A couple of months back,I had noticed a lump on my left breast but didn’t think it was a big deal. However, recently one of my relatives was diagnosed with breast cancer and this scared me. My mum took me to a doctor who said that it wasn’t anything serious, just a cluster of mammary glands that had hardened due to calcification. But still my mum and I decided it would be better to operate to get rid of the lump.
On the day of the operation my mum and I were waiting at the hospital and there was this elderly couple sitting next to us. They were constantly looking at us and seemed very curious to know why we were there. We started feeling uncomfortable and when the hospital staff started asking us for reports of blood, sonography so the couple understood that I had come for an operation.
He seemed to be too inquisitive; he kept asking his wife to enquire why I was getting operated. He spoke to his wife in his own language thinking we wouldn’t understand but both my mum and I knew the language.
After much coaxing from her husband, the woman asked my mum the reason we were at the hospital. My mum felt little awkward telling a stranger that her daughter had a lump on her breast. So, she just said that I was getting operated. My mum is very bad at lying and the man could make out that she is hiding something.
And to our surprise, he concluded that I was pregnant and we were there for an abortion. He said all this to his wife with full confidence. He even claimed that my dad had no idea about this that’s why he was not there with us; the truth was my dad had a meeting so we was coming later.
Not only he was sure of my pregnancy, he even portrayed my character based on his assumption. He questioned my character and my upbringing… he even said that the way we were rather normal and not sad or depressed showed that we had no morals. “These modern girls (since I was wearing jeans) sleep with every other person, they are shameless and uncultured”, were his exact words. I got really pissed and was ready to give him a piece of my mind but my mother told me how futile it was to create a drama in the hospital because of some stranger.
Finally, we were called in for the operation and I was so glad to get rid of the blabber mouth. But then he was not done, that old man actually followed us to check who was getting operated; the moment we saw me in the hospital gown, he had a triumphant smile on his face. And he returned to his wife with a “I told you so” look on his face.
I simply don’t get it… why do people always jump to conclusions on the basis of their assumptions. And above all why do people feel the need to interfere in others’ life to the extent of making them uncomfortable?
A lot of times we do not realize what kind of a situation the other person is in, so it is only sensible to not pass any judgement based on what we see or hear. Not only is it unasked for but also highly insensitive.
Images: Shutterstock
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