Our Parents Their Parents

by Amlandeep Bhattacharya
(Kolkata)

'Get out of my house,' shouted Rahul's mother. Rahul was so tired from swimming that he slept and did not have his lunch. When he woke up it was quite late and certainly not the time for having lunch. This made Rahul's mother very angry.

Sensing that a tough time was coming, Rahul kept quiet. After five minutes or so Rahul's domestic help Menoka gave him a banana to eat. After that Rahul went to the bedroom and started reading the autobiography of tennis star Andre Agassi. Rahul was reading the book, and suddenly a phone call came.

'Hello Rahul, this is Anirban speaking.I have a bad news. My mother has died,' said a tearful Anirban.

Rahul didn't find any word to console him. He said, 'Anirban don't worry. At one time or another, everybody has to go.'

'Rahul, my mother was my best friend just like your mother is yours. My mother is like my friend, philosopher and guide. Without her I feel at a loss.'

'Well, calm down and my mother is my best friend and after my first job got terminated I felt at a loss. At that time, my mother told me to take few deep breaths and told me to relax.'

Just when Rahul was busy talking to Anirban a person came to give traction to his father and told him that his father needed rest. Rahul thought that his father was unwell and his mother was angry, so if he did not take adiquate measures then he would not be able to take responsibility to earn his livelihood. When Rahul was busy thinking all this, his father called him. 'Hello Rahul, see where is my purse.'

While he was talking to Rahul, suddenly he felt a pain in near his heart and soon had to be hospitalised.

Today is Sunday and Rahul came back from the crematorium and told his friend Anirban that like his mother his father too was a charming person, but he died.

Rahul and Anirban both were at a loss at the loss of their beloved ones. Rahul felt bad and started crying. After the loss Rahul, and Anirban both realised that how important their parents were to them. They became true friends bonded by the common pain of loss of their beloved paernts.