Through old glasses

Shouting Ma Ma, Arundhati entered the room.  “What happened” her mother asked.

“Ma I got a new pair of glasses for you” she replied.

“I already have one.” mother replied.

Arundhati took her mother’s hand in her hand and said, "I know ma but I got an extra pair for you. You misplace your glasses every other hour and then it takes hours for you and me to find them. Now you have two, so you can use one whenever the other is misplaced."

Mother replied, "Arundhati you remember when you were in 7th standard. Your teacher asked for your old books. You, I and your baba, we all searched every nook and corner of our home for those books. Though we could not find your books , we found your baba’s old hat which was missing for one year. Your baba treated you with your favorite ice-cream. You were so happy that day and we were happy to see your smiling face. These are the memories I still cherish. But sadly these memories are all that I have now. You used to have time for me, for your baba. I know you are very busy and do not have time to talk to us so I ask you to help me because that is the time when we share some words between us. You are so involved with your career and ambitions now that you don’t have time for us anymore. We have forgotten how you used look while smiling. So, I deliberately misplace my glasses again and again. This way for fifteen-twenty minutes, we again get to see our little daughter in you. This way we get to spend some time with our daughter. You remember we spent three full days looking for your missing books. But now, you do not have five minutes to look for my glasses, so you brought one more and have taken away those moments from us with this extra pair. In the same way as when you could not spend time with us, you brought TV. You remember when we had only one TV in our home and only one channel was broadcasted. We all used to watch TV together. We were happy not because we watched TV but because we all watched it together. Now you got us the extra TV in my room but you could not bring the happiness of watching it with family. You have alternatives for everything but do you have the alternative for the happiness that we used to get when we all searched for the missing glasses. Your alternatives are quick but they can’t bring that happiness which we used to have when we all spent time together.”
                    Arundhati was surprised by her mother's revelations. It’s true that she has a little time for her ma and baba. She is so busy with her career and ambitions that she did not realize her parents’ agony. She is the only child of her Parents. She felt as the words coming out of her mother's mouth hitting her like a hammer. She took her mother's hand in her hands and replied, "Ma it is true that I have been very busy and took you and baba for granted. You and baba had taken lots of pain to make me an IAS officer. I still remember the day when granny cried and mourned on my fifth birthday because she wanted a grandson not me. I know ma, mama scolded you for spending so much money on my studies. Despite all the odds you and baba stood by me against a male dominated society. You and baba always encouraged me to step ahead in my career. It is because of your parenting, that I have reached this high. Now is the time to prove that whatever you did was not wrong. A girl can do all that what a boy can do. I want to show the same male dominated society that I am no less than a son for you and baba."

Arundhati’s mother eyes were shining with proud. Tears roll down on her cheeks. She took Arundhati in her arms and said, "I am proud of you my daughter. Your baba and I never regretted of not having a son. We are happy for your achievements but we are happier because we instilled right values in you. You have made the best utilization of those values. You are the biggest Prize of our life. You do not have to prove to anybody that you are as good as a boy. We love you for what you are." 

Now it was Arundhati’s turn. Her throat was choked with emotions. Then she replied, “I almost forgot that it is important to chase one’s dream but it is even more important to not neglect one’s responsibility towards parents. When I was a kid you and baba always inspired me to work hard. I got my ambitions from you. As I grew up my ambitions also grew. I was always chasing my dreams and in this chase I forgot about my personal life. Ma, I now have realized that there is no alternative for happiness that you get from your family. I promise I will never try to find the alternative for that happiness.”