The Patient @ Bone Setting Clinic

A Middle aged bony man with a loose shirt hanging on him as if he were wearing the shirt of someone bigger than his size had entered the unauthorized bone setting clinic. In India, there were many such clinics without permission and authorization. His face was oily and sleek with dark complexion and his spoiled teeth indicated that he was addicted to chewing some kind of tobacco. The foul smell from his mouth was pungent and spread the entire clinic as he entered and it was of alcohol. His wrist was swollen and he was wreathing in constant pain. As he sat and extended his hand, showing the bulge, the touch of the bone setting doctor was like pricking with needles and he was screeching and yelping like a child. He withdrew his hand and said it was more painful than the death and requested the doctor to do it smoothly. Likewise he did. This time the suffering was endless and the pain was excruciating.

The unqualified doctor had started massaging the hand by applying oil which he dabbed from the bowl beside him, then he applied white colour ointment on the wrist massaging and the addict patient was dying in pain and yelling that he would come the next day or every day, if need be, but leave him now. But the doctor was merciless and heedless and in fact he was focused on the hand not the face of the patient. The doctor continued massaging without leaving his hand, squeezing and kneading the bulged muscles and nerves mechanically and professionally without any emotion on his face and his face was inconspicuous because he had worn a green ventilated face mask made of cloth, generally worn by the doctors at the time of operation. The suffering of the patient was unbearably terrible and intensely widespread throughout his body. Only the tears had not come out and the patient felt relief after the fifteen most unbearable and painful moments of his life. The patient’s wrist was circled with a pink coloured bandage from elbow to the palm and the fingers were included in tying the bandage.

Now, the patient had walked out of the clinic triumphantly like the winner of Olympic gold medal, full of smiles and no pain now. What a serene feeling he thought but a bandaged hand which was supported by another bandage and that was hung over from his shoulder. His son who happened to bring him to the clinic had paid the fee to the bone setting doctor who looked very young. The doctor, again without any emotion behind his mask had taken the fee and placed in a wooden counter upon which four bowls with oils, paste and cream were present. After locking the money counter with a small key, the doctor had handed a card to the patient’s son which was like a visiting card but containing all the items neatly in two rows which were not supposed to be eaten by the patient on one side and on the other side was the name, address and contact number of the clinic.