A Suitor for the Princess - Chapter 52

                “I see two issues here. One, your relationship with Norman who is your fiancée and second, your fledgling romance with your colleague, John! As I see it, both of them care for you in their own ways. Your state of mind doesn’t disturb them as much as your closeness to the other! Most important, you have to get well soon and make that final decision about your match, if I may say so! Till then, I suggest that you either stop writing your novel altogether or end it as soon as possible. I also suggest that you have someone around you when you are writing, so that you don’t get time to brood. Try to consciously separate the make-believe world in your novel and your real world. Don’t try to always correlate the two. With some determined effort on your part, I’m sure it is possible.”

              After that detailed and astute analysis of her predicament, Martha felt infinitely better and in control of her feelings. “Thanks Doctor. I’ll try to do as you say. I’ll keep you telephonically updated on my progress. I’ll take your leave now. Thanks for your valuable time.” She walked out of the clinic and decided to have lunch at the Café where Norman had taken her previously. She liked its soothing ambience of pastel-colored walls and flowering, potted plants.

             As she munched her burger, she decided to watch the movie that was showing in the theater nearby. She had decided to make it a ritual. Doctor’s visit, lunch, movie! With or without anyone accompanying her! She decided to make the most of her day out. She wanted to forget her daily routine by watching the movie. She didn’t care what it was or who the actors in it were. As luck would have it, the movie running in that theater was ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ She was a fan of its lead actor, Johnny Depp. Wow!

            She enjoyed the movie thoroughly till she saw the one-eyed pirate and screamed so loudly that everyone jolted in their seats and the lights came on in the theater. The couple sitting next to her watched in horrified consternation at that pretty middle-aged lady in a summery frock, who was passing out on her seat. They thought that she couldn’t be an action-movie buff. But why had she come to watch the movie all alone then? Clearly the scene showing on the screen had scared her out of her wits. The screen had gone blank by then.

          The manager of the theater had rushed in to see the cause of all that commotion. He was ushered to Martha’s seat by a solicitous gate-keeper. He quickly asked the couple what had happened. They told him that she had passed out on seeing the one-eyed pirate looting the ship on the sea. He almost grinned but suppressed his smile. He looked into her purse for some identification and found her driving license. Then he found Dr. Hussey’s visiting card. This address was close-by, so it made sense to contact the Doctor’s clinic and inform him. Maybe he could be of help.

          He removed his cell-phone and contacted Dr. Hussey’s clinic. His receptionist put the call through to the Doctor. He sounded concerned about his patient. He agreed to send an ambulance with a stretcher and get her shifted to his clinic. Relieved, the Manager requested the patrons to kindly bear with the delay in the movie’s screening. Everyone was in fact relieved that it was not a trigger-happy gunman or some other equally horrible reason for that lady’s shrieking and fainting spell!

         In just five minutes an ambulance arrived on the scene and the efficient workers had transferred Martha to a stretcher and carried her out of the theater. The movie’s screening resumed but the lady on the seat next to the one that Martha had occupied continued feeling uneasy till the end of the movie. She hoped that that lady was well again and sent a small prayer for her. It was sad that she hadn’t been able to enjoy the movie!

         In a small room adjacent to his, Dr. Hussey looked with a mixture of anguish and frustration at his patient. Martha was impossible! She looked so divine in repose. He was mad at her for having gone to watch a pirate movie. ‘Pirates of the Carribean’! Bah, couldn’t she see that it would affect her? All movies made on pirates had one-eyed pirates. It was a given! Given her predilection to one-eyed men and fainting on seeing them, she should’ve known better than to walk all alone into that theater!

        Now what was he going to do with her? She lived all alone. He considered calling up Norman. But it was too late. He didn’t want him to be worried and tense on hearing about her. Besides, Martha had wanted to keep her visit to him a secret. That meant that he’d have to look after her that night. Not that he minded. He could sleep in his cabin and watch her and look out to see if she woke up. She appeared to be comatose.

      But a worrying thought wriggled into his head. He would be all alone in his clinic with his patient. That wouldn’t augur well for him as a professional in town. What would people say? He would have to revive her and take her either to his home or to her home. Her home was a two-hour drive from town. It was nearly midnight and he was tired. He also couldn’t risk leaving her all alone in her home, given her condition. He voted to take her to his apartment. 

To be continued.... 

The copyright of this novel is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.