yes, leave the habit of biting your nails. You might not still confess but you are here in front of a dentist Mr. Rane." Kalyani smiled making Malhar further uncomfortable about his secrets getting out.
"Moksh beta aap toh brush karte ho na? Daant dikhao zara"
Kalyani made moksh open his mouth.
"Aapke papa ko humesha bolna ki dheere dheere brush kare aur prescription ke according dawai khaye. Aur agar aapke baba acche se brush na kare toh aap apne aayi ke saath brush karna, baba ke saath nehi theek hain? Kalyani giggled playfully with Moksh
But Malhar's blood was boiling like hell on the other hand.
He almost snatched Moksh from her and made him sit in his stroller. He stood up after securing the belt and said in a loud voice
"Moksh ki koyi Aai nehi hain"
Kalyani for a second didn't know how to react and instantly got shut.
"Thank you doctor" it was clear that Malhar said it as a formality only.
He left her cabin in a second and she felt really bad for talking about Moksh's mother in front of him.
"Main kyun aisi hoon! Humesha har patient ko friendly doctor ki zaroorat nehi hoti. Maine toh socha tha ki Mr.Rane apni problems ke bareme vocal nehi hain toh baat karne se wo apni problems acche se bata payenge. But I was absolutely wrong! Khamakha unhe hurt kar diya."
She then turned around and saw that Moksh had left one of his socks in her cabin only. He had opened it himself while playing and Malhar didn't notice the absence while making him sit in the stroller.
“Baby aapke papa ke daant toh theek kar doongi main par aap Bas unhe muskurana sikha dijiye.”
Shayad uss din nanhe Moksh ko ye ehsaas ho gaya tha ki Der se hi sahi, par uske baba ki muskurahat aur khushiyan laane wali aagayi hain…
Chapter ends:)
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