Sunil R P Sethi
Avinash was riding back to his home from his office on his bicycle. As he paddled in a scorching afternoon of summers, on the highway of his city, he got hit by a speeding car from behind as the haunting darkness spiralled around his head, knocking him flat on the ground. His wife Sarita and the only son Dev sat at the edge his bed as he opened his eyes to the gloomy ceiling of a hospital at Chandigarh. He was bewildered to notice the long beard locks and flowing hair on his head as he brushed his hands all over his face.Sarita calmed her perplexed husband by informing him about the 50 lengthy days she had urged, to see him open his eyes since the accident had occurred. Grave injuries in the head and his dilapidated left leg which was shortened by 2 inches, called for another month of rigorous care and attention, before he could be discharged by the hospital authorities.
The real pain was, however, yet to cast upon him when it was revealed to him that the minor boy who had hit him owing to his callous driving was ordered to be released by the court on the payment of a meagre fine of Rs 500/-. Avinash, who had suffered at the hands of an affluent juvenile, was fired from his job by a private flour mill which reimbursed his loss of livelihood with a scant amount of Rs 55000, not enough, even to compensate the humongous expenditure of Rs 3 lacs at the hospital. Such an impecunious state that had encircled his life was enough to drown him and his family into depression. As he went to the police station to raise his protestation against the unjust attitude of the wrong doer, he was offered a friendly advice from the head constable of filing a case for compensation before Accident Tribunal, recommending the name of a reputed advocate. The revelation of the amount of the commission cut, due to the constable from the suggested advocate for spreading a word about his credibility, was a rude awakening for Avinash, though!
The case dragged at a turtle’s pace for about one and half years after which he was finally awarded a lump sum compensation of 9.25 lacs with interest, out of which a hefty amount of Rs 1.25 lacswas paid to his lawyer, finally left with a figure of Rs 8 lacs along with an additional interest of Rs 2 lacs; a life changing amount for this needful fellow. Against the wish of his wife, who wanted him to get a sophisticated treatment from the best hospital,he eyed a bright future for DEV who was still pursuing his 12th grade preparing for the medical entrance exams. Avinash invested one-fourth of this amount in a small provisional store, he decided to set up nearby his house and deposited rest of the riches for the higher education of his son. However, this hard earned money of his father was spent like water by prodigal Dev, who drained every penny Avinash had scrimped and saved. As a consequence, when the anticipated time arrived, Dev started building the castles to pursue his higher course in Chennai, with the finances of the family flat broke.Oblivious of the realities of life, Dev insisted his father to sell the shop, he had set up with his blood and sweat, by putting forth an implausible proposition of not requiring a means of livelihood after Dev got settled with a comfortable job.However, even Sarita’s vehement disagreement to the suggestion proposed by DEV could not alter a father’s immense faith in his son, resulting which Dev flew as his dreams directed, to Chennai, whileAvinash and Sarita spent their days not knowing where their next meal is coming from.
Avinash’s speculations were shattered into ruins when Dev could not turn up to witness his mother’s last rites after her demise, which were conducted by him solely. Dev’s recurrent excuses to be overly occupied amidst his courses and sessions had created a widening gap, which could never be filled by his sweet nothings, whatsoever! Avinash had given up all hopes on his son and decided to break all ties of expectation between the two, a deliberation that could not be questioned, owing to the detached gestures of his own blood, Dev! After the completion of his rigorous course, when Dev returned back to his home for good, he had totally transformed as a personality. The warmth and affection within him, that knotted him with his father, had fizzled out in the strands of complacencies of the alluring environment he had bred himself in, during his learning years. He made up his mind to inaugurate his personal clinic at home but his house seemed inadequate to cater his desires, as a consequence of which he uprooted Avinash from his permanent home to a rented accommodation and shifted along, while he decided to convert the entire house into a well-furnished clinic. As time elapsed, Devbegan to spend his nights in the clinic, leaving his forlorn father on his own, to spend the restless lonely nights alone. The gruelling task of managing all the household chores on his own was becoming extremely exhausging for enfeebled Avinash. The regular paltry payments of rent and cash made by Dev to his father also discontinued gradually, leaving Avinash anguished at the dispassionate attitude of his son.Yet, his self-esteem never allowed him to stoop in front of his son,begging for his assistance. The conniving move of his son to push him out of his life unclouded all the illusions Avinash’s had harboured in his mind.
In a time lapse of another two months, the expected happened! Avinash took upon the last hope of his life; he landed at an old age home, where he was allotted a compact room with two other inmates. All the fifty five co-mates of Avinash had travelled on the similar road of misfortune, abandoned by their own shadows, their own blood, their own children, yet, not their own!Albeit, the void created by their children, all the inmates enjoyed their bonus life in company of each other and at the mercy of the alms-giving by some philanthropic natives of the society. The donated feasts and sweets by the generous people visiting the old age home to celebrate their children’s birthdays or to remember their departed relatives filled the child-like hearts of the gray souls with ecstasy.
On Red Cross Day, when a medical camp to render altruistic services to the inmates of old age homes was organised by the government, fate conspired to intersect the paths of Avinash and Dev once again as Dev was appointed as a Doctor to nurse all the inhabitants of the old age home in the medical camp, which was inaugurated by his excellency, the Governor of the State. As the Governor sympathised with all inmates by asking them about their backgrounds which landed them in this prison, most of them expressed their resentment and dejection for their children who had deserted them, while Avinash looked placid and regretted none. On being asked about his family by the empathetic Governor, Avinash smirked as he looked straight in Dev’s eye. Dev’s heart pounded out of anxiety as he dreaded the unveiling of the ill deeds which were curtained with his feigned mask of gentleness and kindliness. “I was gifted with an extremely genius son”, Avinash responded to the Governor’s inquisitiveness about his family as Dev, who stood next to the Governor, gasped in nervousness. Avinash looked fixedly at Dev as he sneered and continued, “But he is no more!”
No more, were the cords of both hearts attached! No more, did their souls bond! No more, was the son fathered with endearment! No more, was a father’s hope alive! No more, was the father blinded with illusions! No more, did Dev’s riches made him rich and No more, did Avinash feel poor! His evening of life was beamed with the loosening shackles of attachments while the spring of Dev’s life was withered with solitary turmoil!
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