There were huge banyan,tamarind and palm trees lining the walls of the asylum, It was like an oasis in this urban concrete jungle. You could hear the silence all around. It was an unforgettable experience for me. I had gone to see Madhu, a close patient of mine who was confined to these walls of the asylum. He had exhausted all opportunities to lead a normal existence like us by his recurrent suicidal attempts. The asylum was the safest place for him on this entire planet. A team of psychiatrists labelled him as a schizophrenic and treated him with their full vigour and might, but only to burn their fingers on their thoughts of recovery for him. He defied every one and continued his suicidal attempts, much to the chagrin of the treating doctors. A decision was made to confine him to this asylum, much to his displeasure. The asylum segregated patients according to their age, sex and health. I saw some cops outside the ward guarding some criminal patients. They looked bored and tired. Probably, this duty would not yield them any revenue as the criminal patients had nothing to give them except their woes and verbal abuses.
The ward was gloomy and a faint smell of urine pervaded all around.
I went with a packet of assorted sweetmeats and lots of snacks for him. As he saw me, he rushed limping towards me with a smile of recognition like a small child. He pounced on the goodies. Repeatedly, he was asking whether the sweets were for him only and no one else.I reassured him. He grabbed the sweets and did not bother even to unwrap the tissue paper. and gobbled them as if there was no tomorrow. He reminded me of the urchins , permanently settled around temples who swarmed on benevolent devotees for their share of goodies. He was happy to see me as his lone visitor. After sampling the snacks, he carefully kept them in his alloted locker far away from the gaze of the equally hungry ward inmates. He was scratching his body vigorously with his long, helpful unkempt nails. Scabies, probably. He pleaded me to visit every month and rushed to his bed. His bed was occupied by some other patient, he did not bother and slept calmly on the adjoining floor. I saw the patients, some were young and educated and looked out of place in this ward.
The sister and the robust ward boys were highly appreciative of Madhu and predicted an early recovery for him.
One day he would be rehabilitated and cured of this malady, but, where would he go?
His relatives had already given up on him and never even bothered to visit him in this asylum.
I don't think, Madhu will ever escape from the asylum.
He is safe and sound here.
He does not want to swim in the ocean of madness of our material world.
Madhu did not bother to wish me goodbye, he was sleeeping peacefully on thee floor like a child.
I came out of the asylum wiping my tears with the tissue paper.
