Voices in the Waiting Room: An Excerpt
Voices in the Waiting Room is a book by psychiatrist Mayank Gupta. As the publisher Rupa shares, the book emerges from a quiet reckoning with the ways human suffering is quintessentially shared yet silently endured. Set in a hospital, the novel brings together five physicians whose outward competence conceals inner doubt, moral fatigue, displacement, and unspoken longing.
Drawing on years of clinical work across Mumbai, London, and New York, psychiatrist Mayank Gupta traces how cultures and modern systems promise progress while often deepening inner disconnection. The waiting room becomes a threshold where repetition falters, defences soften, and lives intersect not through resolution but through recognition.
Resisting neat endings, the novel invites readers to pause, sit with uncertainty, and consider what remains unlived, suggesting that wholeness is not found in answers or accumulation, but in attention, presence, and the courage to face one’s unfinished self.
The excerpts below are shared with permission of the publisher who notes these are (intentionally) presented out of sequence. You can find more information on Rupa Publications
Chapter 8
Unfinished Juxtaposition
Pooja nodded. “Yes, we refer to international authors all the time to keep up with global standards. Most of the evidence is based on Western patients, and it does not always apply here. What is missing is the nuance of what is normative for us. We need more examples from real-world clinical encounters drawn from our own population. Without that, we are simply approximating Western evidence and applying it blindly.”
“Exactly,” Ankit agreed, his eyes lighting up with passion. “I once listened to a podcast where a scientist from the West was asked, ‘Why is there no vaccine for the deadly Ebola virus in Africa?’ He answered candidly, ‘It is a shame, but when fifty people from the developed world get it, then the vaccine will come.’ It struck me as a brutal and casual indifference to suffering when it is not close to home.”
He shook his head and continued. “And you know what is worse? Back home, I saw doctors following international protocols that had not even been tested on Indian patients. I remember one instance.” He paused, his voice hardening. “A famous Japanese doctor visited us for an event. They allowed him to operate on a patient without a license to practice in India. That is illegal and a punishable offense. The patient died, and the matter was quietly buried. Meanwhile, Indian doctors who go abroad cannot even step into an outpatient department without a valid license. The double standards are sickening.”
Chapter 12
Status Quo
He cleared his throat, breaking the silence that had stretched a moment too long. Dr. Silva looked at them, her eyes narrowed, alert but unreadable.
“Dr. Silva,” he began, his voice measured, “we have implemented several changes this year. We have overhauled our selection process, and it is far more transparent now. During interviews, we take deliberate steps to reduce unconscious bias. Candidate names and identifying details are removed before panel review, and interviewers do not receive curriculum vitae. They are expected to evaluate applicants solely on non-identifiable information and qualitative impressions.”
He paused, then continued. “We have also moved away from relying on high-profile recommendations or superficial metrics. Instead, we focus on objective reviews that assess long-term potential and values. It works both ways. Residents evaluate us as well. That feedback loop creates mutual accountability and, we hope, a more compassionate and inclusive workforce.”
Dr. Hawker, who had been nodding along, added, “We know we cannot undo the frustrations of the past, but we want you to know that we have taken your concerns seriously. Your programme is the crown jewel of this institution, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure you receive the kind of recruits who meet your standards.”
Dr Silva leaned back in her chair, her expression softening slightly. “I appreciate the effort,” she said, her voice steady and her resolve clear. “I understand these things take time, but the bar remains high. If trainees cannot meet expectations, I will hold them accountable. This programme is not just about producing doctors. It is about producing the best doctors, the ones who can take this field forward.”
Dr Gray nodded, his eyes reflecting a flicker of admiration. “We would not expect anything less from you, Dr Silva.”
Chapter 13
Reconciling with the Past
“As I grew older, I tried to take some control over my own life, to defy that order. The backlash was brutal. I was humiliated psychologically and emotionally, gaslighted at every turn. There has always been this deep guilt, Ankit, guilt that has followed me for decades. Even when I tried to break free, the trauma stayed, hidden but always present.
“I do not carry insecurities about many things, but the mental tension, the constant pressure, it suffocates. And the loneliness is more than just being alone. It is the kind of loneliness where there is no one to share your innermost thoughts and feelings with.”
She looked at him, and the silence between them grew heavy.
“This world, this system, always told me not to be vulnerable. Vulnerability was weakness. But now I have learned that the more vulnerable you are, the freer you become. What we think and what we feel is not unique. It is shared. It is human. I did not always see it that way. There was fear, confusion, layers upon layers of it. I was caught in a vicious cycle, wanting to conform yet yearning to break free.”
Her tone softened as she continued. “Eventually, I began to enjoy my freedom. I stopped caring about what others thought. I decided I did not want anyone in my life who would bring back that same oppressive mindset, someone who would tell me what to do or how to live. And honestly, it is only recently that women, even in so-called developed societies, have begun to truly take control of their lives. But for so many, the conditions have not changed.”
For more, do check out the book Voices in the Waiting Room, published by Rupa.
