Author: Reenu M.
Janani was sorting through the
stuff in her parents’ room. Her parents were smiling at her from the photo
hanging on the wall. She could not believe that her ever-smiling, ever-giving,
ever-loving parents were gone. It had been a freak accident on the way to the
resort for a relaxing vacation after her father’ retirement. It was her gift to
them. Ever since she could remember, her parents were always working hard.
There were loans to pay and the last loan was repaid just a year before her
father retired. Her parents had always saved up whenever they could. They never
cut corners for Janani, but they squeezed themselves. So, this vacation was
Janani’ way of giving back.
Janani’ husband Shyam thought
that it would be a great idea to sell this house because they lived miles away
and would hardly come now that her parents were gone. Janani was very reluctant
so they decided that for the time being, they would rent it out. Hence, they
needed to know what to keep and what not.
As she was going through her
parents’ papers, she came across crisp entries regarding the fixed deposits
that were due to mature the next month. She was shocked to see that both her
parents had been contributing small portions of money individually for the last
twenty-five years towards fixed deposits renewed every year and the total
amount stood to over Rs 10 lakhs. They had named it the
“Seeing-the-world-together” fund.
Her parents had thought that one
day, they would use this money to see the world together. Janani remembered all
the times she thought they could live better. Instead, they were saving away
for that one day. Janani had tears in her eyes as she went towards her parents’
smiling frame on the wall.
She lamented, “Oh Dada &
Mumma, why did you not choose your 30th anniversary last year as
that day to start your world tour?” Alas, her parents would never have that
chance.
There was a lesson in it for
Janani. Shyam & she had been putting off having a child till the day they
were "settled". She realised that she needed to be wiser. After all, time waits
for no one.
Zinger for the Day:
One Day Or Day One. You choose!
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