John Milton

This morning on 20th August I had to go and see a patient who was running fever since last 2-3 days.With the panic going around the town and the whole country,the parents were very concerned that their girl had not contracted Swine Fever from her friends in college.The girl studies in 1st year BA and I found lying on her bedside table a copy of the famous classic"Paradise Lost" by the famous John Milton,which she had to study in college.
The sight of the book brought back memories of how I had wanted study English in Graduation and make English my vocation in life.I loved English-I memorised sonnets and lines of famous quotation from Shakespeare which I remember even today and can recite with ease.I dreamt of becoming a professor in English after spending a long time in Oxford or Cambridge University .
But Fate had other ideas and plans for me.My father,Dr.(Prof.)Rabindra Narayan Sinha FRCS (Eng&Edin) who was a pioneer of Plastic Surgery in India wanted me to follow in his footsteps.He put his footdown and insisted that I should become a doctor.In those days medical admission was on the basis of marks.1st divisionersin any board was quite a rarity and since I had a high 1st division,I sailed through in Medical admission.I got a furtherpnch when in my pre-medical class where English was one of the subjects,or Professor of English ,Prof.Ranjan Narayan when he learnt about my marks in English in Senior Cambridge,he qupped"What are you doing in Medical College-you should be in English Honours in an Arts College!!"
Be as it may,one never disobeyed one's father those days and here I am a doctor.Of course lot of water has passed in Ganga since I did my Medical Graduation which is 38 years ago.As they say that there is no point in crying over spilt milk but the point is that my love for English still stays.One need not be a Professor in English to be in love with English.I told my patient that you are reading Milton,I have seen where he is buried in Westminister Abbey with other greats .I also visited Stratford-on Avon where Shakespeare was born and live when I visited UK last year while visiting my younger daughter who stays n Milton Keynes,UK.I also visited Oxford where If Fate wished,I coud have studied.
Whatever-Que sara sara-whatever will be will be!