Babajan settled into life in Delhi. After completing a probationary period in the general medical ward she moved to the obstetrics department. She felt she could do good work there, caring for women in a non judgmental way. She never wanted anyone to go through what she had.
It was gruelling work and she often felt she was wasting her time. She turned a blind eye to obvious attempts at abortion and gave women guidance and a kind word even if that’s all she could do for them. She built a reputation in the area for decency and integrity.
She made friends with other staff at the hospital. She had trips to the cinema and dinners out with a few of them. One particularly good friend was a urologist called Ravi. He was a native of Delhi and came from a family of businessmen. He was the first to branch out from trade into medicine. He was somewhat the black sheep of his family too. He was a gentle soul and Babajan enjoyed his company greatly. He accompanied her and little Aziz for walks and picnics and he enjoyed playing with the child, who was not on his feet and walking.
Ravi was in his early thirties and unmarried which did make him something of a misfit. He said he was content with being a bachelor and was dedicated to his work. He was handsome too, which made his unattached status even odder. He had liquid black eyes, soft features and full round mouth. His hair curled slightly and a stray lock always seemed to hang over his forehead in a way that just invited a hand to gently brush it back in place. His family had given up trying to marry him off and didn’t seem to know quite what to do with him. His older brother who was taking over running the family’s import export business had married and had two children already so their parents were content the next generation was seen to and left Ravi to his own devices.
Ravi and Babajan enjoyed each other’s company greatly and could talk about anything. He knew she was from Chennai and a widow with no family. She did not dare tell him the truth as much as she wanted to tell this kind, gentle man.
At work one day Babajan decided to pay Ravi a visit on one of her few breaks. The urology department was only a corridor away from obstetrics and they often dropped in on each other under the guise of serious medical business. She strode along the corridor looking professional and headed into the urology ward. Beds lined the ward and nurses tended to patients. She looked around but couldn’t see Ravi anywhere. She headed out of urology and kept going along the corridor and and around the corner to a small staff room where he often took breaks. She poked her had around the door. A solitary nurse was there pouring herself a glass of orange juice. She didn’t even look up when Babajan opened the door. Babajan was starting to regret trying to find him, she had to be back to see to her patients shortly. She decided to pay a visit to the bathroom before she returned to work.
She breezed back along the corridor towards her department and had her hand outstretched to open the ladies staff toilet door when she heard Ravi’s voice. It was coming from the men’s room. Babajan put her hands over her mouth and giggled. It would be good fun to burst through the door and surprise him. It was childish and silly but that’s the sort of fun they had.
Babajan took a deep breath and threw the door open. She shouted, ‘SURPRI…’ but left the rest of the word hanging in the air.
Ravi and the man he was with jumped away from each other like they had been caught doing something illegal. Which they had. And was punishable by up to ten years in prison.
The man who had been down on his knees, who Babajan immediately recognized as a hospital porter, leapt up and ran past her, almost knocking her over. Ravi had turned ghostly pale and was pushing his shirt back into his trousers and fumbling to fasten his belt.
‘Ravi… I’m so sorry.’ She was lost for words. He looked terrified. Stricken. He moved to try to get past her. ‘No, Ravi wait please!’ she begged him. ‘This is all my fault. I should never have burst in like that.’
‘Get out of my way,’ he growled, sounding more like a wounded animal than a ferocious one.
‘Ravi, wait. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me. You’re my friend,’ she implored him as she tried to stop him from running away.
‘I could go to jail,’ he cried, his hands pulling his hair.
‘Only if someone found out,’ she said. ‘Ravi, do you honestly think I would say anything?’ She looked straight at him. ‘You’re the best friend I’ve had in years and I don’t know where I’d be without you.
He stood still and looked at her. ‘You.. you’re not going to go to the police? He asked timidly.
‘What? Don’t be ridiculous! As if I would do such a thing.’ She cupped his face in her hands. ‘You’re not the only one with a secret.’