Joy Of Loving Urself Unconditionally

After a visit to her doctor, Rashmi Sundaram discovers the joy of loving herself unconditionally

- Rashmi Sundaram

I push open the white iron gate that leads to a small garden, and my eyes scan the emptiness of the place. I step back to check the nameplate: Dr Sunita Patel. I redial the last call on my cell phone to notify the doctor of my arrival. She disconnects the call with an SMS: “Please be seated. I shall see you shortly.”

I stroll around, noticing it’s unlike any other clinic I have visited in my life, and feel mesmerised by the simple yet heavenly feel of the place. The boundary wall is lined with tall trees, and the cool breeze has a calming effect on me. The leaves rustle rhythmically, and some small shrubs add to the rustic beauty of the place. They seem to be untouched, free to grow. I look up to see a squirrel run up and down one of the trees. Below the tree is a playful cat. The effect of this place is magical. Everything is so wild, yet perfect. Confined inside a bungalow garden, yet so natural. I feel my head clearing up.

Childhood memories surface

I peep into a natural miniature pond full of a variety of tiny colourful fishes. Instinctively, I place a finger on the glass: my trick for befriending fishes. After about a minute, when not even a single fish comes towards me and as I am about to move my finger away disappointedly, a bright silver dollar slowly heads towards me and starts poking at the glass from the inside. I just ‘caress’ it. It’s an amazing feeling, which I had not experienced in a long time. After a few seconds, some more fish come towards me.