Memory

By Dr Maitreyee Joshi

“I will find it ..I will find it !” I gaze at the cars one after the other, parked in the basement of the hospital. It is a huge parking lot. Then my eyes fall on the black Zen and I think , "Ahh I found it !" But my happy cum relief bubble bursts..plop. That is not my car. It's Zen alright but not mine. I fumble due to the dim lights, and stare at rows after rows of parked four wheelers but I can’t seem to find mine.

I start the self blame routine, “Why do I never remember where I park my car. If it's a street then I should keep the shop or some sign near it in my mind but why do I never seem to remember it. Now who will find my car for me in this huge area. They should keep some forgotten parked cars identification system here. Am I the only one who does it ? It's not wrong that they call me forgetful. There are so many times when my friends laughed at me that I would forget my children in the market and come back home. But then I have been absent minded. How could I have parked my scooter in the middle of the lane and stood eating panipuri and then forgotten to take it inside the hostel premises until the police came to the hostel premises asking about the scooter owner ?

So many times I have walked back home without my scooter after parking it somewhere and remembering it the next morning. It's obvious that I have some derangements in my memory. But then I never forget writing the exam papers completely nor have I ever, like a proverbial negligent doctor left scissors in the patient’s tummy. My kid is safe at home, almost always. But shit, I can’t find my car right now and that has to be sorted out ! Who will do it for me ? Shall I leave it here today, take a cab home and then come back to do a fresh search tomorrow?”

Then I see the watchmen in the car park. He shouts , “Madam, your car is 4 in the 5th row from here. I remember, you forget it .”

I sigh with relief, “ But how does he remember? Ohh yes..these are his professional memories. He has to be good at it, isn’t it ?”

I walk to my car convinced of my own explanation, relieved.

By Dr Maitreyee Joshi