Grandfather

The Meeting

Despite his disease and disgust, the old-man would fondly inquire about his grandson. His name brought glitter on his face, evoking numerous questions about his whereabouts after he grew amnesiac. His helpers became weary of answering his queries.

'Is he coming to see me?' the old-man asked.

His caretaker responded, 'yes, he will come to meet you. He had called you recently. They tried to assure him with a half-lie.

And he would be lost somewhere, nodding his head slowly. 'Hmm... He called me; he promised me that he would come.' He spoke of Ronit with pride, with his voice suddenly regaining the authority. 'He is an intelligent man. He was an extraordinary student. Look at his achievements,' Ranjeet Pratap kept babbling, 'I have not seen anyone like him.'

Everybody nodded in unison. That's been the ritual even when he was healthy. Nobody dared to speak the truth. The truth that Ronit was an ordinary man with no extraordinary accomplishment.

Last year, when the old-man fell seriously ill, and the family doctor recommended to admit him to the hospital, Ronit didn't care to visit him. His parents had advised him to focus on his career. His absence though had raised many eyebrows. The hospital ward would burst with Ranjeet Pratap's well-wishers, and his missing grandson was for everyone to see. People talked about it, and they were disdainful.

When he finally met his grandfather, the old-man had slightly recovered, and he was back in the village. Though, the doctor had warned the family that he would not return to his heydays. Ronit met his grandfather when he visited his parents during the Holi festival. Sadly, most of the days he stayed in the town and called on his grandfather on the last day of his trip. Ranjeet Pratap was not aware of anything. He was thrilled to see his grandson; one could witness a new spark in his doleful eyes.

He asked Ronit about his life in Bangalore, his feeble, hissing voice showed a new lease of life, though he spoke in syllables. And when Ronit announced about his return, the old-man became sad, a bead of tears rolled down his shrivelled face, unnoticed by the grandson who had caused it.