Knotty Affairs Read online

  Aakash stumbled as he shifted places in the moving train. He moved from his seat opposite Kashish and sat beside her. He felt the sudden gush of cool air on his face as the wind blew in from the window. He looked outside to admire the silhouettes in the darkness, occasionally illuminated by neon lights. He realized for the umpteenth time that Navi Mumbai had changed drastically from the time he had joined his college in the first year to now.

  ‘I completely agree with you, Aakash. Moreover, did you notice that funny goof-up? That guy’s fake wig got stuck in the strings of his guitar. All through the performance, he just pretended that his guitar was meant to swing wildly with his head. The drug addict theme actually camouflaged the wig malfunction. It was hilarious!’ She laughed so hard that the few passengers travelling with them turned around to look at her. The trains running from Navi Mumbai to CST are usually sparsely crowded at this hour. Most of the commuters are regular first-class pass holders travelling from work, or students like Aakash and Kashish, returning late from their colleges.

  Aakash politely shushed her but ended up letting out a squeaky giggle himself. With a wide grin on his face, he gazed at Kashish and felt awestruck looking at the bespectacled beauty. Kashish eyed him questioningly. He cleared his throat and chuckled, ‘You know what? Had you landed up for the auditions before Preity Zinta, K. Jo would have offered you Kal Ho Naa Ho without a second thought!’

  Kashish tried her best to hide her blush and said with an air of dismissal, ‘Doc, you are not the first one to say that.’ Both of them laughed out heartily.

  Aakash stared out of the window. The train had come to an abrupt halt on the Vashi Creek Bridge. Aakash could hear the faint sound of water ripples below. Looking at a distance, he admired the deep dark waters shimmering in the dull-yellow halogen lights. He suddenly felt a rush of excitement; maybe, he felt, he owed this to his current company.

  Kashish retorted casually, ‘You surely know how to charm a girl, doc. If you really wanna give it a shot, why not think about Neha Agarwal?’ She winked at Aakash, reminding him how smitten he looked when she was on stage.

  Aakash blushed, ‘Really, Kashish. I can bet every single guy watching Neha dance was mesmerized!’

  ‘You remember that girl who was to join me for lunch during the break? That girl was Neha Agarwal. She is a good friend of mine. Her father has been our family friend for a long time. In fact, she was quite confused whether to venture into architecture or dentistry after junior college. I guided her through when I was in my third year.’

  Aakash said, ‘Wow! Why didn’t you tell me that?’ And saying that, he snatched Kashish’s cellphone from her hands.

  Kashish raised her eyebrows angrily and tried to snatch it back from him. Her gestures suggested that she was irritated.

  Aakash mischievously retorted, ‘Now that you really feel that Neha and I may have potential together, I thought I’d take her number from your contact list!’

  ‘Aakash, for heaven’s sake! You could have merely asked me. I would have been more than pleased to hand it over to you.’

  ‘Oh sorry, Kashish… I mean, in case you have something in your phone you don’t want me to see…’

  Aakash stretched out his hand to give Kashish her phone, but she simply shook her head wearily and looked out of the window. Aakash played with her phone for a few moments before handing it back to her. Smiling to himself, he whispered to Kashish, ‘I’d rather keep my mouth shut now.’

  Both repressed giggles as the train lurched forward.

  Getting down at Chembur station, they caught a rickshaw to Sion Circle, excitedly sharing their life details. Within a span of a few minutes, a horde of information related to their parents’ jobs, their siblings, their schooling and college life were exchanged. As the rickshaw approached the lanes of Sion, both of them realized that an entire day had gone by and wished it were longer! It was Kashish who spoke hurriedly, ‘Aakash, I completely forgot to ask for your phone number. Can you give it to me?’

  Aakash’s response was so cool that Kashish was taken aback. ‘Relax, Kashish,’ he said. ‘How difficult is it to stay in touch in this age of Facebook and Yahoo messenger, huh?’

  Completely dumbfounded, Kashish said, ‘But…’

  The sentence was left unfinished as the auto screeched to a halt. Aakash got off, stretched himself, and bade Kashish goodbye. Then he got into the auto and asked the driver to take him back to Chembur. As the auto sped off, Aakash turned around and shouted, ‘You already have my number, Kashish.’

  It was just before midnight when a message beep woke up Kashish. Switching on the table lamp, she wore her spectacles and picked up her phone, looking at it sleepily.

  She was stunned to find a few dashes and an equal sign instead of a sender name.

  Her heart skipped a beat as she decoded the symbols. They were meant to resemble a needle! She immediately opened her inbox and read the SMS: Kashish, its jst a few mins b4 a wonderful day of my life ends! Thank you!

  It took a few moments for her tired mind to realize that when Aakash had snatched her phone in the train, it was to save his own number in it than to take Neha’s!

  A large mirror on the wall reflected the image of a girl shaking her head with a benevolent smile on her sleepy face!

  Chapter 2

  ‘AAKASH!’ PROF KAMAT shouted so loudly that everyone in the Prosthodontics Lab turned around to see what had happened. ‘You take submissions so casually and now, at the last moment, you want me to sign your journal!

  ‘Understand one thing clearly, Aakash. I am not going to sign your journal until you treat five patients. And don’t forget the two temporization jobs. I have seen you conduct yourself in the lab and I can say with certainty that if you continue this way, you will never become a good dentist. You are always up to some prank or whiling away the time in other departments with your friends.’

  ‘But, sir, there are no patients in the department. The OPD itself is so low…’ Aakash stammered, his head bowed down.

  ‘Don’t give me lame excuses, Dr Mehta!’ thundered Dr Kamat, HoD of the prosthodontic department of YMT Dental College. ‘The patient’s work you just showed me has been going on for almost a month now! You finished taking the final impressions just yesterday. Look at the other interns around you! They have already completed two to three denture deliveries in the same time. You were one of my favourite students in the final year, but you’ve let me down. I will not hesitate in giving you an extension period if you continue to work like this!’

  Feeling humiliated, Aakash, head still bowed down, returned to the lab. Admittedly, prostho work had always frustrated him. In fact, he had managed to clear his pre-clinical prostho practical exams in his second year only by a small margin. He had always thought that prosthetics was not his cup of tea. Spending endless hours in the lab fabricating trays and plates, polishing, and grinding irked him tremendously, not to mention the ever-dissatisfied patients! He found other dental fields more interesting and rewarding.

  Prosthodontics is a major clinical branch of dentistry, which deals with the replacement of missing teeth and of restoring a natural tooth with a suitable artificial substitute. It is one of the most strenuous fields, involving a lot of laboratory work, the toughest among them all being the preparation of a complete denture.

  Situated on the first floor, the prosthodontics department was one of the best departments of YMT Dental College. Occupying almost a quarter of the floor, it was divided into the main clinical department where patients were treated and the adjoining laboratory where the fabrication work was completed. The clinical department was equipped with around forty dental chairs where doctors would take jaw impressions of the patients, check their trials, and deliver completed artificial prosthesis. Every step had to be approved by senior professors before proceeding further.

  It was quite unusual for an intern to be reprimanded in front of everyone. Normally, the final year students bore the wrath of the professors. The departmen
t was headed by Dr Kamat, known for his zero tolerance of the ‘sab chalta hai’ attitude of his students. Usually, he was extremely patient with them, but Aakash’s repeatedly casual attitude towards work had caused him to fly off the handle.

  In contrast to the strictly formal atmosphere of the clinical area, the laboratory was a more relaxed workplace. With plaster and impression chunks scattered on the floor, it was a noisy place where students chatted freely while working. Pungent odours of acrylic monomer, other impression materials, and gas burners filled the air. The shrill sounds of polishing machines and plaster trimmers added to the chaos. Perched on a stool in a far corner, toying with his acrylization flask, Aakash looked out of the window still feeling humiliated. His phone, which was kept on a table close by, vibrated. The screen flashed Kashish’s name.

  Aakash looked away from his phone screen and continued gazing outside the window, tears brimming in his eyes. Hundreds of thoughts occupied his mind. ‘That was mean of Dr Kamat. Mahesh and Ashish, too, have not finished their submission… How can I help it if there are no patients? Why am I always screwed in prostho! If I don’t finish the patient quota, I will be stuck with a never-ending extension period.’

  He nervously cracked his knuckles, when he heard the familiar message tone. He picked up his mobile and clicked opened his inbox. He brightened up when he read Kashish’s SMS:

  Ouch! A needle pierced somewhere when the call went unanswered ;-)

  Aakash replied instantly: Aargh! Feel blessed that it is a small needle for you! A dagger just stabbed me. Kamat Sir might sharpen a bigger one if denture delivery not done quickly :-(

  In a minute, Aakash’s mobile buzzed again: How about weaving a magical spell on Dr Kamat? Instead of a dagger, let’s present him with a pen to grant you the signature you need on your submission journal. Lol…

  Aakash had discussed his submission dilemma the night before with Kashish, yet he wondered now whether Kashish was just trying to cheer him up or she meant more. He quickly typed: ??

  Kashish was quick to respond: Well…Aakash. I was seriously thinking about your idea of having a cup of coffee together. It’s just post lunch and I have finished my orthodontics posting early today. How about I help you with your denture work and you treat me to coffee in return?

  Kashish’s delightful suggestion lifted Aakash’s dampened spirits and he eagerly typed a thumbs-up sign. He was about to send it when he changed his mind, deleted it, and dialled Kashish’s number. Within five minutes of talking to Kashish, he realized that she had brought back his smile and cheered him up. What he did not realize was that Tammanah Ma’am, his supervisor, was standing right behind him. He almost dropped his phone when, turning around, he found her right in front of him.

  Before he could open his mouth, Dr Tammanah said, ‘Shameless, Aakash! Just a moment ago, Dr Kamat scolded you and here you are chatting on your mobile!’

  As she left the room, Aakash shook his head in embarrassment, ‘Once a devil, always a devil!’

  It was around 5.30 p.m. and Kashish was almost done with the teethsetting on the already-mounted wax rims on the articulator.

  A few of Aakash’s friends and assistant professors were surprised to find Aakash and a pretty girl deeply immersed in setting up artificial teeth on mounted wax rims. Dr Tammanah chuckled in amusement but was relieved that Aakash was at least finishing his work. Aakash was spellbound as he watched Kashish work. Initially, he gave his inputs and helped her, but later merely sat in silence and admired the focus and detail with which she worked. Every tooth was arranged with precision, taking care not to violate the theory behind the positions. Observing Kashish, Aakash realized that his prostho work was inferior compared to her’s. She worked with the eye of an artist, not missing out any detail. She checked and scrutinized every tooth and then sealed it in its final position.

  He was learning a lot from her.

  ‘Phew! It’s almost done. It took us an hour and a half to set the teeth right. Aakash, please grab a few pieces of sandpaper and soap cotton before heading out of the lab. We can finish the final polishing and carving in the train on our way home.’

  Aakash looked at her with admiration. He inspected the completed denture and was about to thank Kashish when she bowed and said, ‘You are welcome.’ She then waved an imaginary wand around and whispered, ‘Magic!’

  Aakash mimicked Professor Kamat. He pinched the bridge of his nose, turned his head from side to side, narrowed his eyes, and rolled the articulator in his hands. Finally, he smiled, nodded an approval and waved a signature in the air.

  Kashish laughed and playfully pinched Aakash’s nose saying, ‘Let’s go and have that cup of coffee.’

  Aakash excused himself for a few minutes to pick up his stuff from the locker room. Kashish, stood alone, admiring the vast green lawn surrounded by tall buildings on all the sides. She looked up at the sky and wondered what had prompted her to help Aakash. She was good at prostho work, but had never helped someone she had only recently met.

  The canteen boy took their order of two coffees and a plate of idli vada and left. Kashish looked at her watch and smiled nervously at Aakash.

  When this happened for the second time, Aakash chided, ‘C’mon, doc, your dad won’t eat you up if you reach home late at times.’

  ‘Ha-ha, you never know…he may! But jokes apart, I don’t want him to worry. Every dad in this world would be concerned if his daughter was running late. You have a younger sister at home, na? Doesn’t your dad get worried when she is late coming home?’

  ‘He does,’ replied Aakash. ‘But Kinjal usually informs at such times and he understands.’

  He leaned closer to Kashish and asked, ‘Tell me something, do you love your dad or fear him?’

  Taking a few sips of water, Kashish said, ‘I agree that my dad is a little old school and strict, thanks to his Air Force background, but don’t fear and love reside side by side? He loves his kids and, hence, is concerned for their safety.’

  ‘Kashish, there is a thin line between being concerned and being strict. I mean, you are scared even to start a late-night message chat!’

  ‘Aaaa-kaaash, it’s not about him…it’s about me. I love him. And when you love someone so much, you accept certain things with a pinch of salt!’

  Aakash folded his hand in admiration, just as the boy placed two cups of steaming coffee on their table.

  In the train, sitting by the window, Aakash was vigorously polishing the wax rims with wet cotton soap, trying to give it a lustrous look, while Kashish was chatting with a friend on her phone.

  Aakash finally looked satisfied and showed the rims to Kashish, who approved it by raising her thumb. He desperately wished he would not be required to make any more corrections during the patient trial, otherwise he would have to repeat the tedious procedure.

  He looked at Kashish and playfully brought the articulator at his eye level. Then closing and opening it repeatedly, he played with it as if it were a puppet. Pretending to be a ventriloquist, he opened the jaw of the articulator and, disguising his voice, murmured, ‘Thank you so much, Kashish.’

  Kashish smiled and decided to play along; she looked straight at the articulator, brushed her fingers over the smoothened rims, and, ignoring Aakash, said, ‘You are welcome.’

  Aakash still pretending to be a ventriloquist said, ‘Canteen coffee doesn’t exactly repay the generous help you gave me today! I need another chance to show my gratitude.’

  Kashish, with her eyes still fixed on the talking artificial jaw, asked, ‘And how do you propose to do that?’

  Aakash looked deep into Kashish’s eyes and said, ‘How about a trip to Spain this Saturday?’

  Confused by the question and sure that Aakash had stretched the joke a little too far, Kashish exclaimed with shock, ‘What? Are you nuts?’

  ‘Nope,’ replied Aakash mischievously; and then he whispered in Kashish’s ears, ‘Just be sure to get your dad’s permission!’

  A black-colour
ed SUV cruised on the roads of Spain. A handsome guy in black goggles and a blue denim shirt was at the wheel. Every now and then, his mobile rang and he picked it up to answer an important call. A hand on his left, following the beats of the Spanish music playing in the car, waved in his direction. Another set of hands joined in from the back seat trying to sync the movements with the hands in front. The handsome guy driving the car dismissed this ‘let your hair down’ initiation with sarcasm and went back to answering another business call. In a moment, he swerved the car to his left and brought it to a screeching halt, much to the surprise of his friends travelling with him.

  Admiring the panorama of the mountains and valleys around them, one of the friends remarked, ‘Kabir, look at the beautiful view. And now look at our poor friend, Arjun. What has happened to him ya?’

  After Arjun finished his conference call, Kabir said to him, ‘Arjun, tum the ISS uniform mein mentally the sick lag rahe ho!’

  Both friends laughed heartily while Arjun looked at them wearily.

  Guffaws of laughter erupted in the packed cinema hall as the screen played out a famous scene from the movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, famously known as ZNMD.

  Aakash chuckled and looked at Kashish sitting beside him. She, too, was doubled with laughter. Sitting up, she returned his gaze with a smile on her lips.

  A group of about twenty-five dental interns from YMT Dental College had assembled at Starcity Cinema in Matunga to watch the recently released ZNMD. Kashish and three of her MGM Dental College friends had joined them at Aakash’s insistence. Most of Aakash’s friends mischievously pulled his leg over his budding friendship with an MGM College intern. Aakash’s batchmate, Amit Singh, went to the extreme of ‘erroneously’ calling Kashish ‘bhabhiji’, leaving her red with embarrassment. This was one of the most common pranks played by students when they sensed a new hook-up.