Shankar sat on the old wooden bench outside his workshop, absently rubbing his rough, unshaven chin. The bright sparks of welding had once lit up his face, but now it was worn, lined with worry. He had battled difficult customers, unpaid bills, and broken machines, but this was different. This was a fight he knew …
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Showing: 1 - 10 of 11 RESULTS
Palliative Care
When Cancer Talks Back
Radhika was never one for outbursts. But that day, as she lay in the hospital bed, her voice shattered the silence like a storm. Her eyes burned with fury. “How dare you talk to me?” she shouted, her chest rising and falling with anger. “Get out! Don’t come near me! Don’t touch me!” Her words …
Bharit, Bhakris and the Fire Within
“Stop this vomiting,” she said firmly, her voice steady enough to make even the nurse stop fidgeting with the clipboard. “Ease the pain a little. Once I gather some strength, I’ll take you to my village. You’ll sit on the mud floor, eating from banana leaves. Hot jowar bhakris, fresh off the chullah, with just …
Walking With Vitthal
Pandurang (name changed) is not a guru. He doesn’t stand on a stage, preaching to thousands. He isn’t a YouTuber making millions from daily wisdom. He hasn’t written books, nor made money from his teachings. He is a daily wage laborer from a village near Hinganghat, a 73-year-old man who never went beyond primary school. …
The Silent Surrender
In our quiet ward, a son softly asked, “Can I take my mother home?” Usually, such requests mean relief. Patients leave with hope, their struggles behind them. Grateful families thank the doctors, smiling. It feels like a victory. But this time, there was no joy. No happiness. His question wasn’t about hope—it was about saying …
Delay. Delay. Delay.
This Diwali, Ravi (name changed) turned 19. He lived in a small town, 100 km southeast of Sevagram. Fresh out of his teens, he had completed his tenth grade at a local school and enrolled in a technical college. A promising future awaited him—steady income, a stable life. His parents, both laborers in the fields, …
How much time do I have?
“How much time do I have now?” His voice on the phone was calm, almost casual. We had discussed the sudden cold wave, his family, his niece’s recent grand wedding, Jasprit Bumrah’s lethal bowling—everything except his illness. Then, out of the blue, he asked that question. It’s a question I hear often. Families ask it …
The Middle Path
For decades after completing my MD residency and becoming a physician, I held firm to a belief: diagnose accurately, treat effectively, monitor diligently, and ensure that patients followed my advice. This was the creed I practiced in OPDs, wards, ICUs, and even during cross-department consultations in the hospital. And it worked. Most of the time. …
There is no answer, only silence
She stood there, eyes fixed on the motionless figure before her. Her brother, just 23, lay on the hospital bed. His eyes were shut. His body still, but his chest rose and fell with each shallow breath. The monitor beeped steadily, a reminder of the fragile line between life and death. She was three years …
Beyond the hospital
“So, tomorrow you’re going home?” I asked gently, turning to my patient—a 48-year-old woman fighting advanced breast cancer. The disease had spread to her liver and abdomen, leading to fluid buildup, and she had been admitted for an abdominal tap and basic blood work. Now, she was eager to return home. She was frail, her …