Unanswered

The missed call

Ravi had always been an average student, but the day he brought home his PU distinction results, everything changed. His mother's face lit up like he'd given her the world. Without saying a word, she quietly sold her jewelry to buy him a brand-new phone, while his father dipped into his pension to surprise him with a bike. They never spoke about their sacrifices, just smiled as they handed him the keys, their love overflowing in ways Ravi couldn't fully grasp yet.

Ravi felt like he was on top of the world, riding his new bike through the city streets, feeling the wind on his face. One day, while cruising down the road, he spotted a girl standing by a café, her hair gently fluttering in the breeze. In that brief moment, his heart skipped a beat-and in his distraction, he lost balance and fell.

But it wasn't the fall that hurt. It was that girl-Maya-who soon became the center of his universe.

---

Days turned into weeks, and Ravi found himself spending every waking moment with Maya. He skipped college, family dinners, and even the small moments with his little sister, all just to be with her. Maya was like a dream to him, and in the process of chasing that dream, he didn't notice how his world at home was slowly falling apart.

One day, Ravi's neighbor repaid a small debt owed to his father, handing him some money. It was his mother's birthday that day, and coincidentally, it was also Maya's birthday. Torn between the two, Ravi made a decision he would soon regret-he chose Maya.

He waited for her for hours, his heart racing, the money tight in his fist. As he waited, his phone buzzed repeatedly. His mother's name flashed on the screen, but he silenced it each time. When Maya finally arrived, he spent every last rupee on her, taking her out and showering her with gifts. They laughed, celebrated, and enjoyed the evening as if nothing else mattered.

But something did.

---

When Ravi finally returned home, the house was disturbingly quiet. The lights were dim, and his parents were sitting side by side in their usual chairs, as if waiting for him.

"Mom? Dad?" he called softly, stepping closer, noticing how still they were.

He touched his father's arm, and when there was no response, his heart pounded in his chest. He shook his mother gently, but she didn't stir either. His mind raced, his breath quickened. As he fumbled for his phone, his younger sister appeared at the door.

"Why aren't they responding?!" Ravi shouted, his voice breaking in panic.

His sister's face crumpled as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"They're gone," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "They both passed away an hour ago."

Ravi froze, his legs giving way beneath him as the world he had taken for granted collapsed around him. His sister continued, her voice shaking, "Dad had a heart attack... and Mom, she kept calling you... She couldn't take it after he was gone."

That missed call-his mother had reached out to him in her final moments, desperate to connect, but he had ignored it. And now, it was too late.

---

From that day on, Ravi shut himself off from the world he had known. Maya, the bike, the phone-none of it mattered anymore. He stopped going to college and quit every dream he once had, pouring all his energy into caring for his younger sister, the last piece of his family.

He had learned the hardest lesson too late-that the people who loved him the most, who had sacrificed everything for him, were the ones he had neglected.

Months later, while picking up his sister from school, he saw something that struck him deeply. Maya was there, laughing with another boy, her hand in his. She was carefree, her life seemingly untouched by what had happened.

In that moment, Ravi felt nothing but emptiness. Maya had been a fleeting part of his life, but the love his parents had given him-without ever asking for anything in return-that was the love he had taken for granted. The love he had lost forever.

---

As the months passed, Ravi began to find peace, not in the material things he once cherished, but in the simple memories of his parents. He realized that parents are the only people who give selflessly, who sacrifice everything without expecting anything in return. And he had ignored that love when it mattered most.

He devoted himself to his sister's happiness, determined to protect the only family he had left. But every night, as he lay in bed, he would think of his mother's calls, the ones he never answered, and his heart would ache with the weight of what he had lost.

---

Moral: The love of parents is the purest, most selfless love we will ever know. They give without asking, they sacrifice without complaint, and they love without limits. Cherish that love while it's still with you, before the chance to show them your gratitude is gone forever.