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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