When I was the Captain of a guided missile destroyer, in the staff we had a very sweet doctor. A thorough gentleman, very caring and too enterprising. He was married to a very sweet lady and the two had two wonderful kids.......since we were living in the same colony of officers, we had good family terms and would often visit each other........ The doctor, though a very nice person, but was too forgetful at times. And also he was very frightened from his mother in law (we all share that category, somehow) whenever she was around. And he used to be doing his best whenever the old lady visited their place, but his wife kept on taunting at him that he had a grudge in his heart against her mom..... One fine morning we had to sail for a sea trip. Normally the officers would board an hour before the ship cast off from the pier. The Executive officer briefed me about the readiness of officers and men for the sea, but in a low tone, he also informed me,sir, the doc has yet to come....It is OK, XO, I said, since we were in no hurry because the events at sea would start in later part of the day. About 5 minutes before the ship was to slip, I saw the doctors car, which he drove frantically and parked it near a pole almost crashing in it. I was watching all this from the ships bridge and enjoying his movements. The doctor grabbed his bag, put the strap around his shoulder, slammed the car door, locked it and started walking towards the ships jetty, only to realize that one of the longer strap of his bag got stuck inside the door of his car......Grumbling, he unlocked the car, untangled his bag locked it again and rushed towards the brow for boarding. Soon thereafter we slipped. Once we were out from the channel into the deeper sea, I saw the doc on the bridge with very apologetic looks on his face........Are you OK doc? I asked.......No sir, yes sir, it is Okay sir........I just kept quiet, though with a smile...... Later the XO told me the Docs story.....sir, his in-laws arrived at his home last eve just before sunset. Since they did not have a lunch and were feeling hungry, his wife told him to go and grab some nans from the nearby tandoor, while she immediately went into the kitchen to fix a chicken Karahi. The doctor went to the tandoor, where he was told that nans will be ready after the maghrib prayers when they will light up the oven. He still had some time, so the doc placed his roti napkin with the tandoor wala and went to the wardroom (officers mess) where his two friends were staying. They were playing bridge,, and he sat with them. In the process he forgot about the guests at home, played a few rubbers, downed a surely made grand slam, then had a dinner with his friends and by the time, they finished playing bridge, it was close to midnight. The doc went home, not aware that a commotion is awaiting him.......The doorbell was answered and he saw his wife in an extremely angry mood.....what happened honey? the doc inquired? .....where were you, and where are the naans?? Oh my God, the doc replied, and went back running towards the tandoor, which he found shut and locked.....with drooping shoulders and stooping body he returned home, for a volley of verbal blasts from his wife........He didnt know, what they ate, but he went to the bed hungry, and came to the ship hungry.........I just laughed He was indeed an innocent soul......
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 10:01:52 +0000
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