Poor old lonely parents in five star planets

Poor  old  lonely parents  in five star  planets

Face book  post by

Vasu Iyengar

Rewriiten i English

By

P.R.Ramachander

(Being old and that too living  in an apartment as lonely as  Deepak’s parents  , I wanted to write it in English immediately. Each  five star apartment is like a big box  with one door. Once the door is closed for all practical purposes you live   in another planet. In each planet there are no other human beings  except you. Boundless acknowledgements   to Sri Vasu Iyengar. I also have decided to use  the image   that he used .My thanks for that also.)

Deepak  Veena   and their dear son   Ramesh  ,

After a very tiring journey reached Chennai air port,

And since   they knew that  Deepak’s parents    were orthodox,

They went to a five star    hotel   and had an American lunch.

Then Deepak  phoned to his parents    using his latest cell phone,

But though  the phone was ringing on the    other   side ,

No one was picking  it up   and cursing the phone  and his father,

Decided   to go to the five star   apartment  bought by him to   his parents.

The three   of them reached    the apartment    of their parents  ,

And for more than fifteen minutes   kept on ringing the door bell,

But there   was   no  response    whatsoever    from inside   the apartment,

Though all the three   of them   were hearing   the sound of door bell.

When they were tired    and decided     to book a room    in a hotel,

A man   came up the lift and  told them , “I am living in opposite apartment,

And   though  i never had   and contact  with  the couple  living here,

They one day told me , they were shifting to an old age home and gave its address.”

Deepak was shocked  and shouted, “Have   my parents turned   mad,

To leave this heaven like    apartment   and go to some useless old age home?”

And then  he booked a taxi and cursing    his parents   drove to that   hell,

And reached   that place  and found it , hopeless   and far away from any where.

There was   a gate    , a small garden  ,lots   of benches  and  a big building,

And Deepak    went in and asked for his father     and the  manager there,

Told him that his parents   were busy    for the past three   hours  in a community function,

And as soon as it    gets over , they would come out  and to  please wait for them.

Deepak  lost his temper    and shouted at him, “  Damn any community   function,

I am their son who has arrived    from USA   and so go and call  them.”

The manager    simply smiled    and  then his parents dressed  in traditional Brahmin dress,

With religious marks on their    forehead    came out  of  a community hall.

They both were   very happy     to see   Deepak,  Veena and Ramesh  ,

And they fondled  their grand son    and then   the drama   started.

Deepak  told his father , “I have spent lakhs of rupees   and got you a five star flat,

But without even telling me  , you  have shifted  and are  living   in this worthless  bhooth Bungalow.”

“Pack your things  , we are just starting     to my own flat      and  this is my order,

You would live there.  Hey Ma, if pa was mad , could you not tell him “no”

“Hey manager  ,  please prepare    the bill     and I would also tip you  nicely.”

Deepak’s father   broke   in to a smile  and told   Deepak, “Please listen”

“ We came here   after   being tortured   in five star flat  by pure lonliness,

In that 100   apartment building after  living for    the past   three years,

WE have not spoken to  any human being  living there  , for  unlike us,

They  were  all five star  human beings    and did not find time to speak with us.”

“Though   initially   we were little active  ,  over time , I was not able to,

Go to any marketing  and your mother    was not in a  position to cook any thing.

Morning to evening   unable   to  do anything   , we used    to stare   at each other,

All the time  and  being  not able to talk with any one was a torture for us  .”

“So we enquired and decided   to move in here   with human beings like us,

Not rated by any stars   who  right from the day we came here   are our friends.

The manager   whom you promised  a tip   is a retired IAS man,

And  he sees to it that   we get    all   the comforts    and happiness  that  we need.”

Deepak’s Ma spoke, “My son, this decision was taken by both of us,

After coming here  I do lot of  prayers  for your benefit  ,

And also have many friends    who take care of me from morn to night.

WE would leave this bhooth Bungalow only   when you come and settle down here .”

She continued “ Even that decision would depend on you and your little family ,

About living with an old couple    who  need lots of cheering up and nursing.

Your five star apartment    does not look like     a home like us,

For it is made of bricks and mortar  , unlike this  bhooth Bungalow made  only by love.