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Tsunami And The Old Man
“THIS EVENING IS BRILLIANT, RIGHT?” The old man said to his wife, who was sitting next to him in the beach sand. They both had come to Juhu beach, not for an evening walk but to take shelter today night. They didn’t have any idea where they were going to stay tomorrow.
“Yes Krish, I have never heard the soothing sound of waves. It’s like gentle whispers. See how beautifully it is raising and falling down. It’s wonderful, I feel like keep watching it,” the old woman said. She wore a brown cotton sari with black border. Her wrinkles smeared face was still agile and shining. Her ears were somewhat long and broad, but she didn’t wear any golden ornaments. Her hands were empty without bangles, but she had one silver ring in her right hand. It was her engagement ring, she was happy that she didn’t lose it in the storm of life.
“Yeah, that’s really good,” the old man shook his head, watching the waves, which ran towards their feet and took blessings from them, as if the waves knew how to respect the elders. But the old lady didn’t pull her legs in, instead she let it go, as the water washed her feet and was drawn back. You could see the yellowish beach sand soaked with water and it looked like a golden carpet laid before them.
The old lady suddenly cried. She didn’t have kerchief, but used the edge of her sari to cover her mouth as if to hide her face from others seeing her. Few couples passed them holding their hands on their waist, but they thought the old fellows were enjoying this pleasant evening. Maybe they are reliving their old memories now, they thought. But God alone knew what was the pain buried in their deepest hearts.
“Hey Gowri, relax. I know why you are crying. But we can’t do anything about it,” the old man said, as he lowered his head to see his wife. Yes, their son Jitinder and daughter-in-law had tossed them out of their house as if they were expired food items. He wasn’t shocked for they had pushed them out, but his heart was crushed like a lemon when his son had told him that they had become patients to spread diseases to their children. 'You could have killed us, instead of speaking like this', the old man thought. Everything was going good until he had suffered from coughing fit for last five days, the doctor said it had happened due to season change and suggested him to take hot water instead of cold water and had written down few medicines to cure him.
They had a separate bedroom inside the house, so the old man lay on his bed and took rest. But his grandson Nishodh had come inside the bedroom and asked him to tell stories. The old man had a habit of telling stories to him, but he was tired today. He asked his grandson to bring him tumbler full of hot water. Nishodh said okay and went to the kitchen and told his mother that grandpa had requested hot water. That was it.
She had put down the vessels on the floor and shouted, "I am not a cook to serve them. If they wanted let them prepare it for themselves," she said in a blaring voice. The old man could hear it. The old lady, who had heard all this in bathroom, had cried for half an hour before she came out with her puffed eyes.
The next day before taking the breakfast, his son had placed two lakh rupees on the dining table, and slowly pushed it to his father, who sat opposite to him in the wooden chair, he was waiting for the breakfast to come but it didn’t come. He was surprised to see the money instead of the bread rolls. He asked why? His son stroked his chin slowly and said, ‘You both can become free birds. I think you understood what I meant?’ The old lady’s lips trembled when she had heard this and she came down to beat his son with her fisted hands. But when her hands were raised, thye didn’t move at all.
Her daughter-in-law seized her hand and pushed her on the floor. She fell and her spine was knocked hard and it gave a stout pain to her. On seeing this, the old man didn’t rush to lift his wife, but stayed in his seat. "What are you talking about? Have you lost your senses?", the old man said, as his eyes grew like saucers. "This house is not for patients. You can go and stay in hospital permanently," his daughter-in-law said sarcastically. "You………….."the old man said, but his wife interrupted him. "Krish don’t see their eyes. They would burn you. Get out of this hell immediately," she screamed in pain.
Now on the beach, the old woman tossed her head high, “You know why I am crying. Don’t you? I have never thought our son would do like this....
“Yes Krish, I have never heard the soothing sound of waves. It’s like gentle whispers. See how beautifully it is raising and falling down. It’s wonderful, I feel like keep watching it,” the old woman said. She wore a brown cotton sari with black border. Her wrinkles smeared face was still agile and shining. Her ears were somewhat long and broad, but she didn’t wear any golden ornaments. Her hands were empty without bangles, but she had one silver ring in her right hand. It was her engagement ring, she was happy that she didn’t lose it in the storm of life.
“Yeah, that’s really good,” the old man shook his head, watching the waves, which ran towards their feet and took blessings from them, as if the waves knew how to respect the elders. But the old lady didn’t pull her legs in, instead she let it go, as the water washed her feet and was drawn back. You could see the yellowish beach sand soaked with water and it looked like a golden carpet laid before them.
The old lady suddenly cried. She didn’t have kerchief, but used the edge of her sari to cover her mouth as if to hide her face from others seeing her. Few couples passed them holding their hands on their waist, but they thought the old fellows were enjoying this pleasant evening. Maybe they are reliving their old memories now, they thought. But God alone knew what was the pain buried in their deepest hearts.
“Hey Gowri, relax. I know why you are crying. But we can’t do anything about it,” the old man said, as he lowered his head to see his wife. Yes, their son Jitinder and daughter-in-law had tossed them out of their house as if they were expired food items. He wasn’t shocked for they had pushed them out, but his heart was crushed like a lemon when his son had told him that they had become patients to spread diseases to their children. 'You could have killed us, instead of speaking like this', the old man thought. Everything was going good until he had suffered from coughing fit for last five days, the doctor said it had happened due to season change and suggested him to take hot water instead of cold water and had written down few medicines to cure him.
They had a separate bedroom inside the house, so the old man lay on his bed and took rest. But his grandson Nishodh had come inside the bedroom and asked him to tell stories. The old man had a habit of telling stories to him, but he was tired today. He asked his grandson to bring him tumbler full of hot water. Nishodh said okay and went to the kitchen and told his mother that grandpa had requested hot water. That was it.
She had put down the vessels on the floor and shouted, "I am not a cook to serve them. If they wanted let them prepare it for themselves," she said in a blaring voice. The old man could hear it. The old lady, who had heard all this in bathroom, had cried for half an hour before she came out with her puffed eyes.
The next day before taking the breakfast, his son had placed two lakh rupees on the dining table, and slowly pushed it to his father, who sat opposite to him in the wooden chair, he was waiting for the breakfast to come but it didn’t come. He was surprised to see the money instead of the bread rolls. He asked why? His son stroked his chin slowly and said, ‘You both can become free birds. I think you understood what I meant?’ The old lady’s lips trembled when she had heard this and she came down to beat his son with her fisted hands. But when her hands were raised, thye didn’t move at all.
Her daughter-in-law seized her hand and pushed her on the floor. She fell and her spine was knocked hard and it gave a stout pain to her. On seeing this, the old man didn’t rush to lift his wife, but stayed in his seat. "What are you talking about? Have you lost your senses?", the old man said, as his eyes grew like saucers. "This house is not for patients. You can go and stay in hospital permanently," his daughter-in-law said sarcastically. "You………….."the old man said, but his wife interrupted him. "Krish don’t see their eyes. They would burn you. Get out of this hell immediately," she screamed in pain.
Now on the beach, the old woman tossed her head high, “You know why I am crying. Don’t you? I have never thought our son would do like this....
