"Sister, please arrange for a female doctor... I cannot get checked by a male..." Sanam's voice, wrapped in a black abaya, was trembling. "Girl, today is the last day for medical... If you don't get the breast cancer screening done, your scholarship will be cancelled."
At the receptionist's blunt answer, Sanam's heart pounded hard. From childhood till today, no man had cast a shadow on her. But today she was helpless... She had worked hard for a whole year for this scholarship and this was her last chance to escape from her haveli. "Oh Allah, forgive me..."
She stood in the changing room with her eyes closed, waiting for the doctor, when she felt a tight grip on her chest and her soul trembled. "Remove your shirt..." At the heavy masculine roar, she lifted her eyelids and as her eyes met the person standing in front of her, she almost lost her life. "Shahnawaz, you..." She saw the madness spread in his reddening eyes...
Seeing the male doctor standing in front of her, Sanam felt as if her soul had left her body. It was extremely necessary for her to get this check-up done within the next two hours because today she had to submit her medical clearance report, and if this report was not completed today, everything could be over for her.
She had achieved such a big success for the first time in her life and now only a medical report stood in the way of all her hard work. The doctor standing in front of her was Shah Mir. For Shah Mir, Sanam was just a new patient.
There was nothing inappropriate in his mind about this girl. He always remained professional during his work and talked to patients in the same manner. He looked at the file in front of him and said, "Please wear this gown. Then we will start your required examination. The specific tests you need for your medical clearance include this examination, so you will have to prepare according to the instructions."
When Sanam looked at the gown placed in front of her, her face changed color. When she picked up the gown, her worry increased further because it was not meant to cover her fully. There were only strings at the back and there was considerable distance between them. She nervously put the gown back on the table.
"Doctor, is it really necessary to wear this gown? Can't you check me like this? I am feeling very strange in this dress and I have never had such a check-up before."
Shah Mir looked at her and answered very seriously. "You know what examination you have come here for, so you should also know that some medical examinations cannot be done in ordinary clothes. For the specific examination you have to undergo, it is necessary to wear a proper medical gown so that the examination can be done correctly. Don't worry because this is a regular medical procedure and during this only the necessary part will be examined."
Sanam mustered courage and looked at him. "You will do my breast cancer check-up. I need to know whether I have cancer or not. Is there no lady doctor here?"
A slight smile came to Shah Mir's lips but his tone remained completely serious. "It is absolutely correct for women to feel that it is easier to get some examinations done by a female doctor, but you should understand one thing that medical specialization has nothing to do with gender but with training and experience. I am an oncologist, meaning a cancer specialist, and the examination required for your current medical clearance is related to my field."
Sanam kept looking at him silently. Shah Mir closed the file and added, "The report you have to submit is not a report of an ordinary doctor. Verification of the relevant specialist is necessary on it. Without my stamp and signature, this clearance will not be complete and since today is the last date for your scholarship, it is better that you complete the required preparation without wasting time. Most students who need complete medical clearance for abroad go through the same protocol. Be assured that everything here will be according to medical principles."
Sanam lowered her eyes. She knew she was really trapped. This was not an ordinary scholarship. She had worked hard for many months. She had come first among hundreds of candidates and now she was getting a chance to go to London and continue her studies. Under this scholarship, her entire fee was to be paid. The accommodation was also arranged by the scholarship providers and the basic expenses including food were also to be borne by them.
For Sanam, this was not just a dream of going to London but a chance to change her whole life. Her family's financial condition was not such that she could go abroad and study at her own expense. She had achieved this position through her ability and continuous hard work and now she only needed medical clearance. This clearance included seven major medical tests which were often done for students before leaving for studies abroad. One of them was a medical examination related to cancer and since Sanam was a girl, a specific examination related to breast cancer was also declared necessary for her. She had never thought that this examination would be done by a male doctor. And that too by such a man in front of whom her heart started beating uncontrollably.
There was nothing unusual about Shah Mir to trouble Sanam like this, but the circumstances at that time were such that she was feeling very uneasy herself. She was alone in the doctor's room and the doctor in front of her was fulfilling his medical responsibility with full confidence. Shah Mir pointed towards the gown again.
Urdu translation please
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