Love's labour – A True Story

TRUE stories of love and affection are not rare but those of labour of love are rare, indeed.
Jhumroo, a homely girl, is the joy of her parents. Fresh as a daisy, she started going to school when she was
four years old. Watching her going to school and returning home was a routine that delighted her parents.
But this school going started getting disrupted. Jhumroo became pale and weak. Disturbed parents went from
one specialist to another to get their child restored to health. But they were devastated when they learnt that
the child was suffering from blood cancer. That was their most painful moment. Resolving to give Jhumroo the
best possible treatment available they took her abroad, consulted well-known specialists but returned
disappointed.
Thomas Hardy's “theory of chance” played its hand then.
Coming home to enquire about Jhumroo's health, a friend advised the parents to show her to Dr. Vandana.
Hailed as a doctor with Midas' touch, an angelic person who kindled hope and removed fear of the ailment,
Vandana was known not just for her success in treatment but also for affection and care. While medicine
cured, her affection dimmed the pain. No wonder Jhumroo bore the treatment well and continued her
studies.
The doctor and the parents knew all, but resolved to persevere with the treatment. Mother was ready to leave
her job and invest all her time in Jhumroo's care. The father turned down an offer of a lucrative assignment
abroad to stay with his daughter.
The treatment was a painful ordeal. But after a long wait the miracle started to
happen. Seeing Jhumroo recover, the doctor's joy and the parent's happiness
was limitless. Tears of joy washed the pain they all suffered. Love's labour
was not lost.


Herself a doctor now, Jhumroo, has resolved to follow her role model Dr.
Vandana, to pursue specialization in blood cancer cure.
Dr. Vandana's story does not end here. While she was treating Jhumroo, a
parallel saga of treatment of a young man was also going on. A bright
student with engaging features put all his trust in the doctor, who in
turn, spared no effort in his treatment. The doctor succeeded this
time again. Regaining his health and his looks, Ravi stirred
something in the doctor's heart. Mutual attraction blossomed into
a romance which culminated in their marriage. A quiet marriage
was their way of tying the knot.
The couple has since moved abroad. Acutely conscious of Ravi's
genetic profile, they have decided not to go in for a child of their own.
They have adopted a cute little girl who is their delight.
Union of Vandana and Ravi is their destiny and their bliss. It has a
ring of Churchillan saying.
“We married and lived happily every afterwards”.

By P.C. Sharma