A fictional Doctor #1

Finding time for your hobbies between the work schedule is like packing that one extra shirt on your travel suitcase. I know it's a bad analogy, but everyone has “been there, done that”, so you get my point, right?

I ride a bicycle to my dance class, hoping to reduce the carbon footprint or simply put, I am not ready to drain my salary on fuel.

I feel like I'm riding a superbike. That’s what a child watching from a school bus crossing by makes me feel like, I take relentless joy in his envious looks.

My master is strict about the timings, but I shyly had to excuse myself for showing up late every day. Every dance class has this colossal mirror, only to embarrass how to suck you at the dance. Of course, that's how you learn it.

Everyone started to dance at Rhythm in the warm-up. But wait a minute, I see some chaos here. Who is this new woman, I wondered.

Maybe she is a new member. How did I not notice her? Perhaps she might have joined while I was away for a week. Of course, her moves are naive, but it is adorable to watch her.

The way she struggled to catch up to the master's pace and her excitement to learn seemed like a toddler taking baby steps. I watched her closely for the next few days, her vibrant colour fashion choice and colour-themed phone case. Every little thing about her is the intricate detail that a writer could write in his fiction novel.

I often fall in love with fiction characters I read in books, and this woman seemed like the character sprung out of that very own fiction and is standing before me. I wanted to talk to this woman and to know more about her, I was determined.

Please God, make someone celebrate their birthday in dance class, I wished. Party means socialising, which means I will get to talk to her.

That day has finally arrived, the younger one in our batch is all set to celebrate her birthday in class, and I was more than happy this time, not for the cake part but the conversation part I was sketching for. So, like Dr Strange showing his index finger in Endgame, indicating this is your one chance at Iron Man, my inner instinct nudged me to speak to her and to break the ice.

I approached the woman standing next to her only just to have a fake conversation so that I could somehow talk to this girl.

I introduced myself to her and asked, are you a doctor?. I questioned her.

I mean, how else could someone be under Indian parenting? It’s like flipping a coin probability. You either be a doctor or an engineer, I thought to myself.

Yeah, she replied.

Now probability is something I struggle with, but I’m glad it helped me here.

So your name must be Narayana because I feel caged. I immediately flirted, absolutely unsure how that would hit her.

Haha, no, I'm Chaitanya, she winked.

Damn, that went well, I thought and took a breath.

"But you said your name Roonie", interrupted the woman standing beside her.

"No, he is implying two major medical exam coaching centres," she explained to the woman who was brought up in Bangalore and had no idea about the humour genre we cracked into…

"Haha good one, you guys got the flow then", the woman laughed and excused herself from attending a call.

Thank you, I wanted you to leave anyway. The omens are acting to my advantage, I thought to myself.

Roonie and I had a conversation for a while, "Hey, I am getting late for my OT, and I had to leave now, bye", she said and started to leave.

"Okay, Doctor, see you around."

"You don't wish to see the doctor again."

"Yeah, but If you are the doctor, I guess I will convince my immunity to take some rest".

"Okay, Mr. Patient, see you around then". She mocked and left.