The Secret Cry

It was the last day of exams. Anu, Mitra and Roshni have planned to end the day of their last exam with a hangout. They decided to go for a coffee shop to enjoy their last day.

They reached the coffee shop and sat in their seats.

“Uff…thank God , the last exam also ended peacefully . I feared that it would be difficult. You know what, the last year physics examination was too tough. But ours was easy na?”said Rosh in a very happy tone.

“Guys, please end the exam chapter. We are here to start our holidays in a happy manner. Don’t make me angry by again starting the exam story,” said  Anu.

“Ok sorry baby,” said Rosh and hugged her.

As they were chatting they noticed Mitra staring at an old man in the opposite table. “What happened Mitty? Is everything okay? Why are you staring at him like this? Is he your bf?” asked Anu, as she winked her eyes.

“Hey stop it yaar. That old man seems to be sad and worried na?” asked Mitra seeing him.

“May be, but why does it matter you? Everyone has their own problems. If we try to know or solve their problems then we would be in problems. So come on yaar. Leave him. Guys, you know what, I am going for shopping with my boy friend tomorrow,” said Rosh with excitement and pride.

“Enjoy”, said Mitty and Anu in chorus.

The friends then became engrossed in their conversation. Though Mitra was physically present with her friends her, she was mentally absent. Her mind was wavering in thoughts about the old man. She don’t know why the thoughts of the old man was impacting her like this. She saw him reading a book. It seemed like a diary. After some time the old man left the coffee shop and Mitra was also engrossed in conversation with her friends. She did notice him leaving. Later when she took a glance at his place she saw the place empty. But there was a diary lying in the table.

“Perhaps he must have left it”, she thought. After sometime, without the notice of her friends she took his diary and kept it in her bag. Later the friends left the coffee shop.

Mitra went home deeply engrossed in the thoughts of the old man. Her mind was pondering with questions

“Who was he?”

“Why is he dominating my mind?”

She first thought not to read it as it would affect his privacy. But then she thought that his problems would have certainly been written in this book.

She opened the diary and there was a photo. It seemed like a family photo of the old man. There was a middle aged man, woman and a boy of twelve or thirteen years. She just turned the pages without reading them. As she was turning her eye caught a title –‘AFTER MY MARRIAGE’.

She thought of reading from that. She read

“My marriage life was not a happy one. I had a sweet wife – Rani and she cared me a lot. Our problem was that we did not have children for many years. Only after eight years we were gifted with a child as a result of many prayers. Till the day of his birth to this day, my love and concern for him remains unchanged for any of his deeds. Aayush had never got even a scolding from us. We thought that at any stage of life his love for us won’t change. But god had proved that our belief was false.

Now he is married. It was his girlfriend – Prakriti. We were insulted a lot by Prakriti’s rich family during his marriage. Though we were very hurt, we neither said to Aayush nor expressed our hurt by abusing Prakriti. In fact we treated Prakriti as our own daughter.

But god had made my boy blind. He neither knows the value of mine or Rani’s love nor could understand my grief. Rani died a year ago due to heart attack. Before that, I at least had Rani to discuss and share my feelings and grief, but now I am totally alone. Rani died two years back due to sudden heart-attack.

My boy is in need of my property which is of worth thirty lakhs and after getting that from me, he is planning to send me to an old age home. He did not say that directly to me. I overheard his conversation with Prakriti.

I first thought how mean he was. But then I accepted it. If it was his decision how could I change that ? “

Mitra closed the diary. She went to sleep, but her mind was completely occupied by the what is in the diary. She now decided to find the old man.

The next day she woke up. She called Anu and Rosh and said them everything. Moved by the sad story of the old man, they decided to join Mitra. At the front page of the diary they found an address. They went there. A neatly dressed young man opened the door.

“Is this Aayush Sinhana’s house?” asked Rosh.

“Yes, I am Aayush Sinhana”?

“Oh!then its you. “Hey you bloody sinner! Are you out of senses? You need your parents for their property. Shame on your part. How cheap is your charectar,”shouted Mitra at the height of her voice.

“EXCUSE ME! How dare you girls come to my home and scold me. Who are you to say that? Get the hell out of here. Its my papa, my right and my property,” shouted Aayush at equally high temper. Hearing the noises Prakriti came out.

“Who are they, Aayush? What is the problem?” asked Prakriti in a confused tone.

“Oh! This is Prakriti na? After you become independent and after they become dependent on you, you don’t want them. Guys, you are so smart,” said Rosh.

“Rosh, stop! Aayush we need a minute of yours”, said Anu in a calm tone.

“Girls, get out of here are or I need to call the police.

“Hey ,you bloody sh*t. Listen, Its we who actually have to call the police because ,you know what, sending parents to old age homes is a crime. So Mr. Aayush Sinhana, do you want to give us a minute or wanna go to jail,” black mailed Anu.

He became calm. “First tell me who are you and what do you want”, asked Aayush humbly.

“We are studying in St.Robert college. We yesterday got a diary of your father. If you read this you may understand his feelings,” said Anu and gave him the diary.

He read it. His eyes was filled with tears.

“How could you be mean to this extent. It was this father who gave birth to you, gave you all sophistications, made you study in a big college and helped you to pursue for your dreams. At every part of your happiness, sadness, success and failure, your parents were with you. They were not invisible, but you were blind. At their last days they don’t expect any cash or any property from you. They don’t want to be alone without you in a big palace of yours, but they want to enjoy their life in a small hut with you. They are in need of your love. You have an appreciably big house, good salary, a beautiful wife – everything because of your father. At the cost of him you are enjoying this, but without the one who is responsible for this. So think. Don’t be blind,” concluded Mitra.

Tears were continuously rolling through his cheeks. Prakriti also felt too bad and guilty, as she was also a reason for this. The couple understood their parent’s unfading and everlasting love. “Thank you guys. You had opened my eyes,” said Aayush in a choking voice.

“Please say that to your father,”said the girls and left. His father arrived within a few minutes after they left.

“I saw three girls leaving our house. Who were they?”, asked his father.

“Papa, they are my friends and more than friends”, he said smiling.

“Oh! I see,” he said and entered his room.

“Papa, I am sorry. I had been too mean. Please forgive me”, said Aayush hugging his father.

“No beta, everything is fine. What happened to you?” he asked.

A new feeling of pride and contentment arose in Anu, Rosh and Nimi, after seeing that scene through the window.

__END__