The Prophetic Professor & Premonition

[Guest guest]

A TRUE STORY

May 24, 2004

Cipla Ophthalmic Division plans to launch " dorzolamide 2% eye drops " in Jabalpur

- sometime in June. They come to me, General Secretary, Jabalpur Divisional

Ophthalmic Society for formal permission and inform me that Professor Emeritus

Dr. R. K. Mishra will be the speaker for the scientific session. I grant

permission and finalize June 19, 2004, Saturday for the cocktail dinner session.

May 25, 2004

Dr. R K Mishra (RKM) refuses. He says " Dr. Ravin Das should be the speaker. I

will be in the audience and I want to just sit and listen " .

For Cipla, it is a prestige issue, he is the senior most ophthalmologist in

central India...

Cipla comes running back to me and asks me for another speaker.

I suggest Dr. Himadri Ray (HSR), who in my opinion is a very sound orator.

HSR agrees. All is final.

Cipla informs RKM about it.

RKM says, " I wont be in the meeting if Dr. Ravin is not the speaker. "

Cipla does not convey the message to me.

June 17, 2004

I have this premonition that HSR will no be the speaker for the meeting on the

19th. I should prepare for the talk. But I put it aside, after all, HSR has

never let anyone down, NEVER!

June 18, 2004

I start a Power Point Presentation on Dorzolamide and scrap it...

June 19, 2004

Cipla has distributed all invitations, the speaker's name - HSR.

June 19, 2004 2:55 PM

" Hello! Dr. Ravin Das speaking... "

" Ravin, this is Himadri, I have lost my father. "

" I am extremely sorry to hear that, please accept my condolences "

" Also, Ravin, I can't make it to the talk "

" I understand, Himadri, just send me your presentation and I will do it "

June 19, 2004 6 PM

The floppy containing the presentation arrives at my clinic.

It refuses to open on my computer.

I can't contact HSR for another copy.

I call Cipla, they promise to send me a ready made presentation by email from

their Mumbai Head Office.

June 19, 2004 6:15 PM

I check my mail - the presentation is there. But I am in the middle of my clinic

and hope to be able to read some of the 38 slides before I am due for my

presentation at 8:30 PM.

Also, I must force myself to listen to my inner voice, for I have had

premonitions since I was a kid, but never considered them seriously.

Dr. R. K. Mishra is attending the meeting now, since I am the speaker.

Wish me good luck, my friends!

And tell me to believe in my sixth sense in future, it has never failed me, yet,

I just don't listen.

Dr. Ravin N. Das

Jabalpur