Thursday, September 25, 2008

VASTU - do you beleive it?

I was following very keenly, the kannada tele-serial “Mukta” (E TV, First part) by T.N.Seetaram. The second part in my opinion, is not as interesting as the first but I do watch it now and then. I like the way in which the director’s views on vastu is portrayed through the role of CSP. This is a very tricky subject. I do not know who amongst my friends are the believers and who are the detractors. I will have to tread carefully. The believers may write to the director of the serial and correct him. The detractors may enjoy his views. As far as I am concerned, I try to keep safe, forming and altering my views and opinions to suit different people and occasions.

One of my patients is a very rich businessman. A rarity amongst my clientele. Unfortunately, till date, I have not been successful in diverting even a miniscule part of his riches to my pocket. He visits me now and then for consulting about a tooth that has been bothering him for the last five years. He makes it a point to fix an appointment, comes on time, gets himself examined, listens to all the possible treatment procedures, pockets the prescription (“give me some medicines for the time being, doctor”)and pays whatever I ask for. But he has not submitted himself for any of the treatment procedures that I have advised. You know why he has remained rich.

During his first visit to my new place, he congratulated me, appreciated the spacious rooms, lay out, colour combination, equipment (which he, like many others, thought were new) etc, and asked me if my “business” has been the same as it was in my old place. (“tell me doctor, if I am not over inquisitive, is your business the same as it was in the old place?) I answered in the affirmative though we professionals prefer the word ‘practice’ to ‘business’.
“I thought so” he exclaimed. “Don’t you think that with so much of investment, new equipment, large place and better getup it should have at least doubled? Everything in your clinic is fine. But you are facing west when you sit in front of your table. That is why you are stagnating. Vastu is very important. You change the position of your table so that you face east and tell me the difference when I visit next.” With these words he left. He has a forceful nature and probably is used to see that his suggestions are adhered to. I felt that his concern was genuine. Does one get such attitude because of success or get success because of that attitude? I have neither, and I do not know.
Since my table cum records shelf is a slab of marble fixed in to the wall and floor, there was no way that I could change the position, even if I wanted to, and I left it at that.

After about two months I saw his big car again through my window and suddenly remembered his suggestion. I was not sure if he did, but in any case did not want to hurt his feelings in case he remembered. Since I use light plastic chairs to sit, it was a moments job for me and I was facing east (though awkwardly positioned) when he entered the clinic.
On entering the clinic his face lit up. He was extremely pleased that I had taken his advice. “Very nice to see that you have changed the direction you are facing, doctor” he exclaimed. “The direction which we face while working is very important”. I brought to his notice that actually I face all directions including the sky and the ground while working, as I move around the chair trying to view the interiors of the mouth and reach those inaccessible corners. “That does not matter” he said. “When you are sitting for consultation and when your patients pay you, you face east. That will do”.

We went through the routine. He was in a happy mood explaining all the changes that he had made in his office and residence and the benefits accrued. Even though his continuos speech affected my examination and investigations, I managed to go through and finish them. When we were finished, he asked me about my fees. I was about to quote the usual hundred fifty but sensing his jubilant mood I took a chance by saying two hundred fifty. With the exultant mood of his new found amateur vastu consultant status, He did not even notice the upward revision of my charges. He paid the amount happily and walked out with buoyant steps, even forgetting about the tooth ache that he had come to ask me about.
I was dumbstruck. I had changed the direction that I was facing, and with in ten minutes my profit had doubled. And to top it, my vastu consultant had paid me instead of me paying him!
This was good.
I have immense belief in vastu and have ordered a circular table. Now I will be able to face any direction any time and if it paves my way towards becoming a millionaire why not?

2 comments:

Ki said...

Terrific sense of humour. I would recommend a revolving chair to please other rich patients and their different directional ideas.

Sushma U N said...

revolving chair!!!!!! awesome!!!