There he was, sitting in his office, with the clock ticking, and his eyes wandering around his huge office. On his left, was a large window that would let him greet his neighbors with a wave once in a while. There was a couch in front of him, and further behind that, a shelf, with all his awards or accolades arranged in a systematic way, just how he likes it, and of course, his most precious achievement, his certificate of excellence in the field of psychology that attributes to his fame as a therapist; one of the best in the business, Raghav Madan.
Known to be a smart and empathetic man, the words, “Thanks to you, I am doing so well,” from his patients were not very unfamiliar to his ears. In fact, that’s all he ever heard, and that’s not an exaggeration.
He kept staring at his awards, one of his flaws being harboring a small sense of superiority in his mind, for he was the only one he ever thought of, which made him a genius because he was still able to comprehend what others were feeling and that too so well!
He heard the door open on his right, and there she was, one of his patients, he knew exactly what she was going to talk about: her boyfriend, who doesn’t give her enough attention, and she knew exactly where she was going wrong and what her pattern was. She just never acted on it, which made her a victim of unsatisfying relationships. How does one cure someone like this?
His next patient was a man who was suffering the loss of his wife who passed away. The one after, was a woman whose dad was unavailable for her as a child.
He kept listening to one patient after another, and he sure as heck, wanted a break from it, because being so amazing at the job came at a cost, his energy. But just when he was on his much-needed break, he saw his pleasant neighbors walk by outside, through his window and as usual, waved.
The neighbors walking by were an old couple, a man, and a woman. The woman said, “Oh, I hope that man is doing all right,” to which the man asked, “Why?” The woman replied, “The poor man very dearly loved his wife, but she recently died. I think it got to him because he keeps talking to himself all day.” “Oh, that’s too bad, maybe we can try to get him some help,” the man replied.
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‘The Therapist’ by writer Srilakshmi Aditi Gollapudi is an enamoring story about, as the title mentions, a therapist. The tale is full of suspense and precise detail which keeps the readers hooked onto every line.
Described as “the best in the business”, Raghav Madan often finds himself marvelling at the many accolades that adorn his office shelf, fueling the fire of superiority in his mind when he finds himself on the receiving end of thanks and praise from his several patients. Elucidating on their lives, he talks about a woman who always finds herself in unsatisfying relationships, another woman who suffered a rough childhood at the hands of an emotionally neglectful father, and last a man suffering the aftermaths of the death of his wife.
He conducts hours on hours of sessions, never ceasing for a break no matter his desperation, stopping only once to wave at his elderly neighbors through the window. The revelation that follows can only be described as stupefying and startling.
A short story, a read of only 3 minutes, captures the exact feeling the author wishes to bestow on the audience. All in all, ‘The Therapist’ proves to be a good read for fans of thrillers and fiction.