Those days I was trying to get in touch with some people having above average INTELLECTUAL QUOTIENT. In my efforts I came across many personalities; some were great Orators, some were famed artists, some were legal god and there were lot others. I use to meet them every other day, learn some new tactics from them and try to apply them in my life as well.
Then one day as I was preparing for my day so was sequencing my schedule, suddenly a boy came to me asking for a 'ROTI'. I pen pictured the boy; he was about 8-9-year-old, was in his swats, had pair of jogger shoe in his feet and a shining pen in his denim jeans' pocket, keeping all this aside the boy had adoring eyes, whose glare was escalating with his cute smile.
I waited for a while and then my mind started playing tricks with my heart. I thought, what in the world made this over charming boy beg? I regained my consciousness then asked the boy what was the matter with him. The boy in his innocence replied if the ROTI were not good for health. I called the boy inside and let him to my dining. I prepared a plate full of all the delicious dishes that an 8-9-year-old boy would love to have.
The boy gave a glance at the plate and just then he gave a totally untraceable and mixed emotion-full look to me. I asked the boy if the food was not good, the boy replied, " Is ROTI not a favor to ask?" To my great surprise, I just gave a glance at the plate and thought, this used to be my favorite food when I was about that boy's age. Then I myself made some fresh ROTIES for the boy and served him.
As the boy saw ROTIES coming, his joy was easy to be felt by any person. The boy one-by-one ate 3 ROTIES and just those and never argued for not serving him anything else, but ROTIES. I was watching the boy and was feeling very happy on seeing him eating so desperately. After he finished I asked the boy if he were fugitive? The boy replied in a negative gesture.
Just after this the boy ran away from my house straight through the road leaving a shouting me behind. I shouted to the top of my voice to call him back but in a flash of light he was nowhere to be seen. I re-winded the whole set of moments from the starting to end, conclusively got nothing, the only thing I could do was to feel a great joy of feeding a boy.
Then I got busy in my previously left schedule. Just as I was about to leave, I saw the boy coming back but this time with a lady. Suddenly I stopped and waited for their approaching. The boy came near me pulling the lady's hand (seemed in a hurry). As they approached the boy started telling, " mumma this is my father I have tasted his ROTIES those were equally delicious as the ones father use to make. Yes mumma he is my father really, I have tasted his ROTIES". I was in a sudden shock of what the boy was telling then with a confusing face I looked for the lady to clear all this mess.
The lady calmed down the boy and then she begged apologies for the troubles created by her boy. I told her there was nothing to make apologies to and that the boy was very sweet, then I asked her what was the matter with the boy!! The lady replied, " His father died when he was of 5. His father used to make dinner for him many times and feed him with the best he can. As the ROTIES were his favorite; the taste of them is now connected with his blood. Now every single place he searches for his father as he thinks he is out for some work and will return some day. Since then he is searching for the same taste of ROTIES as the ones made by his father but he hasn't found it yet. But today after eating ROTIES made by you, he got it, the Taste. And so he is calling you his father, very sorry again".
The lady ended with these words and left the place with her crying boy in her arms, who was still saying, "FATHER come back, mumma please let go. He is my father........". I was dumbstruck at the moment and now I had no joy just tears in my eyes.......
The End.
Dedicated to my father:-
Late Mr. RAJESH NEMA
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