Puzzling Prognosis

It is now fairly certain that Shekhawat-ji (right) is physically fit and fine. Repeated medical tests (since his visit to Rajasthan last month) have established that he does not suffer from any serious ailment or disease. According to him, his appetite, sleeping pattern, bowel movements, blood pressure, etc. are all normal.
Yet, he continues to be under a cloud – what he describes as ‘ghabrahat’. He appears self-absorbed, walks slowly with a stoop, hardly smiles or talks to anyone and worse, wears the look of fear on his face. This is not the Shekhawat we knew. He says that at home also, he does not feel like interacting with anybody, let alone receive phone calls.
The prognosis is grim. Much as the men in the Club feel that he would come around on his own and for the moment, we should let him be, this is turning out to be counter-productive. It has only kept him alienated. Santosh-ji believes it is a mistake to leave him alone and that he needs to be drawn into the activities of the Club more actively.
This morning when the ladies accosted him in the Garden, he had the same look of fear and helplessness. In their anxiety to help, they came up with a variety of suggestions – from consulting a shrink (Khatoon Baig gave the name of Dr Sachin Patkar) to visiting a witch doctor and lighting oil lamps to ward off the evil eye… Somehow, the unspoken belief is that Shekhawat-ji has fallen victim to black magic.
Only Geeta Sandana and Monthi Serrao came up with some practical solutions. Geeta-ji (right), who is just back from her ten-day teerth of Madurai, Rameshwaram and Srirangam, could not hide her shock, looking at Shekhawat-ji’s feeble state. She gave him her own example of how she had to fight her battles when she was lying indisposed last year and could not even tie her saree. She urged him to summon the strength to fight his depression and be his normal confident self again.
Monthi-ji is also convinced that his is a case of acute depression and loss of self-confidence, which cannot be cured by remaining aloof. “Aapko aagey aane ka, logon ke saath milne ka,” she reminded him. In all this pep talk, what has gone unnoticed is how Mrs Shekhawat (left) has recovered fully from being similarly down, following the Rajasthan trip. When she attended the Diwali bash last week, who would say, looking at her, that she too had been suffering?
Perhaps Shekhawat-ji needs to take a leaf from her book.

Renu Babani says:
Yes, we all have to fight our own fears or battles in our own way. Self determination, will power and the attitude that nothing is wrong with me... always works. They say it is all in the mind, and so true. Believe in yourself, and be sure that everything will be fine. Using one's positive energy on oneself helps a lot in many ways and who knows, what helps!
--Renu