Laughing to tears.

It was a bliss morning for all the early bird's and not me, being forced out of the bed on a Sunday morning is not at all blissful. It was on one such morning that I met him, the hero of this story, the man I won't forget. I was panting heavily with my hands on my knees, I almost met the death angel. Suddenly I saw a 60 something white haired old man walking staunchly on the tracks as if there was nothing worrying him because old man at his age are always cranky as if a mosquito is always buzzing near there ears. But there was something different about him, a glow of satisfaction on his face. I don't know what got into me I abruptly walked up to him and introduced myself, "HI, uncle my name is Nehal, I am a writer cum engineer, what is your name?", I thought that he might flinch at this invasion of walking time privacy but surprisingly he replied," My name is Vardhan, I am a business man and by coincidence my wife's name is Nehal too". That's when we sowed the seeds of our little friendship.          

              We talked subjects ranging from writing, social work, family life and god knows what. It was easier to walk with him, the conversation where so interesting that I never looked at my watch. When the sun used to set making the sky pale and yellow, we walked back to our nest like the birds. Many a times I did notice that when Vardhan used to talk about his family he used you glow like a flower. He used to tell me about his beautiful wife with whom he spent 40 blissful years, his caring daughter-in-law and his capable son. He talked about how his son and his daughter-in-law cared for his health and made various vegetable juices and healthy delicacies for him and his wife. He retired from his business that year and handed it over to his son. He was living a life which was hard for me to believe, a perfect son, a caring daughter-in-law. But I was happy for him.

              Days past by I got busy with my college work and reduced the frequency of the walks. Then one day Vardhan didn't show up then the next day also and then he never came back. I got scared, and all these days of our friendship I never asked him his address or his contact details, it wasn't necessary at the moment we spend together the one-hour walk was fruitful enough, but now I felt the need for it. Days passed by and I forgot about Vardhan and our walks.

                Approximately 6 to 7 months later something happened which I never thought of. My parents are a member of the a club, I won't name it but it is one of those clubs which are so called social service clubs which do meeting 7 times a year in a five star hotel and do social work for name sake and take so many pictures with the underprivileged so that they can post it and call themselves philanthropist . On one such "social work "visits we went to an old age home, the one hell where you will find wrinkled faces sitting quietly in depression looking at the doors waiting for there sons to come and get them. Where even the cranky old man who can't live without complaining sits muted from mouth to soul. And then on that day we went there distributed some medicines, clothes and electronic gadgets, did some health checkups as if clothes where all they needed. Looking into their eyes I saw the need for love. And then the photo sessions began and I swiftly exited the arena and went to look at their rooms. I was walking in the corridors looking at the place they lived breathing but lifeless, and suddenly I was something that moved the earth below my feet, I looked again to check if it was real. And unfortunately, it was real! I saw Vardhan my old dear friend sitting on a chair, motionless looking at a picture of a woman he loved all his life. He looked much older now. His face dropped down sad. He was no longer the glowing sunflower I loved to talk to but a man who is void of his soul. I stood there shocked and baffled and then he saw me, his eyes filled with water mine were already flooding. For a minute we both stood there acknowledging each other's emotion through our eyes. And then I moved towards him and sat on the bed and hugged him," I missed you I am so sorry that I didn't inquired about you", I blurted out still crying. "it's okay bacha, I am fine....its just that the bubble I was living in all my life busted just after my wife died, my son left me here to live peaceful so that he can enjoy his life in privacy "Vardhan said with an emotional less face. We sat there and talked for an hour just like the old days but about hard-hitting realities of the world and then it was time for me to leave. He smiled at me and waved me goodbye, I hugged him and said," meet you soon old man, goodbye for now". I turned and went back to the chaos leaving my best friend in this hell hole. But there was nothing I would do about it, downstairs the so called philanthropists where still clicking themselves with the old aunties and uncles as if there where some zoo animals caged and taken out only for these richass people to show the world they are compassionate enough, when the reality is it is one among these asshole who leave there parents at old age homes to rot there life in depressing solitude and loneliness so that they can enjoy a life void of responsibility towards the people who brought them into this world.