Vandana was pleasantly surprised to see a younger man. Mr. Kumar must be in his late-thirties, she suspected. Dressed very casually in jeans and a polo shirt, he didn’t look like a man from a small village. If he was in the city, he would have been every bit a city-bred metropolitan man. Despite his spectacles which gave him a nerdy look, she found him handsome. Ensuring his kids were safe and close to him, he exuded certain warmth that she immediately felt she could trust him.

However, she still thought he could not have been the person she spoke on the phone a few weeks ago. Maybe he is the son of the man she actually spoke to. The older man sounded so father-like; genuine in his concern for the poor people of his community and quite informal while Mr. Kumar here seems to expect formalities. An annoyed look passed on his face when she mentioned that she was expecting an older man. She thought, maybe he got offended over her remark. She should apologize soon if she runs into this man every day making their encounters awkward. Besides, she agreed to stay in his bungalow for a few days until her living quarters are arranged near the hospital.

His children seemed to be well-behaved. She couldn’t even ask their names. They seemed to be in a hurry to go to school. The boy seemed to like her instantaneously with his big dark eyes that smiled when he smiled. There was some naughtiness hidden behind those eyes. Boys of that age usually tend to be a bit mischievous. However, the girl looked at her suspiciously. She must be a teenager – a young lady growing into a woman. She fondly remembered her younger days when she was about this girl’s age. Life was so different then. She wondered if all girls go through that awkward phase. She hoped to befriend them soon. Maybe their mother is amicable and she could have a female friend at last.

Mr. Kumar had a pleasant voice on the phone. Vandana felt she made an instant connection with the man when he shared his passion for the hospital and the people in his community. With several years treating trauma patients, Vandana grew tired of working with wounded soldiers. She wanted to work in a regular, rural hospital where there is a chance for her to improvise on the job. All the high-tech is good but sometimes basic, old-school methods seem to be the right answer in curing so many ailments. At the peak of her career, she quit the Army, despite climbing in rank from Medical Officer to Assistant Director of Medical Services. She moved around several cities working in large corporate hospitals to save up some funds. She wanted to open her own clinic but with the lack of sufficient funds, she tucked away that dream for post-retirement.

With the help of a good friend and colleague, she found this opening shortly after she quit the last corporate hospital. Besides, this place would give her the much-needed respite and anonymity that she wanted more than anything else. She hoped to be here as long as possible. Besides, her friend Pradham Singh will always have her back. She wondered what would have happened to her if not for Pradham. Both he and his wife, Sheetal had been wonderful friends these past three years.

Vandana noticed that Mr. Kumar was placing her suitcase and the duffel bag in the back of the jeep. He helped his boy climb into the back seat while his daughter declined his help. He came around, opened the door for Vandana to sit next to him and took the other duffel bag from her. He closed the door after making sure she was seated comfortably.

‘What a gentleman!’ Vandana thought, smiling to herself. She turned around to face the kids who were looking at her.

Vandana noticed Mr. Kumar tossing her second bag as well in the back before shutting that door. He walked to the driver side of the jeep and jumped in.

“Everyone buckled up?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

Vandana quickly obeyed. Looking through the rear-view mirror, he carefully backed out of the parking spot.

“Dr. Mittur, the school is not that far. After dropping off the kids, we will be on our way. If you need to buy any things, there is a store that I can drop you off and pick you up in thirty minutes. It is on the way to school,” offered Prashanth.

“Thank you for the offer, Mr. Kumar. I’m sure I don’t need anything for now. I have enough supplies till I get rest of my things next week. By the way, how far is this town of yours,” she asked, pulling out her braid from underneath the seat belt.