Free Superstar: Horn OK Please by Kartik Iyengar Page B

suite room.
     
    The other one was beautiful and attractive Tibetan woman, looked the same age as Jenny. She stood near Jenny’s head, holding on to a prayer wheel and chanting strange prayers.
    Matchstick Nanny stood near the door, prayer bead in hand, a pink coffee mug in the other. She had fearful expression on her face, the kind of expression one gets to see in B-grade horror movies.
    The balcony door was open and the room was bright and airy. Except for the bed and the ugly, miniature painting of her great grandpa, the vast room had no furniture. It had a wooden floor that blushed with the multitude of dust particles that had comfortably nestled into its crevices.
    A peach colored curtain danced with the gentle breeze as it tried to have a fleeting glance at the inmates of the room. Silence seeped in from every corner. 
    The doctor looked in our direction as the door creaked open. After the initial shock, she walked briskly across to the door, led us out and closed the door behind her. Her big hazel eyes had an air of authority in them which commanded respect.
    “You’re not supposed to be here, please, the patient needs some privacy. You’re disturbing her” explained the Doctor, sounding as clinically calm as possible.
    “Is….is she sick?” asked Hound, his voice choked and his face betrayed his concern for Jenny. If Derek was concerned, he chose not to show it.
    “She’s fine. Are you Jenny’s friends? The four angels that saved her life? Well, you’re not supposed to be here. You’re not supposed to be a part of this at all!” said the doctor, removing the slithering snake of a stethoscope from her neck and ears.
    Hearing the word ‘angel’ being used for the beasts like us was totally off the mark. But I must say, it had a nice effect on us, at least I felt proud to have saved a life. I was quite sure Hound, Goose and Derek would have had inflated chests as well.
    “Wow! A snake that can get inside from one ear and come out of the other just to hang limp on her big breasts would surely be one heckuva snake! But it seemed to have died in the doctor’s hands. That made the doctor a real one and not a charlatan, you know, Chief?” whispered Goose into my ear. I turned around and saluted the big, overgrown bird.
    “Cut the cackle, woman, tell us exactly what’s going on here. Are you going to tell us the truth or should I march right in and ask Jenny?” thundered Derek, running out of patience as he walked towards the door.
    “No! Wait! Don’t disturb her, you’ll make matters worse. OK, let’s go to the Crystal Room. I’ll tell you all that I know”, said the Doctor, completely taken aback by Derek’s impudence. We walked across the lobby and went straight to the reading room.
    She settled down on a chair, while we made ourselves comfortable on the couch. Then the doctor spoke, “My name is Catherine D’Silva, I’m a psychiatrist. You can call me Cathy. Jenny is my niece and Jeremy is my husband. That makes Nanny…er…my Nanny. This is a strictly confidential, family matter and I would not have liked to discuss this case with outsiders. But you leave me with no option. No, Jenny is not sick, at least not yet.  There are certain strange events that are happening right now that are beyond medical comprehension.”
    She looked around and saw the obvious concern in the room, “We care for her. That’s why I have sought help from Lobsang, a teacher and a spiritual healer from Ladakh. She’s Jenny’s childhood friend. In fact, she is her only friend. She’s come in just here to help Jenny who needs not just medical, but spiritual help as well. Jenny’s about to turn 23 and this is the most difficult time for her…”
    Our tiny brains had turned into basket cases within seconds. With this mysterious explanation put in place, our minds were chomping at the bit to listen to the rest of the story as Cathy continued, “OK, Jeremy filled me in with everything that happened last night.