The Kite And The String
The chill of January in Pune was subtle, not the biting cold of Delhi or Shimla, but a gentler coolness that settled over the city like a shawl. The mornings carried a mist that lingered over the Mula-Mutha rivers, and evenings were filled with the scent of roasted corn sold by vendors outside Fergusson College. It was in this season that Professor Raghav Deshmukh, now in his early sixties, walked into the Oncology wing of Rashesh Multispeciality Hospital. His cream-colored kurta, slightly frayed at the edges was paired with a woolen Nehru jacket that had seen better days. He had been a philosopher at Pune University, known for his lectures on existentialism and Indian metaphysics, admired for his books that blended the Upanishadic thought with modern dilemmas. But today, he was not a teacher. He was a patient. The MRI results lay on the desk of Dr. Arvind Kulkarni, head of the palliative care unit. Arvind was a man of quiet authority, his salt-and-pepper hair always...