Dr Manoj and Dr Alka Pradhan became aware of one another at an operation theatre in Mumbai. Little did they know, their alliance would continue even after getting married. Dr Manoj is a wellknown cardio thoracic surgeon in the city while his wife Dr Alka is an anaesthetist.

Nikhil Ghorpade

Whenever Dr Manoj operates, he is assisted by his wife. They depend on each other heavily. “When Alka is there with me in the operation theatre, I feel reassured the patient is in good hands and I can fully concentrate on the surgery,” says Dr Manoj. Both agree it is very important for a surgeon to completely trust the anaesthetist. The two lead extremely busy lives.

For them, time management has always been crucial and sacrificing certain things in life meant they could spend quality time with family. “We prefer to lead a quiet existence and prefer to stay away from late night parties. A long night can take a tremendous toll when you work the next day,” says Dr Alka.

The backyard of their bungalow has a beautiful garden which the couple say is their little haven. “We prefer enjoying ourselves at home by having meaningful conversations and catching up on our favourite programmes accompanied by our children,” adds Dr Alka. They have two grown children.

Their daughter has followed their footsteps and the son is studying to become an engineer. “Manoj and I have led by example and I think our children have understood the value of it.
 
Both are very good kids and are doing well for themselves, we are fortunate to have such children,” says Dr Alka.

During the course of the conversation, we are interrupted by a huge retriever named Zimba. It turns out the Pradhans are animal lovers and apart from the dog, their bungalow is also inhabited by two adorable cats.
 
“These animals are also like our children,” smiles Dr Alka. It is obvious the Pradhans share mutual respect for one another. “Inside the operation theatre, Manoj is the boss. It is upto him to take important decisions.
 
At the end of the day, he will be held responsible for how the operation turns out,” explains Dr Alka. “Since we have been working together for so long, we understand one another instinctively. Alka is good at putting the patients at ease and I can trust her to take care of the patients,” says Dr Manoj.
 
The most impressive part about the Pradhans is that they have never compromised on their values. “I am fortunate to have a wife like Alka who is not bothered with financial gains,” says Dr Manoj.

They are happy, balanced and look genuinely satisfied with life. More than anything, they feel extremely pleased by the fact that they together save lives and when patients thank them, the two are on cloud nine.