Unfulfilled Desire
A Tale of Mystery and Horror
(Set in the year 2000)
Dr. Bhaskar Joshi, a reputed surgeon based in Rajkot, owned a hospital in the city. Patients from Rajkot and nearby villages came to him for treatment and surgeries because of his accurate diagnoses and ethical medical practice.
Dr. Bhaskar had married his college mate, Dr. Sheela, in a love marriage. Their married life was happy and harmonious. While Sheela held an MBBS degree, she was more involved in hospital administration.
Four years after their wedding, they were blessed with a daughter named Divyanshi. She was studying medicine in Nadiad and staying in a hostel there.
In short, Dr. Bhaskar Joshi was leading a joyful and fulfilling life with his family.
“Listen, we have to attend Dr. Mahesh Rajani’s son’s wedding in Gondal, remember?” Sheela reminded her husband.
“Oh, I completely forgot! I even gave the driver a day off tomorrow. But we have to attend, of course. No worries, I’ll drive us there,” Bhaskar replied.
“If you get tired on the way back, I’ll drive,” Sheela assured him.
The couple set out from Rajkot to Gondal at six in the morning.
About 10 kilometers before Gondal, an elderly woman suddenly appeared and began crossing the road in front of their car. Dr. Bhaskar hit the brakes hard and stepped out in anger.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed, old lady? If you want to die, do it at home! Why endanger others?” he yelled furiously.
“Just get back in the car. She’s probably deaf, and you’re shouting for no reason. We’ll be late for the wedding,” Sheela tried to calm him down.
After attending the wedding, the couple returned to Rajkot late at night.
The next day, Dr. Bhaskar reached the hospital as usual. But something felt off. For the first time in years, the waiting room—usually packed with patients—was completely empty.
On a normal day, arriving at 9 AM meant no break until 2 PM, and at least one surgery was always scheduled. His day usually ended around 10 PM. But today, the empty waiting area made him uneasy.
“Nurse, are there no appointments today?” he asked.
“There were 25 appointments, sir. But not a single patient has shown up. Even tomorrow’s scheduled surgery for the patient from Jetpur has been cancelled,” the nurse replied with a confused look.
Dr. Bhaskar retreated to his cabin, disturbed. He looked around—something he rarely had time to do. For the first time since it was built, he studied his cabin in such detail. The unexpected free time felt like a thorn.
As per routine, Sheela arrived at the hospital by noon. The nurse updated her, and she too was shocked.
This pattern continued for ten days. Both Bhaskar and Sheela pondered various theories. There hadn’t been any botched surgeries in recent months, no mistreatment of patients, and no increase in consultation or surgery fees. Yet, patients had mysteriously stopped coming.
“Maybe we should consult Guruji,” Sheela suggested anxiously.
“What does he have to do with this? This isn’t something a spiritual guru can fix. I think Dr. Pankaj Maheshwari, our competitor, is behind this. I had our assistant, Nandu, check his hospital yesterday—his patient load has doubled! Nandu even saw some of our regular patients there. I’m certain Pankaj has spread false rumors about us,” Bhaskar replied.
“Fine, investigate Dr. Pankaj if you want. But what harm is there in meeting Guruji once? We’re just sitting idle anyway,” Sheela said firmly.
The words “sitting idle” stung Bhaskar deeply. With no other option, he agreed to visit Ahmedabad.
Sheela was spiritually inclined and deeply interested in the metaphysical. She had a strong connection with Guruji and quickly arranged a morning appointment over the phone.
Dr. Bhaskar and Sheela reached Guruji’s ashram in Ahmedabad. Bhaskar always found it odd that Sheela—so cautious even about minor purchases—had chosen a spiritual guru barely 24 years old without consulting anyone.
They entered Guruji’s room and bowed. Sheela explained everything about the hospital situation.
Guruji closed his eyes and meditated for ten minutes. To Bhaskar, those ten minutes felt like ten lifetimes.
Finally, Guruji opened his eyes.
“You’ve encountered a spirit—one that hasn’t found peace. Tell me, did anything unusual happen about three days before patients stopped coming?” Guruji asked.
“I remember clearly. We were in Rajkot for those three days, except for a one-day trip to Gondal for a wedding. On the way, we had an odd encounter. An elderly woman crossed in front of our car. Bhaskar had to brake hard and got unusually angry at her. That’s the only strange thing that happened,” Sheela recounted in one breath.
Bhaskar nodded in agreement but wondered what all this had to do with the lack of patients.
After calculating mentally for about 15 minutes, Guruji looked at them seriously.
“The old woman wasn’t human. She was a spirit. Because of the harsh words spoken to her, she has used her energy to shut down your entire physical energy cycle. She may now try to affect the health of someone in your family. Has anyone in your family recently fallen ill?” he asked.
“Our daughter had kidney stone pain the other day, but she’s better now. Both of us are fine,” Bhaskar replied.
“Guruji, please help us. Show us the way out of this problem,” Sheela pleaded, distressed.
“I will give you a protective talisman. You must place it at the exact location where you saw the spirit. Now listen carefully—within three days of placing the talisman, the spirit will come to you with a request. Whatever she asks, fulfill it without question or argument,” Guruji instructed.
The couple was stunned but nodded in agreement.
Sheela still had doubts: Can a spirit really appear and talk to us? Won’t it harm us?
Guruji addressed her thoughts before she could speak.
“She won’t harm either of you. I’ll give you both protective amulets to wear around your necks. Don’t remove them for three days,” he said.
“This all seems unbelievable to me,” Bhaskar murmured.
“I understand. You’re a doctor—it’s natural to be skeptical. But follow my instructions, and you’ll see the truth for yourself. I’ll prepare the talisman now,” Guruji said.
“We’ll do whatever you say, but please help us out of this,” Sheela said tearfully.
They took the talisman and wore the protective amulets before leaving the ashram. From there, they went straight to the spot where the old woman had appeared. Since it was afternoon, the road was deserted. Bhaskar got out and placed the talisman at the spot, then they returned to Rajkot.
They now had to wait three days.
“This isn’t about spirits—Dr. Pankaj is stealing our patients, that’s all. You and your guru are living in fantasy,” Bhaskar complained that evening.
“But Dr. Pankaj has been your competitor for 25 years and never had more patients than you. In fact, because of his past surgical errors, many patients died from hernia and kidney stone surgeries. Since that incident with the old woman, his patient flow has mysteriously increased. I believe what Guruji said. For the next three days, we must follow his instructions exactly. I’ll come with you to the hospital every day and stay with you,” Sheela said, determined.
The next morning, the couple arrived at the hospital—still no patients. As they were about to leave at 4 PM, the door creaked open.
“Doctor, an elderly patient is here. Should I send her in?” the nurse asked.
“Yes, send her in,” Bhaskar replied…
(To be continued)
