Emotions of an old, retired and haggard person.

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Prologue: This is the story of one of my friends who personally narrated to me. I have tried to reproduce it in a manner as if he is telling his story directly to you. I have captioned it: ORDEAL OF ANGUISH I do not know whether it was sheer co-incidence or nature forced me to go to the house of one of my very close friends, to confront bitter truth of my equally bitter life. I had not met him for quite sometime. I visited his house when I received information that he had met an accident. His name does not matter. When I entered his living-room, I found him lying on the couch with bandages wrapped around his left leg near the thigh. I came to know that, while crossing the road, he was hit by a motor-cyclist, who was coming in a very high speed. My friend had tried to save himself by hastily turning back and retreating. The bike-rider tried to control but, even then, the leg-guard of the bike had hit his left leg causing dislocation of bones and injuries on his thigh. This had happened day-before-yesterday and he was discharged from the hospital only to-day, that too, after his persistent request to the Doctor. I felt aggrieved and shouted on him for not calling me immediately after the accident. My friend had retired about a year back and he was living in his own house with his wife. His two sons were residing together in a spacious flat at Mumbai. When I enquired about his wife, he informed that she had gone to airport with car to receive his sons who were coming with family to live with them for a few days. After sitting with sometime, I wanted to leave but he asked me to stay for some more time and meet his wife and sons. Since I knew his sons and their wives very well, I waited for them. After sometime, we heard them coming. I looked towards the door and saw two young ladies entering the door. They were not crying but their swollen eyes clearly indicated that they had been shedding tears for quite some time. They did not look towards me and straight way went to their father-in-law and very carefully touched his feet. Their behaviour clearly indicated that, had my friend not hurt himself, they would have embraced him. Both of them kissed the cheeks of my friend and then started shouting on him, "We had been telling you to come to Mumbai and live with us but we do not know why you want te remain stuck at this place"? They started sobbing and I could clearly visualise that they were not acting to show their grief, they were really upset. Expression of eyes do not lie unless one is a born-actor and I could clearly see that they were really concerned with the failing health of their father-in-law. Then, his both sons, carrying their suitcases, entered with their mother. They first touched the feet of their father and then came to me and after touching my feet, sat down. I also wished my friend's wife. In the meanwhile, the sons' wives also came to me and touched my feet. They asked me to force their father-in-law to go to Mumbai. My friend's sons started asking details of the accident and his present condition. Then the elder son said, "Enough is enough. Now both of you are coming with us, live with us and die in our presence. I cannot allow you to live here alone any longer. I have already purchased your tickets for Mumbai. We will rent out this house". His younger brother and their wives also joined and all of them started speaking simultaneoulsy. It was obvious that my friend had no option and both of them had to go to Mumbai and live with their sons. I could see that matter was becoming a family business so I sought permission to laeve. However, my friend's wife asked me to go only after taking tea. I saw wife of the younger son going towards kitchen and after sometime she came with snacks and tea. By the time, normalcy had returned and all of them started chatting and laughing. Both the daughters-in-law, who were also working at Mumbai, sat on both sides of their father-in-law and started chirping like birds. Then the elder one put her hand on the shoulder of her father-in-law and spoke quite loudly, however, she was showing as if she was whispering, "We promise, once you start living with us, we would make you grand_parents, not simultaneouly but one after another". Then she burst out laughing. Everyone joined her and friend winked at me. I now came to know why my friend used to tell me that happiness come to his house with the arrival of his daughters-in-law. After some time, I left. I went straight to my house. It was still 5 in the evening and my wife would return at about 7 p.m. There was still more tha two hours. After my retirement, I had settled at this place in my own house and my wife had opted to continue her job. Though at this age, I did not want her to continue her job but we had no option. It would have been very difficult to run the house with my meagure pension. So, I had not objected. Every morning she goes at 9 in the morning and returns by 7-7.30 in the evening by Bus. She would also retire on the last day of this month. I sat on a chair and started thinking about my friend who had always praised his sons and their wives. He had confided to me that God had not given daughters to them but He had fulfilled their desires by giving such daughters-in law. "Do you know, they embrace us, play with us and crack nasty jokes? We are really fortunate. When they come, happiness comes with them for both of us and the way they behave, we start thinking as if we have become children before them," he had told me once. Obviously, he was telling the truth. Then I got up and went to kitchen to prepare vegetable for the night meal. It had become a daily chore for me and my wife would prepare bread (roti) or rice after her return from the office. Then, I prepared a cup of coffee and went to bedroom. After taking coffee, I lit a cigarette. Visit to my friend's house had almost shaken me and brought forth several memories connected to happenings in my family. I found myself completely engrossed and memories started flooding one after another and simultaneously came tears. I also have only two sons and they rarely visit us. Their wives are also very reserved and they remain aways closetted with their husbands. In fact, they could not get time to visit us when I had fallen sick with high temperature. My wife cries for them. It appears that their houses are too small to accommodate us. Despite very soft feelings for our sons and daughters-in-law, my wife has strong will power. Once I had asked her how we would run our house after her retirement, and she had quietly replied, " We would sell our house, purchase a small flat in a secured complex and would deposit rest of the amount in Bank to get good monthly income. Thereafter, we would visit very backward village and would try to impart education to those downtrodden and illiterate children. We can easily spend rest of our days". Epilogue: As I subsequently came to know that they did exactly the same. I salute them. Children need their parents disperately in their childhood but conveniently forget that they have duties to their parents when they grow old. Moral of the story : Never have any expectations from anyone including your own children and keep always prepared yourself for such eventualities.