People came to him when the patient was on his last legs. Dr Raman often burst out, ‘why couldn't you have come a day earlier?’ The reason was obvious-visiting fee twenty-five rupees. More than that, people liked to shirk the fact that the time had come to call in Dr Raman; for them there was something ominous in the very association. As a result, when the big man came on the scene it was always a quick decision one way or another. There was no scope or time for any kind of wavering or whitewashing. Long years of practice of this kind had bred in the doctor a certain curt truthfulness; for that very reason his opinion was valued; he was not a mere doctor expressing an opinion but a judge pronouncing a verdict The patient's life hung on his words. This never unduly worried Dr Raman. He never believed that agreeable words ever saved lives. He did not think it was any of his business to provide comforting lies when as a matter of course nature would tell them the truth in few hours. However, when he glimpsed the faintest sign of hope, he rolled up his sleeve and stepped into the arena: it might be hours or days, but he never withdrew till he wrested the prize from Yama's hands. Today, standing over a bed, the doctor felt that he himself needed someone to tell him soothing lies. He mopped his brow with handkerchief and sat down in the chair beside the bed. On the bed lay his dearest friend in the world: Gopal. They had known each other for forty years now, starting with their kindergarten days. They could not, of course, meet as much as they wanted, each being wrapped in his own family and profession. Occasionally, on a Sunday, Gopal would walk into the consulting room and wait patiently in a corner till the doctor was free. And then they would dine together, see a picture and talk of each other's life and activities. It was a classic friendship, which endured untouched times, circumstances and activities.
‘There was no scope or time for any kind of wavering or whitewashing’ means that ________
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → The doctor could not lie about patient's condition
Wavering means being unable to decide, going this way and that; whitewashing means hiding unpleasant facts to make something look better than it is. By the time Dr Raman was called, the patient was near death, so the decision had to be quick and he could neither hesitate nor cover up the truth. The passage goes on to say he had a "curt truthfulness" and did not believe in "comforting lies".
Example: The report was an attempt at whitewashing the failures of the ministry.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The doctor hid the real condition of the patient from the relation — Incorrect. Contradicted: this is the opposite of the truth: hiding the condition is the whitewashing he had no room for.
Option 2: The doctor did not have time to attend to the patient — Incorrect. Wrong link: the lack of time was for wavering or whitewashing, not for treatment. When he saw hope, he worked for hours or days until he saved the patient.
Option 3: The people who brought the patient were in a hurry — Incorrect. Wrong link: the line is about the doctor's quick and honest verdict, not about the relatives being in a hurry.