The Survival

"Am I really an unsocial animal”, Abraham was thinking. Diana his wife was angry with him and was saying that his profession had made him blind to all his social obligations and "even if he served humanity" she laughed mockingly, "he was doing it at the cost of his certain divine rights and duties".

She didn't seem to be in a mood to stop. "See other doctors, they work less and enjoy themselves and their family lives. Who cares as much about the patients as you do? There are so many doctors and so many hospitals, they will get the treatment from somewhere else, but you, you are the inconsiderate guy who does not know what sincere sentiments are what passion is..........."

He did not reply. He was not present there mentally. He was lost in his college days.....

He remembered when he was a student of final year in a medical college. He had been assigned a topic for discussion in the class next day, when his sister came to his room, "Dear brother, please I've a request to make. I have to attend the birthday party of my dearest friend. Please come with me and drop me there. I had planned to go with another friend of mine but she hasn't come yet and I am getting late for the party". She was not listening to the 'buts' coming regularly out of Abraham's mouth. He told her about the assignments and that it was impossible for him to go. She seemed hurt and started giving examples of her friends and how their brothers cared for them. But, Abraham was not a person to be convinced by such arguments. He thought that the profession of medicine wanted a wholehearted and a full time effort. And these extra activities were not a part of his life.

Then he remembered another incident. His mother had come into his study room while he was busy in preparation for the final professional exam. She said to him." My dear son, as you know, your cousin Oliver is getting married and the date has been fixed which is in the next week. I would have preferred going myself but I am not feeling very well". "But...." he tried to say something.”You have to go my dear because all the family will be present there and you have to represent us as you are the only male member of our family after your father death". "But mother please try to understand my problems. I am preparing for my final professional exam. All my hardworking during the past years and my career depend on this exam. I want to do my best". "They will think we are in isolated family and you are a proud and unsocial man".

But Abraham has its own thoughts and beliefs. He had created words of his own and nobody could convince by arguments.

When his mother went out of his room, she had wet eyes as she had unable to break his shell and convince him of his social duties in addition to his studies......

Now his wife was angry with him. Abraham could not think of any solution of her problem. He wanted to give the joys of life and eternal happiness to Diana but he could not sacrifice his profession for that. He was not ready to break his principles for the pleasure of one person. He wanted to work..... Work for all, to serve all, to treat all, to take care of the sick and not care about his joys and pleasure. He considered it better to treat a patient, to relieve a person from agony of disease than to have a cup of tea or to attend a dinner party.

That day, they had been invited to the engagement ceremony of Kath, his wife's sister. She was a 'talking lot', and used to deliver lectures on his social and moral duties that he was an unsocial animal.

Diana had told Abraham that she would not listen to any excuse and he would have to go, as her father had himself come to give the invitation. Reluctantly seeing no way out as, she refused to attend the ceremony alone, he said. “All right, all right.... as you wishes". Abraham noted a sudden spark of life spring across her face and the natural innocent smile on her face. He wanted to see that smile on her face always and fill the garden of her desires with lovely and sweet smelling flowers. “Now, come on.... get read quickly”, we are getting late. Diana brought him out of his imagination.

Everyone was surprised to see Abraham with Diana. They were happy also and Abraham's father-in-law stood up from his seat to great them. Kathy also congratulated her sister on this success. But was stopped from talking anymore by Diana who said, "Don't you talk so much before your in-laws, they may say that we don't want a non-stop engine....." She smiled.

Some people gathered around Abraham asking about their medical problems. And he was obliged to answer them all, doing his duty here as well. Everybody seemed to be having at least half a dozen diseases and Abraham enjoyed the whole situation by prescribing for them.

Suddenly, he heard a loud roar of cries and shouts arising from the hall. People were saying that his father-in-law had suddenly fainted and was lying unconscious on the ground. Abraham heard Diana and Kathy crying for help and asking God Almighty for mercy. He runs to the spot and see the old man lying on the ground. He suddenly noticed that the collar of the shirt of his Father-in-law was bit tight. He quickly loosened the hook of the collar and opened the buttons of his shirt. Then he massaged the heart. Everybody was looking towards him with hope. Kathy was begging him to save her father's life.

He told her to pray God Almighty and that he was doing his best. After some time his father-in-law regained consciousness and asked for water. Everybody including Kathy and Diana thanked God and looked towards Abraham with eyes full of appreciation and praise. But he said that this was due to the blessing of Allah that luckily he was presenting there and could help the old man in his problem. Diana was proud of her husband and walked proudly among the ladies, praising her husband and his development and his devotion to his profession. The ceremony happily ended without meeting a tragedy.

On their way back home, she said, “Abraham dear, I am so sorry for what I have been saying to you and about your profession. You people scarifies your own family relations to save hundreds of other families. You are trying to keep the machinery of the society working, not allowing it to stop in any condition even in any condition, even at the cost of your own joys and pleasures".
"It's all right, please don't mention it". "Why not, I am going to praise not only you but all the helpers of humanity who are the agents of God Almighty to relieve the suffering people from their problems and aliments, who always appear at that right time to save someone's life and prevent the change of happy ceremonies into funeral ceremonies........"

 "Diana, please listen to me, I am pleased to tell you I have found an answer to my problem. I need not be sitting on my seat in my clinic to serve others. I can do it while moving around, attending the functions and meeting people because suffering is everywhere, disease are a part and parcel of human life. I've decide that I will go to people, to my family and ask them their problems and see them, treat them and relieve them of their pains"

          Diana had a lovely smile on her face because she did not believe that Abraham could say that.

   "Yes, Diana believes me I will become a social animal and become a part of this society responsibility as well. I am sorry that I kept you in that mental tension for so long. Now I will make you happy. I'll fill your garden of desires with all the flowers you want. And get worlds, this one and the world hereafter".

They both started smiling first and then laughing. They had a completely changed world. They had got answer to their problems and they thought that they were the happiest souls on the surface of the earth.