Friday, 18 March 2016

A Suitor for the Princess - Chapter 55



       Well, his heart had won over the sane advice of his orderly brain. But he had another problem on his hands too! Martha had confessed to being in love with John. He’d have to find some means of weaning her off John. Now that wouldn’t be easy. He knew enough about the working of the female mind which would resolutely resist any attempts at keeping her away from the love of her life! Probably this was where his profession would help.
       Though he hated to admit that he would go to any length to get Martha, the fact remained that his mind had already settled itself in favor of his unethical decision. He had been lonely for far too long to let Martha, sweet Martha go so easily, without giving the relationship all the means at his disposal. Everything is fair in love and war, he thought gleefully. He waited impatiently for his love to wake up. Easy Benny, easy, he reminded himself. He couldn’t afford to frighten her away by professing his love for her so soon. Right then, she’d only think that he was trying to take advantage of her vulnerability. So he’d not tell her that he loved her. First things first! First he’d cure her then he’d woo her.
         When he tapped lightly on her door at 8 a.m. after restlessly waiting for her to wake up and emerge from her room, he was very happy. Only a few hours of being under the same roof with her had made him a lover-boy! He had forgotten that he was nearly 50. He could’ve easily been 18! So this was the stuff that made up love. Till now he had only read about it and fantasized about it in private. He had advised his lovelorn patients with sagacity. His intuitiveness had given him an edge then, but whom could he turn to now? He had only himself to rely on. He could only hope that he was doing the right thing. He also knew that one small mistake could run his entire career. He had to be very, very careful. He decided that he wouldn’t give even the tiniest inkling to Martha about his love for her.
        But he immediately felt his resolve flying out of the nearest window when he saw Martha who absent-mindedly opened the door, clad only in sexy black undergarments, covering a yawn on her beautiful mouth. As he gawked at her awkwardly, Martha realized her faux pas and quickly shut the door on his face. Her heart was thudding and she could feel the blood creeping up from her neck and covering her entire face in a deep flush. To say that she was embarrassed would’ve been the understatement of the year!
        She was nearly nude and had rudely closed the door right on her host’s face. He who was also her Doctor! How could she ever face him again? She cringed and rushed into the bathroom in a flood of tears. What was wrong with her? Couldn’t she have dressed up before opening that stupid door? But even as she berated herself, she realized that she was still half in her sleep and couldn’t have been blamed for her faux pas. But still, how would she face Dr. Benedict Hussey? After a quick shower, she dressed in her clothes again, skipped her make-up, brushed her hair and closed her eyes tightly; asking God to forgive her and give her courage to face the Doctor who was probably laughing at her right then!
      Anxiously, she emerged from her safe haven and walked reluctantly to the living room. A welcome sight greeted her eyes. A breakfast fit for a King sat on the large centre table. The Doctor was reading that day’s newspaper. He wished her “Good Morning Martha” without taking his eyes off the newspaper. Martha knew that he was probably as embarrassed as her. “I’m sorry Doctor,” she apologized, feeling foolish. What was she apologizing for? Opening the door in a state of undress? If it would’ve been the scene of a movie, she’d have laughed her guts out. But here the joke was on her and it wasn’t one bit funny!
       “Have your breakfast Martha. I was feeling hungry, so ate mine early. I’m sorry I couldn’t wait for you. But you see, I have to be in the clinic by 9.30 a.m. My clients will be waiting for me.” He said all this without glancing up from his refuge, the newspaper. His heart still thudded violently at the thought of that mind-blowing picture that Martha had presented when she had unwittingly opened her room’s door. Come hither dear, her pose had suggested.
      Yes, he knew that his feverish mind was working overtime, but he just couldn’t help reviewing that delicious scene again and again in his mind’s eye. Hence he couldn’t face Martha at all. Not so soon in any case. That made two of their kind. Martha was grateful for his help. Even she was reluctant to face him. She silently buttered her scones and started munching them. She kept eating till he muttered that he was leaving for his clinic. Without looking at her, he escaped from the house telling her loudly with his back turned, “Please could you drop the key at my neighbor’s? See you then. You may go home if you feel better.”
      She almost suppressed a giggle. She was the one who should’ve been awkward, but she had made him awkward too. Gosh, how would they ever face each other again! Her cheeks felt hot at that memory. She groaned and finished her huge breakfast. With dismay she realized that she hadn’t even thanked the kind Doctor for all his help and that lip-smacking breakfast. Had he prepared it himself or did he have outside help? she couldn’t help wondering.
     She decided to skip visiting him again and head for the safety of her cozy cottage where she could gather her thoughts again. She handed her keys to the Doctor’s neighbor who just arched her eyebrows on seeing her, wondering who that gorgeous lady was, whom the Doctor had got home for the night and grinned meaningfully, much to Martha’s embarrassment. “Thanks,” Martha muttered and fled. She stopped the car next to her cottage, two hours later and realized that all along the way, she had been replaying that morning’s ‘scene out of a movie’. She had driven like a zombie. Thank God, she had safely landed outside her home and not somewhere else! 

To be continued.... 

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

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