Volume 4 Issue 5 May, 2014
A RURAL ENCOUNTER
After my post-graduation I was working in a rural health project ‘Major mental morbidity survey’ at a village. I had
to go on my bicycle to hamlets around for door to door survey. I had an updated list of all households in the
catchment area with the name of the head of each family. Once I set on such a mission to a village. As soon as I
reached the outskirts of the village I asked a man walking past for direction to a particular household. He looked
keenly at me and asked me the purpose of my search. After I explained him the purpose he told me that the head of
that particular family is in a hotel where I can see him. He asked me to follow him till the hotel which was housed in
a hut. He asked me to wait outside and entered the hut. After few minutes he called me in. When I entered the hut
I saw 8 to 10 persons sitting on a carpet on the floor in a circle. One of them, a decently clad man, motioned me to
sit along in the circle where they seemed to have kept a place reserved for me. Suddenly I realized that I was up to
some trouble. When I hesitated to sit the man almost ordered me to sit which made me feel scared. With a
pounding heart I sat fearing what would happen next. Then the man started asking me questions to know my
identity and real purpose of looking for that particular man. They did not seem to believe that I was a doctor doing
such a survey in that village. By that time I feared that they may attack me suspecting me to be a policeman in
disguise. The so called hotel and the persons sitting around me appeared to be involved in some illegal activities. I
had no way to escape from the situation. Suddenly a young lady walked in from the inner room and asked me if I
was the doctor who had treated a particular person from the neighboring village who had been suffering from
epileptic fits. With my affirmative answer she explained to them that she had heard of it and that the man is free
from fits after receiving my treatment. At that juncture they appeared to believe my statements. Soon the man
asked me to go away and warned me not to come to their village again. With a sigh of relief, thanking silently that
God sent woman who saved my life, I cleared the place.
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