Page 16 - 02 Never Cease to Amaze_ Inside.cdr

A Fool – To Be or Not To Be
14 | Dr. K.C. Sethi & Sunita Sethi
down flat on the floor. I was unable to stand up since there was lot of pain in
my right foot. With lot of efforts I could complete my bath and came out of
(A Non-Fiction Story)
the bathroom painfully walking like a lame man. I phoned to the service boy
and asked him to call a doctor. After half an hour the doctor arrived and
It is an interesting happening that took place in the year 1976. The story examined me. Thank God! There was no bleeding from my head but it had
had become dome-shaped like the Eskimos' igloo due to swelling. The doctor
begins with my job in Mumbai with Devidayal Stainless Steel Industries in
gave me an injection for ATT and another analgesic one for pain on leg and
1975. I was working there as a production planner. After about one-and-half-
year experience, I was transferred to Jalandhar in Punjab as a branch manager head. I had to pay Rs.75/- for his service and was advised to visit an
for Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and J&K with my headquarters at Jalandhar orthopaedic on the mall road next day.
Branch. From Mumbai to Delhi I had come by Rajdhani Express in a Chair I could not sleep well that night. Next morning I marked some swelling on my
Car coach. It was a matter of great pride and pleasure for me to travel by the foot but being young it was not a big problem for me. Without having bath, I
fastest train in India. The ticket cost Rs 260/- and it reached Delhi in 16 hours. dressed up and hired a tricycle rickshaw to reach the orthopaedic doctor. Had
to wait there for about 20 minutes till my turn came. The doctor examined
I was supposed to stay in our Delhi office for 3-4 days to learn liaisoning with
customers in different Industrial areas. From Delhi I came to Jalandhar and and told me that my right ankle had sustained a sprain. I was advised to stay
stayed at hotel Plaza located in the heart of the city. It was known to be the best confined to bed for three days. I returned to my hotel room and engaged an
hotel in Jalandhar at that time. I stayed there for 42 days. In my life it was the attendant to look after me against payment of Rs 50 per day plus meals. At
night he used to sleep on the sofa. His job was to serve me food and medicine
longest stay in a hotel. In those days very few hotels were providing a glycerine
and take me to the bathroom as and when required. After three days I was able
soap and white towel for bath daily. I used to enjoy bath twice in a day; ie.
morning and evening. Sometimes at noon too! The idea behind my so many to move a little and came to my parental house 200 km from there. It took 20
baths in a day was to finish that small soap to get a new flake next morning and days to recover fully. I was in problem since I could not attend office during
this period. I had to be without pay for 15 days since there was no enjoyable
it proved to be successful.
leave in my credit. I had to suffer a loss of Rs 6000/- which was a big amount
It went on for many days and sometimes I used to wash my underwear and
for me in those days.
banyan with bathing soap when my all other clothes were washed by the
Later I realised my mistake and spoke to my inner self: How foolish I was! Just
laundry man visiting the hotel daily. During my bath, I used to rub soap 3-4
times to comply with my desire to finish it early. Sometimes it used to slip from to have a small soap I had to sustain injuries, suffer bodily pain as well as a big
my hand and I had to take a lot of troubles to pick it up since it had become too monetary loss! I didn't speak to anybody about this in my life. Now repenting
slippery to catch. But it was nothing before my determination. On the 40th over the boiled milk was of no use, but I definitely learnt a lesson that one
should not use anything more than they require, howsoever free of cost it may
day of my stay, I wanted to have a bath before sleeping. The small soap had
be. Excess of anything is bad, may it be healthy food.
already been very thin and I wanted to finish it at any cost. I rubbed it six times
on my body and hair. In the 7th round as soon I pressed it hard on my face it
slipped away from my hand. I was unable to see since there was foam over my
~ K.C. Sethi (C), Author~
face. I opened one eye and tried to pick it up but it ran to another direction. In
the process my legs slipped and I dashed against the water tap and then fell
Never Cease to Amaze | 15