A Second Learning

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I do not like to keep patients waiting !

The patient in my consulting room had tested my patience beyond measure with her notepad of google queries .

To get a breather from the barrage ,

I excused myself and sauntered out into the waiting room to meet the 57 yrold lady who had requested a ‘mild Rejuvenating treatment’.

What instantly struck me was, despite her elegance , her perfect shape of lips , there was an unidentifiable anxiety in her eyes .

”Good afternoon Doctor , I am Deepa !

I am travelling to the USA tonight ! I just want a little brightening and tightening of my face. I am NOT looking for anything invasive , certainly no lasers , no ultrasound treatment , no injectables , no PDO threads ! Just a brightening and tightening ‘glow’ treatment that would be effective for at least a month .”

I was surprised she could rattle off so many scientific options !

”Any particular reason you would NOT like to try a skin laser ?” I asked ,” Our ELOS Refirme Laser is really very effective, both for Skin Rejuvenation and Skin Tightening !”

”And I can also offer you The HIFU ( A highly focused ultrasound skin treatment) akin to the Ulthera , but way cheaper with perhaps even better results , lasting up to a year !

Non invasive , can be completed in one and a half hours ….An instant face lift !

She smiled shyly , then said ,

”Actually I have had a heart transplant and am wary of any risks ”

I was caught completely off guard !

A HEART transplant!!!

My own heart skipped a beat !

Trying to recover ..

I held her hand warmly

-then quickly made a mental note scanning options to offer an effective but a primarily safe solution that would last at least three weeks.

Lasers can never be used if there is a pacemaker or some sort of mechanical device in place .

She answered as if she read my mind ..

” Yes , I did have a LVAD (a left ventricular assisted device ) to bide my time and help me live , BEFORE my heart transplant surgery was done , but it is disconnected . However I am not sure if I have some sort of other device to treat fibrillation .

I decided she would be safest with a surface treatment , brightening the skin using microdermabrasion ( a skin polish ) followed by a no -needle mesotherapy ..driving a cocktail of ingredients by ultrasound only upto the dermis to nuture and tighten !

Safe , effective , it would last three weeks .

I would give her some Antiageing creams to nourish and lift , to maintain the effect . Hey folks, they really work !

I explained this to my trusted skin practitioner and sent the lovely lady in for her treatment !

Expeditely I saw the rest of my patients including the tiresome one , tiring her out by answering each query exhaustively and in monotone!

I was desperate to spend more time with Deepa !

An hour or so later she emerged from her treatment room brighter , glossier , definitely more confident !

I instantly and stupidly burst forth with a question !

‘What was wrong with your heart Deepa ?’

”Cardiomyopathy , hereditary in nature .. the ejection fraction was just 15 % !” She said matter -of -factly .

”There was no other option for my survival other than a heart transplant !

So off I went to Chennai ,

rented a home in the city centre for 4 months waiting ( regretfully )each day FOR SOMEONE to DIE for ME to LIVE !

Then one day THE CALL came !

Within 4 hours I was operated and given a new lease and chance of life !

Laws and protocol are such

that I will never know whose heart I have been blessed with !

My prayers will forever remain with his or her departed soul and the generous , altruistic nature of the donor family .

” Do you feel your personality has changed with this new heart ?”

” No ! ” she said very surely , ” but one thing is there , although

I have been bought up in Mumbai , it is Chennai that I love. ”

I thought romantically to myself , Maybe because her new heart belonged to an accident victim, born and brought up in Chennai , who was declared brain dead and his / her family had allowed this surgical lifegiving exchange to happen !

Again she seemed to read my mind

‘No , no it is not Chennai but the

Chennai Nurses that I love!

They are simply excellent , so loving , so caring .

One night , post the operation, I was in intractable pain !

My shoulders , chest , back were burning and sore.

The young Chennai nurse tried everything in her power to alleviate the pain but to no avail ,

I just would not sleep .

She began to weep bitterly

She felt she had failed in her duty as caregiver !

I remember feeling so touched that somehow I willed myself to sleep , just so that she would settle down !

Many people just die WAITING for heart transplant surgery . Some are just NOT ELIGIBLE because they have other medical complications or are immunocompromised.

I was one of the LUCKY FEW who was eligible ,

lucky enough to get a new heart , and even more lucky that my body did not reject this new , foreign organ !

Rejection of the donor heart happens at least 2-3 times in the first year post a heart transplant !

It is only after the first year that there are only 10% chances of rejection .

Of course I was given immunosuppressants and had regular heart biopsies to monitor my status .

People say that there is a 75 % chance I will live for at least 5 years , but I take heart from the fact

that the longest survivor after a heart transplant lived 33 years !

Now I want everything .. I want to live each day , I want to step out , meet people ,get back to work . I want to BE my best , LOOK my best …

that’s why I am here !”

I held her hand even more tightly , nodding full approval ! Then trying to lighten the moment I said

‘ Travelling to New York for a holiday ?’

”No , actually I have an international business of hand embroidery .I need to delegate and expand !”

My , my , my , I gasped ‘ what a lady !’

I wished her all the superbest , telling her I would love to meet her again , whenever she liked ,

then gazed in wonderment at my own handembroidered Chanderi saree from Kolkata .

It had cheerful little birds sitting on boughs embroidered in colourful hues , painstakingly and artfully done by some loving soul .

I gave a warm caress to my saree , then to my OWN heart , spontaneously deciding to speak to it !

” HEART ” I said ,”You maybe fist sized but you have an enormous mind of your own !

You know things deep inside of me , even my MIND cannot explain !

You are the seat of all my feelings HEART !

Please DONT ever let me down !

Love me like I love you , HEART!

❤️

Hi !

This is Twinny reporting from

the Little Queen Embroidery Shop ,a tiny shop in the synagogue lane of the Jew town in Matancherry ,Kochi !

The owner , a Keralite gentleman Thomas P.E introduces me to a whole new world … the painstaking art of HAND EMBROIDERY

‘adornment by

threadwork ‘ of apparel , and tableware, towels ,what -have – you !

I pick up an organza throw and remark how gorgeous the design on it is .

‘Oh that is Spanish shadow work ‘ he informs me .

Motifs are drawn on sheer fabric like organdy , silk backstitch is used to outline these motifs , then ‘filling ‘ is done from behind with herringbone or double back stitches .

This produces a shadow of colour on the front of the fabric . Whilst in Spain ( the land of fringes and tassels! ) a blue background is used , the Italians prefer a

white on white .

Any which way the final look is dignified and aristocratic .

I marvel at how neat the stitches at the back of the fabric are .

From the front..

From the back …

Sensing my awe , Thomas says lightly ,

‘Oh , this embroidery is easy compared to

the French Knot ,’ demonstrating to me how exactly a single French knot is done .’ Stretch the cloth on a small embroidery hoop , wind a silk thread twice around the needle , pierce the cloth ,pull back , voila !’

Easier said than done !

I try my hand at it.. it takes me a tense two minutes to get one knot done !

Naturally I am left dumbstruck when Thomas displays a table runner which has 2800 knots in its every inch !

Wowwww!

Haha .. Thomas laughs wickedly .. enjoying my bewilderment.

‘Look here! ‘he said pointing to a unique embroidery on white linen .

‘This is Hapdanger embroidery from Norway .It is rich in ‘drawn thread work’ and the cloth has plenty of ‘voids ‘ traversed by delicate threads , sometimes by just a single thread!

I gasped !

‘Yes ,Hand embroidery is a very skilled ,a very laborious art .. unfortunately it’s a dying art. The first hand embroidery Machine was introduced in France in 1832 .. (though he added that’s no match for the all original hand embroidery) and now with computerised embroidery machines ,

embroidered garments are churned out by the dozen .

Here in Kochi there are barely a handful of women who actually hand -embroider !

St Gallen embroidery which is also whitework ,was such a productive part of the Swiss economy , a picture of it is imprinted on the Swiss Franc ..

And you must know that Michelle Obama chose to wear a St Gallen lace overcoat at the swearing in ceremony of her husband Barack Obama .

Wowwww again !

Now mostly machine -made pieces available …it is only here in Kochi that women sit together and sew 8 hours for a paltry 150 Rs !

A deep respect grew in my heart for the artisan who produced such beauty .

But Thomas was not finished .

He theatrically unfolded an heirloom Venetian piece of exquisite craftsmanship …

gossamer lace used to adorn royal Victorian dresses , the detailing amazing because of the number of bobbins used, not 24 , good grief as many as 84 ! Once again I was starryeyed !

No wonder the Prince of Wales and His wife Camellia have visitedThomas ‘ shop to buy lace !

They liked my

‘petite point ‘ a lot , said Thomas proudly ‘ The Prince was very knowledgeable.. he wanted to know how many counts were in each inch ! Of course an answer to his every question !

Thomas .. you have mentioned French/Spanish / Italian / Swiss embroidery .. all European , but we in India have so many hand embroidered fabrics ..

Yes , yes , hand embroidery is as old as the hills .. it’s in China , Japan , in the Middle East , Turkey ,everywhere !These were luxury items catering to the elite choices of aristocrats , of royalty.

In India there are so many varieties of handembroidery …

Kantha from West Bengal,

Phulkari from Punjab ,

Aari from Kashmir!

In fact Chikankari from Lucknow is exactly similar to shadow work and probably originated here in India much earlier than it did in Europe !

In the court of Akbar too brocades were enriched with gold threads ( zardosi ) , mirrors , precious gems !

As for the elaborately embroidered Parsee Gara sarees .. they are sold in Mumbai but toiled over right HERE in Kochi !

Did you know it takes 2 years to make an 8 metre saree border ?!

Once again , I gasped !

My head was swimming with images of beautiful borders , royal dresses,embroidered shoes.

The warm Kochi sun, the gentle whirring of the fan , the sinking in of all this information made me long for a cup of hot Kerala chai .

I mentioned this and Thomas instantly whisked out a beautiful teacosy complete with tray cloth .

It was simply irresistible!

It was now definitely TIME to BUY and buy I did … a dozen embroidered napkins, 6 placemats , a set of embroidered towels, 2 dresses for a three year old , a runner here , a lace doilie there !

Armed with all these pretty purchases I am now set to invite my stylish nephew Ranveer all the way from California for a cup of tea . He is a boy of exquisite taste and has a keen eye for all things fine , for all things beautiful !

There you go Ranveer …

”a pristine white ,scalloped tray mat with a pleasing embroidered napkin placed in an appliquéd pocket on the left hand corner.

Oh yes and

here

is your cup of tea!

😊 Byeeeee!

My favourite Earl Grey cup of tea in my hand, a gentle breeze from Mumbai’s cool weather thanks to global warming, and my new parrot green Chanderi sari on me!

Could life get better I was thinking on a break when the receptionist announced the next patient and I hurriedly gathered my pleats as I rushed to my room.

One look at Bina Shah and I was instantly reminded of the talented actor Om Puri! The exact same pitted scars landscaped her face!

Here was this smiling, almost cherubic 35 year old but oh-my-goodness what deeply cratered skin!

I sat her down in my clinic and without wasting any time embarked on listing a series of treatments

I could do to bulldoze acne scars away!

You can start with a moderate strength salicylic peel or a stronger retinol peel I informed her.

Then move onto dermaroller therapy, showing her a pinwheel needled instrument much like a mini lawn mower!

It’s an age old French technique to

produce pinpoint bleeders and incite collagen production in the scars I explained.

Or you could avail of the latest fractional lasers, these also fill up scars more or less permanently with a 70- 80% improvement.

Of course, slowly but steadily over a couple of months, I will simultaneously prescribe some scar diminishing creams for a more efficacious result. Just ready yourself for a longish treatment I cheerfully told her, you will get the smoother skin you desire!

She listened patiently, then shyly said,

‘Actually these scars are my friends.

I am used to them.

If I didn’t have them no one would recognise me !

They don’t trouble me in the least!’

I squirmed, mentally kicking myself for forgetting the first rule in medicine – Listen carefully to what the patient has to say!

Rather than smugly listening to the sound of one’s own voice!

She gently continued,

‘All I want is a general skin care routine for my oily skin and the itchy oily scales I have on my scalp.’

I rushed to do a thorough assessment of both face and scalp and then a tad selfconciously pronounced that she had mild seborrhaeic dermatitis .

Simple creams and shampoos on a daily basis would sort the problem.

I wrote these out, then spoke of this, that and the other, everything under the sun other than acne scars, before bidding her goodbye.

We met again two months later, this time for a papular urticaria she had developed.

Since then I have treated her, her husband, her only daughter, her in-laws and extended family, her friends, all for their various skin and hair issues, sometimes a herpes simplex, at other times a stress eczema, a contact dermatitis here to a sebaceous cyst there!

It’s been 15 years and Bina is still bright and ever-smiling, her face still pockmarked with pitted scars.

Though newer and progressive treatments to treat scars have emerged (like Botox and PRP with micro needling) I have never suggested them.

Neither has she ever complained!

A woman in total equanimity,

content and happy in herself!

A woman who within a year of her daughter’s marriage, in the blink of an eye, donated her healthy kidney to save the life of her

son-in-law in acute renal failure.

‘Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself’ famous words by the timeless Coco Chanel rang in my mind as I reminisced my first encounters with Bina Shah, a BEAUTIFUL woman indeed!

Hi all !

It’s me Twinny .. reporting from chilly

St Petersburg , Russia 🇷🇺 …

Dressed in aristocratic Russian cap , muffler and gloves…

St Petersburg founded in 1703 by Peter the Great is an incredibly beautiful city with elegant churches, palaces , canals …90 at last count ….the Venice of the East !

Its RICH too!

Capital of Russia for 300 years , it was home to several generations of Russian TSARS .

Both The HERMITAGE and Catherine’s SUMMER PALACE designed by Bartholomew Rastrelli bear testimony to the EXTREME WEALTH of the Romanovs……..

The palaces are replete in opulent splendour housing the world’s biggest Vase ,

the world’s biggest chandelier ,

Walls of amber and lapis lazuli ,

Pillars of malachite ,

Cabinets inlaid with tortoise shells ,

Pink porcelain vases gilded with gold,

Gigantic Tapestries,

Clocks , writing desks, sledges, ..

All EXQUISITE !!

In a bid for a more equitable distribution of wealth the Bolsheviks under Lenin deported Nickolas the second , his wife , four daughters and lone son to Siberia in 1917 .

They were subsequently brutally killed making

Nikolas the LAST Romanov , the LAST TSAR to rule Russia .

At the time of his death , he was touted to be the richest man on the PLANET !

Blimey !

This blog is dedicated to a girl by the name of DILKHUSH whose birthday it is today .

Presently she is shooting as creative director for an Indian period film in Indore which is taking an excruciating 2 years to make !

But then all things of great beauty DO take TIME for their creation !

Here in St Petersburg, the Jeweller PETER CARL FABERGE took TWO years (averagely ) to create an EGGSHAPED bejewelled case for the Royal family , even though it was just 2 1/2 to three inches in size !

Several such eggs were made …

The Imperial FABERGE EGGS !

These eggs were mystifying masterpieces in gold and precious stones gifted by the Tsar to his wife or mother each year at EASTER .

The tradition began in 1885 when Alexander the third gifted a FABERGE EGG to his wife . So enthralled was she .. that the tradition just carried on !

The original Faberge egg was probably the simplest in design . A white enamel case, a gold yolk , a little gold hen with a pendant inside ….Yet it is valued at between 3-4 million US dollars today !

Goodness gracious !

Each Faberge egg was UNIQUE and held a FASCINATING SURPRISE ,created with supreme craftsmanship, WITHIN !

There were 50 eggs in all , seven were lost , and some were resold .. The QUEEN of ENGLAND owns three and JEFF BEZOS, the owner of Amazon owns one…along with several other enamelled Faberge creations.

But back to DILKHUSH !

She is actually a very simple girl but one with surprisingly exquisite taste !

On her SEVENTH Birthday her mother organised a TREASURE HUNT for her and her seven friends .

Here she is .. wearing a suede grey gown and pendant…

Imagine the shock of her friends when after hours of searching .. the treasure unearthed turned out to be nothing more EGGZOTIC than an EGG!

A simple EGG ??!!

They were aghast!

They were expecting a PRINCESS BARBIE complete with tiara and gown.. and all they got was a silly egg !

Quickly and innovatively they smashed the hapless egg on Dilkhush’s bewildered head !

She was livid but did not show it ( as is her nature).

Holding back her tears , she gamely shot off to the kitchen fridge , took out a handful of fresh farm eggs and proceeded to smash each one of her friends with them!

What an EGGCITING turn of events !

Well not EGGZACTLY !

This was 20 years ago !

Do you remember Dilkhush ??

This year , on your 27 th birthday , to make up for your mothers RIDICULOUS sense of humour , I , Twinny would like to gift you a FABERGE EGG …..

Bought here in St Petersburg…..

And sent all the way FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE!

Faberge Eggs???

Well Not EGGZACTLY!

These are MICRO-MINI imitations but

you can choose from THREE ..

Wear as charms on a bracelet or as pendants on a chain ..Like so…

YOUR CHOICE !

The world is your oyster ..….er Egg Darling !

‘ Hatch ‘ it the way you wish

🐣 !

My my ….You’ve come a long way KARINA!

May the road ahead be

EGGCITING , EGGSQUISITE, and yes …a tad EGGSTRAORDINARY!

☺️!

Happy happy birthday darling braveheart daughter…

Love you forever

Mama ❤️

Anita walked into Zarah clinic on a stormy, ‘ height of Mumbai monsoon’ kind of day when the heavens decide to pour forth.

As she deftly folded her umbrella I noticed she was a tall statuesque woman, who certainly didn’t look her 70 years .

She had attractive aquiline features,

yet , a perceptible tension creased her brow, and deep frown lines furrowed her glabella.

She looked tense , a tad impatient, as if part of the storm raging outside was somewhat within her.

I complimented her on her physical fitness but she brushed it away saying ‘All that is very well ,

but of late I just don’t feel pretty!

My husband is three years younger to me, super fit himself . I frankly feel I look like his schoolteacher!’

I looked at her closely…beautiful silver grey hair, worn high in a French roll, her face aged to perfection, a mute witness to the wisdom she had gathered over the years, just some fine dry skin, typical for her age , and then…

a strict mouth.

‘Can I make a suggestion’, I ventured tentatively.

‘Depends’ she nervously glanced up while the rain clattered unabated at the windows.

A woman’s beauty lies in her lips!

‘Would you be open to being injected with a lip filler??’

Not to produce a pout… just a fullness which is quite becoming !

As we grow older we lose volume not only on our cheeks but on our lips, rendering them drier, thinner and severe!’

‘The filler will give you a soft ,luscious natural look, trust me, I am known as the Lip Queen!’ I joked wanting to lighten the moment.

Anita was surprisingly very open to the idea.

In no time I had whisked out a light

US FDA-approved hyaluronic acid lip filler premixed with an anaesthetic and injected small amounts along her lip line, in the cupid and a little extra in the mid lower lip.

No pout, just a hydration!

In a few minutes Anita was transformed to a softer version of herself… and I could see she couldn’t help smiling!

India invented the art of kissing I informed her, ‘go forth my child and practise’ I joked in teacher mode myself!

Lips are super sensuous erogenous zones rich in nerve endings, so a little pain is expected whilst doing the procedure but aftercare is practically nothing…

a little bit of ice that’s all!

Just be normal I told her,

soon your husband will be following you around like a panting puppy dog!

The downpour steadied to a drizzle finally as Anita left the clinic that day, happier and lighter as if walking on air, confident with her new brush with femininity.

I smiled satisfactorily at myself in the mirror while I painted a scarlet shade of lipstick 💄to match my red chiffon saree of the day! Red lipstick is a healer, a mood enhancer and probably a woman’s second best friend!

‘Chin up !’ I said to myself .

Ageing no doubt is inevitable …

And wasn’t it Rhett Butler from the movie ‘Gone with the wind’ …. who famously said ‘ ‘ Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn !’

I don’t either….

….Armed as I am with my stash of Botox and Fillers !!

😊😘

Byeeeee!!

Oh , how I love wearing sarees !

What is about this 5.5 metres of fabric which once draped , brings unparalleled joy and confidence?!

That is why it is my everyday dress to work.

Today’s saree is a pink cotton with hakoba lace at the border ,crisp and fresh as when I first wore it , more than 20 years ago !

I iremember that day as though it was yesterday.

Zarah Medical and Cosmetic Skin Clinic had not yet come into existence.

It was Baisakhi and though a public holiday , I was always hungry for work and so had kept my small rented clinic in South Mumbai ,open . The day had been long, and I sat impatiently waiting for my last patient.

Finally, 15 minutes later, he swaggered into my cabin, filling the space with the heady scent of cologne and tobacco.

A biggish, middle aged man in a blue denim shirt and pants with a smile playing on his lips – not in the least bit apologetic for his tardiness !

‘Hi there ,what’s up doc?’

He looked every bit Indian but spoke with an American drawl , rolling his ‘R’ s!

‘Just returned from the US ?’ I asked .

‘No , Never crossed Indian shores’ he said .

‘How come the accent ??’

‘What accent ? ‘

he asked with a surprised expression.

‘THIS IS my natural accent !’

O ya ?? I thought … well Ok !

‘I want to get rid of these…’ pointing to the extra patches of whitish skin on his upper eyelids .

‘Sure ,can do ! ‘ I said , trying to match his Yankee drawl .

He had soft sparkling brown eyes ,

hooded with xanthelesma .

I had no lasers , none of the state of the art brouhaha I have at my disposal now.

Just a trusted radio frequency machine to get rid of skin tags ,warts ,cysts, corns in my armamentarium .

But for xanthesma I didn’t even need that . A few sittings of simple chemical cauterisation would do the trick.

I explained this to him –

But warned that xanthelesma is related to high cholesterol and that appropriate lifestyle changes would help keep it at bay !

‘Smoke less,

Exercise more ,

Less butter chicken !’

I said a trifle cheerily.

‘No problem doc , will do .

But tell me doc ,do you believe in destiny ?’

Before I could give my views he said ,

‘What will happen , will happen! You can make efforts but your destiny is already shaped .’

‘If you insist ,’ I mumbled .

He then spoke about

past life regression, Osho, Vaishnudevi Mata , Mcleodganj , Hariharan , the stock market , his class friends , his teacher Father Neto in school.

I tried to get in a word here and there.

But it was no use

He was on a roll!

‘Shall I schedule a date for the cauterisation?’ I finally edged in , trying to stick with the consult .

‘Why wait for tomorrow ?

Do it now , Doc!’

I painted the acid on his lesions ..all the time listening to the refrains of

‘Mary had a little lamb’

He was singing it ! Whilst I did the cauterisation!

He spoke about

driving to Lonavala in the rains, eating corn in Mahableshwar .

Betting on horses , cricket teams , on life !

‘You are quite a punter’ I said

‘Yes , I like to take risks !

Of course I take calculated ones .. and use my gut feeling to know which are which !’

‘Great!’ I said, making a rough calculation of the time I had taken to do a 5 min procedure!

It was already 45 mins !

‘Doc ,do you take pictures ?’

‘Before ‘and ‘after’ you mean??

I asked sheepishly , wishing regretfully that I had .

‘No no .. not of my xanthelesma! Of your favourite moments / of your favourite people …..to freeze them in time . Sometimes that’s all you have left …. memories and pictures.’

He had a point…I made a mental note to put the few photos that I had ….into an album.

In this present day and age of selfies and pics at -the -click of a mobile ..

this question sounds irrelevant but at that time in the last few years of the last century ( it was 1996!)photographs were few and far between and really cherished.

I must have looked reflective .. when he said,

‘Doc ,how much do I owe you ?

Hope you are offering discounts !’

‘No , sorry no discounts, ‘

I said defensively .

Haha ‘only joking ‘he said !

‘Good , stick with your guns ,don’t offer discounts to no one , but invest in machines, buy the best , SPEND money to EARN more !

Phew !

I gasped!

So much ‘gyaan’!

‘You are getting late Doc . So sorry to have delayed you .

Let me drop you home !’

‘No Thankyou ! ‘ I said firmly ,’ I’ll walk ..

I Like the exercise !’

So I walked home from Kemps Corner to Carmichael Road , shielding myself under my umbrella ( I freckle easily).

On the road alongside ,I saw him

drive his car slowly ( probably at 15 kms/ hour) ,carefully adjusting his rear view mirror and grinning from ear to ear !

And that’s how I met my HUSBAND –

A Punjabi man with an American accent , a man of indefatigable spirit and the

largest of hearts , from whom I have been learning life’s myriad lessons , without rest or refreshment, ever since!

Happy ,happy birthday Bunty Gupta!

🤗❤️🤗❤️🤗❤️🤗❤️

Love you darling!