# 22 Voyage

I hadn’t called Smitha after reading the letter. I decided to talk with her directly. Wipe away her tears with my own hands. Bring a smile on her face with any of my stupid jokes. See intermingling of her emotions and feel them in her presence. Console her. Not just with my words but also my actions. Assure her that I am there. It doesn’t matter whether near or far. Sleep came early to my eyes owing to the heavy emotions it had withhold the whole day. 

I woke up and readied myself. Wore the striped blue colored shirt. I knew she would like it. Once she had mentioned few days back I looked good in it.The color blue had a special flavor in our life. Half way towards her flat I received continuous calls. Irritated I stopped the bike to check who it could be from. It was from my HOD who asked me to be present in the department immediately as a surprise inspection team was to arrive in few hours and everybody’s leave was cancelled.I pleaded him saying it was really important for me as I had an ever pending errand that I needed to take care of. Surprisingly my usually cool head of the department got angry and asked me in turn which was more important, the work for which I was going for or my final year pg that would be over in few months. I was startled.everybody knows no medico in the world would dare to take that risk. Blabbering to myself I turned my bike the other way and headed towards the medical college. Cursing my luck all over again. This is something I am not born with I guess. Some people, some people you know are simply born to strive. Strive for every bloody thing in this world. Nothing can ever work out in their favor. Why ? I looked up and asked him. The one sitting above. I thought of giving a call to Smitha the moment I reached the department. But the scene was very different there. absolutely unexpected. Everybody was in a hurry. Running hither and thither. With files, documents, case sheets, reports. the squeaky clean corridor were filled with staff and attendants, senior doctors, junior doctors, permanents, contractuals. Everybody was asked to be ready to face any consequences. In such hype and hoopla I didn’t get a single free second even to call Smitha. 

It was late in the evening by the time every thing was over. I was thankful to my HOD as he had saved my day. Few of our fellow medicos had to lose their jobs. Unbelievable it was. But they did. Nothing works in front of the inspection team. No amount of excuses or convincing. This is a very typical nature of human kind. When they are granted powers, they feel they are Gods. May be more than that.  

I finally got the chance to come out of the department and dialled Smitha’s number. It wasn’t getting connected at first. My heart skipped a beat. I dialled again. No response. Again. Still the same. It wasn’t getting connected at all. When at last the services took pity on me and replied it was switched off. I felt my head was spiraling around. Some how I managed and speeded towards her home. I asked the watchman to call her who replied she wasn’t there. Wasn’t there. First I didn’t get it.

 "Wasn’t there means what ?". 

"Sir, mam has left."

" Left where ?"

" Her home" 

"Why?" 

"They had come to take her"

 " who?"

" Her family. they just took her away with them"

 Se had handed over a piece of paper to  him, asking him to give it to me if I come searching for her. In a life less manner I took the small paper from his hands. Unfolded it . I could see smitha’s handwriting on it though in a scribbled format. She wouldn’t have gotten enough time for it. 

She had written “If ever possible just come once” with her address below it. 

I patted my self to start my new voyage, clinging on to her words.