(FICTION)

Melancholy cast its shadow on the small shack near the village well.People whispered that the old lady breathed her last and as she did, her eyes looked towards the door,waiting and waiting for her beloved son and his family to arrive.

‘she has been ill for quiet a while and was longing to see her son..she always talked about her son and her granddaughter’ whispered one villager.

‘‘The old lady dedicated all her life to bring up her son and she saw him only twice after he went abroad..once when he brought his bride home and two years later with his baby daughter..’

Her son is in a very high position overseas and he could not get leave to come here..He has asked us to perform the last rites’said another  villager

The sun set over the leaping pyre flames as the old lady’s body reduced to ash.Whether her son came to collect her ashes we do not know but time flew swiftly…….

 The scene now shifts to a Government hospital 25 years later.The hospital is jampacked with patients.Doctors and nurses were pacing through the corridors and monitoring the patients condition.It wasn’t like a corporate hospital at all.Patients from the needy,economically backward thronged at the OPD .Nisha felt depressed looking at the sick people all around .she just had to see her now old and sick driver of many years in the ward during the visiting hours.She was already tired from work at office.

As she greeted her old driver and cheered him with some fruits she heard the nurses talking among themselves.

‘The patient on bed number 3 is not doing too well..He has been staying alone after his wife died.He admitted himself here 3 days back and we are now trying to reach his daughter’s phone abroad.’

Nisha slowly walked towards the bed and saw a frail old man who was being given drips.His chest slowly moved up and down with every breath he took.As she saw his lean face,Nisha’s heart started racing like a mad horse.

She moved close and took his hand in hers as the old man moaned and turned to look at Nisha.At once his eyes widened and he felt he knew her for long.

‘My son..My son..I have seen you at last!’,Nisha said and kissed the old hand and wept tears of joy.

The Nurses and onlookers watched in amazement!

‘I waited and waited for you to come my son …’ young Nisha sobbed like a woman possessed…she didn’t know what came over her.

The old man held Nisha’s hand firmly and feebly said with his moistened eyes..

‘Forgive me maaa…Forgive me maaa..’ ..a single tear trickled down his eyes and he breathed his last with his eyes’s still looking at his maa.


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