Short Story / Ramakanth Jonnavittula

Deepa was stunned to see the likeness of Pandu, stop in the middle of the road and call his mother, just like what Pandu used to do. Deepa wondered whether she really saw Pandu's likeness or fancied seeing it! His mother joined him and they drove off in a parked car. However, Deepa could see the car's registration number.

As the boy was of school going age, she started searching for the car and the boy at every school. Fortunately, she located them in a school. She went to that school and met the boy in the lunch-interval. His name was Prasad. She talked with him affectionately throughout the interval and gave him plenty of chocolates.

Prasad's mother Manasa, admonished him for accepting gifts from strangers and warned him that they were capable of luring children and carrying them away. Next day, she also went to school in the lunch-interval and obstructed Deepa who came with joyous expectations to meet Prasad. They had an argument: Manasa felt that Deepa was harmless but felt intrigued why she was after Prasad. Deepa invited her home to offer clarification.

No sooner did Manasa step into Deepa's house, she was amazed by a large photograph on the wall which could easily be mistaken for Prasad's. Deepa told her that it was her son Pandu and that he died due to the callousness of a drunken bus driver. She showed Manasa Pandu's album and they spoke for a long time. Manasa gave her address and phone number and told Deepa that she was welcome to meet Prasad any time it pleased her.

Deepa was more open and talkative. Manasa treated her affectionately like a sister. Their acquaintance matured into friendship. Deepa told Manasa that after years of trial for a child, they fortunately went to Dr. Satyamurthy's Fertility Clinic and succeeded in getting Pandu by IVF method. Although Deepa went to Manasa's house several times, her advocate husband Raju did not visit them even once. After friendship with Prasad, she began to recover fast from her lingering depression and he did not like to interfere with it. Now, Manasa invited both of them to Prasad's birthday.

Raju was amazed to see such a close resemblance between Prasad and Pandu. He began to think with his lawyer's acumen and came to a conclusion. He told his wife, "Deepa, listen carefully. Prasad is also our own son."
D: What do you mean?
R: Dr.Satyamurthy prepared two fertilized eggs from us. The very first trial was successful; so we ignored the second fertilized egg. The doctor used it without our knowledge or permission on Manasa which resulted in the birth of Prasad…  Wait! I would drag them all into court and bring home Prasad.
D: Are we destined to be so fortunate?

Soon, she began to have other thoughts. "If Prasad is legally snatched away from Manasa, she might suffer just as I did; how can I cause such anguish to such an affectionate lady who had been treating me like her own sister?"
Deepa asked Raju to take the doctor only, to the court.

The doctor was dragged to the court. He piled up evidence to confirm his credentials. Raju was finding it difficult to sustain his case without bringing in the evidence from Manasa's cause of pregnancy. Lawyers have a knack of speaking and using body-language to frighten the accused especially if he is guilty as well as an honorable professional. The ploy worked. The case was adjourned for ten days.

The doctor was frightened of losing his prestige and practice. Late in the night he went to Raju's house and confessed his misdeed of acting without obtaining prior permission. He promised to pay Raju three times what he received for that case and requested Raju to withdraw the case to enable him save face.
D: Who wants your tainted money; keep it yourself… After all it is our house that has been deserted, what do you care!
S: I am guilty of another greater crime which the cleverest lawyer can't discover. When you came to me after the tragedy for a repeat IVF service, I told you that the two of you were not fit for it then. My guilt frightened me into discontinuing contact with you, therefore I lied. It is quite possible even now. Come to my lab tomorrow; I will try my best and succeed. Please believe me. Give me an opportunity, save my reputation and spare the town the services of a fertility expert.