"Hi babes !!! how are you this morning ?" shouted Mr Williams. Rati gave a shy smile.
"I am fine, Mr Williams...but, please don't call me babes.." she smiled knowing fully well that next time he will see her he will do the same.
This was a conversation that Rati and Mr Williams had every single day.
She worked as a doctor in the Children's Hospital and he was her boss, a plastic surgeon. A tall, droopy shouldered, middle aged, sensitive and simple man, who was used to being with children.
 
Rati finished her presentation in front of a group of her eight colleagues in the lunch time meeting, closed her laptop and sat down.
"Good presentation Babes!!!!" said Mr Williams.
 
She was baffled, her big beautiful eyes bulged, and she tried to smile as he was always kind to her, never meant any harm to her and she always left it as one of his idiosyncrasies.
 
But that day everyone in the presentation room laughed looking at Rati's face when Mr Williams called her babes..
 
"Mr Williams!! How can you call me babes ? Is my name too hard for you ??" she asked coyly, softly.
 
Rati had a proper pear shaped figure, not tall at all, long hair usually tied in a braid and she always felt out of place about her looks.
 
"I hardly look like a babe..." She continued, none of the hollywood stars came to her mind that she could cite an example about..but she knew Bipasha Basu was a good one..but how would Mr Williams know about her. She thought she will try Shilpa Shetty, after all big brother was creating quite a ruckus in London at that time.
 
"You can call Shilpa Shetty a babe...not me...I hardly look like one" she mustered the courage and smiled.
 
He knew Rati was getting slightly uncomfortable, " Baby!! " he said " There is someone in this world for whom however you look, you are still a babe to him...don't worry I just tease you...but when you meet that someone ...you will remember me and smile..alright!!! "
 
"Yes..Mr Williams got your point...lets go to the clinic now" that discussion stopped there...since then Rati never thought much but smile everytime Mr Williams called her babe.
 
A few months later Rati moved on to another hospital as part of her training.
She met Vinay, Oh Vinay...shy, sensitive, simple, quiet, no ego., good natured, well mannered...in essence a genuine human being. They were colleagues and worked together. They took an instant liking to each other as they were comfortable with each other. They became good friends and found themselves longing for each others company more and more. It was something special and Rati knew she was falling in love with Vinay. Everyone who knew them could tell they had bonded.
 
" Vinay! I love you too.." Rati said and felt liberated.
" too??...you are naughty...I never even said the magic words" Vinay shouted trying to look shocked with much difficulty.
" Well!! some things sound better even though unsaid and I am very confident that you love me equally if not more" Rati smiled.
" I love you baby..." Vinay said quietly.
 
Rati couldn't believe it that finally Vinay had said it. He surprised her even though she wanted him to say it as they knew they could never be together.
They were both getting married to different people and neither of them could even fathom causing the grief that would result if they did what they wanted.
It was a relationship that started with a sense of preconceived loss. Vinay could have stopped himself but he felt he would have been unjust to Rati if he didn't tell her how much she meant to him.
 
They both understood. They had very little time and they tried to make the most of what they had.
Vinay had a penchant for calling Rati baby and everytime he did she went into a frenzy...she smiled, she laughed, she was ecstatic.
She felt like a child, giggled like a school girl, felt like a hot woman, felt his touch, his embrace, his kiss, his love...everytime he said "babe...baby" it sounded different..She felt complete...
 
Rati wondered if she was being silly but she couldnt care..she felt wonderful...
 
Its been few years this relationship has ended, noone else has called Rati a babe....When she hears this word uttered anytime.anywhere..she thinks of  Vinay and beams with a smile and thanks Mr Williams.
 
What a special feeling.....