THE SUDERSANAMS

A charming reminiscence of a doctor and his family



Dr.G.S.Sudersanam was a senior doctor in the old Nizam's State in Hyderabad. As a resident medical officer he was entitled to a huge bungalow and all other kinds of perks wherever he was posted. He was a good doctor who lavished great tenderness and care on his patients.

At that time the purdah system was prevalent in the State, and women wore heavy veils, from behind which their eyes peered at the world through a tiny opening. The doctor was not allowed to look at the patient's face nor touch her. Since there were no lady doctors there at that time, Dr.Sudersanam had to manage somehow. So he trained one of his daughters to check the pulse and to administer injections. He took her with him whenever he had to treat these gosha women.

A cosmopolitan family


Dr.Sudersanam was a native of Andhra. His wife Sunderamma was from Orissa. They had four pretty daughters and two handsome sons. The parents gave the children a free hand when it came to marriage. The eldest daughter was married to an Andhra doctor. The second one, who had won a couple of beauty contests, fell in love with her college mate in Vellore Medical College and married him. He was from Uttar Pradesh. He became a professor in The Administrative Staff College in Hyderabad. The third one (the proxy doctor) married a Tamilian - me. The fourth one was a bubbly character full of fun and laughter. When she went to study in Allahabad, a Bengali college mate fell for her like a ton of bricks. They got married, and later the man rose to a high position in the UNO. As for the sons, one married a girl who was half Tamil and half Coorgi. This chap became a colonel in the Indian Army. The last boy completed the circle by marrying his eldest sister's daughter. They settled in the US where he became a businessman.

When we all got together on some vacations, the dining table seemed to be a cross section of the nation. The Sudersanams seemed to be a model family for national integration.

A rhapsodical ride


Mrs.Sunderamma Sudersanam must have been a great beauty in her younger days. I first saw her when she was in her late fifties, and there still were vestiges of that beauty in her face. Dr.Sudersanam also had sharp and pleasant features. They made a handsome pair.

One night Dr.Sudersanam and I went to the railway station to receive someone. The train was late, and so we sat on a bench and chatted. He recalled his early days in the Nizam's medical service, and his family life in those enormous houses. One thing he said sparked my imagination.

When they had to go from one place to another, he had to ride a horse, and Mrs.Sudersanam was carried on a palanquin. "Aunty must have looked quite impressive in that palanquin", I said.

"Yes" he said, his face all aglow. "She was like a princess". And then he became misty-eyed with memories of those glamorous days. After a long silence he came back to the present with a sigh. Obviously he was very much in love with her.

Together until the last


Later Mrs.Sudersanam had a stroke and was confined to a wheelchair. The doctor was also afflicted with several ailments. They were both sliding into their last stages.

A romantic nurse who was looking after them, pushed their beds together, and placed Mrs Sudersanam's hand in the doctor's. Even though he was only partially conscious, Dr.Sudersanam perhaps instinctively knew that it was his wife's hand, and he clutched it firmly. The nurse summoned the family and showed them the clasped hands. It was a beautiful moment.

One day, in one of his lucid moments, Dr.Sudersanam told me, "I must live longer than aunty. I must be there to look after her, you see"

But that was not to be. He passed away before her. He was ninety five. Mrs.Sudersanam didn't realize what had happened. A couple of days later she asked her children where their father was. After trying to dodge the question for a day or two, they had to tell her the truth. She broke down and went into a non-communicable stage. She pined and died shortly after. She was ninety.

Theirs was a beautiful love story.






J.VASANTHAN



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