The Loop..

Every day she used to cook food for one person; however, today the scenario was different. Leena, Ashok’s maid, was ordered to cook the food for four people. Jagdish, the only servant Ashok had, was told to clip and trim shrubs in garden and then to wash the car. Ashok, a 64 year old, was feeling very vigorously active today and was helping these two people in all house-hold work. His age spots, walking stick, a swinging chair and thick lenses were the evidences of his old age, however the energy he was showing up today was as good as any youngster’s. He was almost done with the cleaning of all window glasses. Thinking to clean-up a frame of the only family photo which was kept in living room, he tried to get up. Holding his walking stick firm, he got up and walked hurriedly towards living room. The photo frame, kept on a teapoy in living room, was pretty thick and brown in color. He did hold the photo in his hand and started moving his hand over it. While doing so, tears came out of his eyes. It reminded him of the golden and joyful days of his life.

The photo was taken when Shashank, his son, completed his graduation and came home after a long time. Naina, his adored and very beautiful wife, was more than glad that day. She made Shashank’s favorite Matar-paneer and made him eat till he was full. Shashank, as always, took his parents out for a long-drive after they had dinner. That was the last time when these three were together. Whilst Shashank flew down to abroad for his employment, Naina died of cancer. Ashok was devastated. He lost himself. After Naina passed away, Shashank was the only family he had.  Later Shashank married his college friend Ridhima and settled down in abroad. Ashok, since then, was living alone in the mid-size bungalow which he built up when he was young.

Today was the day when Shashank was coming back to India with Ridhima and their two years old, Saira. All preparations were done from Ashok’ end. The house was made clean and neat. The food was ready and all food menus were Shashank’s favorite, including Matar-paneer.  The garden was made neat and lavish. The car was washed and ready, for their long-drive after dinner. Ashok was then eagerly waiting for the moment when he could see his grand-daughter’s face. In an hour or so, a cab came in and stood in front of his bungalow. Shashank and Ridhima got down of the cab. Shashank carried Saira, who was asleep. Shashank walked forward and rang the door bell. While Leena ran towards the door to open it, Ashok stopped her and he himself went to the main-door and opened the inside lock. Shashank was standing in-front. Seeing him, Ashok got happy like anything. Shashank grinned, greeted his dad well and went straight to his room. Following him Ridhima entered in, after greeting Ashok she did ask him about his health. After chit-chatting for 5-10 mins, she went straight to their room. Ashok was shocked to their behavior but did not express it on his face. He made a mind that they were too tired after a long travel and hence they need some time to refresh. Ashok did wait for an hour or so and then asked Leena to call Shashank and Ridhima for dinner. While Leena was about to move to their room, Shashank and Ridhima came out. They both were going out for a dinner-party arranged by some friend. Ashok did mention about Shashank’s favorite food menu and a long-drive after a dinner, however Shashank turned down the offer graciously saying that the dinner-party was planned a month back and he could not miss that. While leaving, Shashank asked his father to look after Saira. Without waiting for his father’s response, Shashank and Ridhima left. Leena and Jagdish were more than stunned seeing Shashank’s gesture toward his father; however they did not utter a word. Since their duty time was over, Ashok asked both of them to leave for the day and he moved to Shashank’s room. Saira was sleeping in peace. She was not known or, probably, was not told that she was at her Grandpa’s house. Sitting by her side, Ashok moved his hand through her head and then face. He realized that, it was how Shashank used to look like when he was 2 years old. The feeling of having his grand-daughter’s around made Ashok smiling and made him to forget the treatment given to him by Shashank. To Ashok’s surprise, there were two air tickets kept on the side table. Ashok picked up the tickets to check further details. Those were next day morning airplane tickets to Jaipur, where Ridhima was from. Ashok sadly realized that Shashank and Ridhima were no longer going stay with him. He patiently kept the tickets back on the table, he got up with the help of his walking stick and gradually walked out of the room.

He entered into his room. By sitting in his swing chair; he removed his glasses and kept them on the side-table. He was trying but his mind was not allowing him to stop thinking about his beloved son. He went into the memory flash-back. Starting from changing his diapers when he was a kid, getting up in the mid-night when Shashank used to cry, playing with him in the garden, all efforts taken for his admission in schools, colleges and his desired cricket club, all the friendly discussions done when Shashank started going to college, and many other things which a father did for his son. He realized that the bonding they used to share, the attachment they used to have, the depth of love they had for each other was no more alive from his son’s end. Shashank did not bother about the efforts taken by Maid to cook his favorite dish; neither had he realized that the car was washed just for him to take his father on a long drive. Cleaning and trimming of garden shrubs was also seemed as useless since Saira was asleep since the time she came into the house and next day morning all of them were going to disappear.

 With a lot of disturbed mind, Ashok put up his glasses and got up from his swing chair. He was then mentally unstable and started walking in his room. He started thinking if he had done anything wrong with his own parents and his mind, out of ego and self-defense, replied as no. He thought that he never avoided his parents but understood that he never went to meet them, as well. He was so busy after moving to a metro city and starting his own business, that he was not at all connected to his parents. Apart from sending money every month, for their living, there was no other connection which they shared. Ashok’s parents, despite their poor economic condition, did provide him good education. After working in farms, his mother used to walk 10KMs or so every day afternoon to give him his tiffin. Despite their lot of love for him, he did not care for them. He remembered that his mother used to call him every Deewali, but he never went back to his place. Shashank never meet his paternal grandparents because Ashok never took him to their house. Ashok had attachment for his parents but he gave priority to his business and then to his beautiful wife, whom he met in a Metro City, and his only son. The love he had for his parents was gradually suppressed and then had moved off his mind. He almost forgot his originators, for him his wife and son were the only family. That was nobody’s fault. The reason, probably, was his selfish and self obsessed mindset.

Ashok realized that his son was walking on the same path which h walked. Shashank was focused only on his career, wife and daughter. And the fact was the treatment which Ashok gave to his parents, the same he had got from his next generation. He realized that there is a circle around everybody, which starts and ends at the definite point. It starts when we love someone and ends when we get the same love back. It starts when we hate someone and ends when we get same hatred back. Whatever we give out, hatred or love, does come back to us. He was still not happy but his disturbed mind was then calm. He realized that it was the loop which he himself initiated and in order to conclude it, he had to face the situation around him. He comprehended that Life is not just about having beautiful life-partner, earning money, building big houses and having foreign stays. It is more about the treatment we give to people around us and what we get in return. It is more about having a considerate and generous mindset. It is more about the loop which we form around ourselves.