डॉक्टर दादा
Summary
The story begins with a grandfather recounting his past. He explains that when he was about twenty-five, his own grandfather, who loved him dearly, wanted him to become a doctor. He fulfilled this wish and earned his medical degree. Upon returning home, everyone was happy, especially his grandfather. Soon after, he was appointed to a small dispensary in a village called Krishnapur. As he was leaving, his grandfather embraced him and gave him a crucial piece of advice: to always remember that his work was to serve the sick, never to send away a needy or sorrowful person disappointed, and to focus more on his duty than on his own comfort. The narrator describes the doctor's bungalow, a small building with red brick walls and a white sloping roof. On one side of the veranda were tall date palms and flower beds, and on the other, a clean path. The gate had two pillars with marble plaques; one read "Service to humanity is my joy, Sadanand" and the other "Hippocrates Haven." Everyone called him Doctor Dada. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with neatly combed hair and a thick mustache, giving him a calm and serious appearance. From morning, his bungalow would be crowded with patients, mostly poor laborers. His rule was to never take money from any patient; he would even provide medicines from his own pocket and cure them completely. If someone tried to pay, he would refuse. The narrator, a boy named Devnath, was curious about Doctor Dada. One day, while trying to pick mangoes, he fell from a tree and hurt his back. He went to Doctor Dada for treatment. While the doctor applied medicine, Dev asked why he didn't take money from patients. Doctor Dada then told him the story of his time in Krishnapur. There, he worked with a boy named Brijmohan who was full of village superstitions about ghosts. One rainy night, as he was walking home, a woman called out to him, begging him
Conclusion
This story highlights how a single moment of fear can lead to lasting regret, but also how that regret can be transformed into a lifelong commitment to service. Dr. Sadanand’s childhood mistake of running from a desperate mother taught him a painful lesson about duty over superstition. Rather than abandoning his profession, he chose to return to it with a renewed purpose: to never let fear or personal comfort prevent him from helping those in need. His decision to treat all patients for free, regardless of their ability to pay, became the living legacy of that lesson. The outcome is a life defined not by wealth or status, but by compassion and unwavering dedication to the sick and poor. Ultimately, the story shows that true healing begins not with medicine alone, but with the courage to listen and the humility to serve.