Skip to main content

We Think We Have Time



An eerie quietness fills the room  
Something doesn't seem right today
He is waiting for me in bed
I slip into the blanket that covers his body
I tell him that he needs to be well
He doesn't listen to me
I am yearning to hear him speak
He doesn't talk much
I am waiting for his words of wisdom
He hardly even says anything
I remind him of his strength 
His body is weak 
I feed him naan khatai and imarti each day
He is thinning by the day
I bring him his favourite food
He doesn't eat two square meals in a day
I cook him his favourite mutton biryani
He can't eat two square meals in a day
I bring him filter coffee from the nukkad of the street
He can hardly even drink water 
I ask him if he'd like to dance with me
He can't stand on his two feet 
I try to put him to sleep
His eyes are tired of being shut 
I stay quiet for a few minutes 
He reaches for my hand
I can't stop the tears from running down my cheeks
He lets a tear escape his eyes 
I tell him it is now time to let go
He glances at his watch and shakes his head
I bring some papers from the study
He doesn't know what those are
I try to calm him down 
He looks bewildered 
I ask him to sign the will
He can't even spell his name. 
I ask him to sign the will
He writes something incomprehensible 
I ask him to sign the will
He isn't ready to die yet. 
I hold his hand and press hard 
He mirrors my actions 
"I love you, grandpa", I tell him 
He can hear me clearly 
"Don't give up just yet", I say
He turns away from me and pretends to fall asleep
"I'll come by later in the evening.."
He motions for me to leave already
I do as directed but look back one final time
He was gone before I was. 



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Better Single than Sorry

Walking down the aisles at Archie's gallery, gazing at various love objects such as Teddy Bears, Cupid idols, Love birds, Together forever frames, and other love-related shit; I finally ended up picking a Happy Anniversary greeting card for my parents. If this is not the torment of Valentine's day, then I don't know what is. No, the torment isn't buying an Anniversary card, it's the struggle to find general greetings amidst this store full of red hearts and love quotes that describes a world where love is measured by objects and not emotions.  If you choose 14th February to confess your feelings, that's not falling love, it's fooling in love. With due respect to Saint Valentine and Cupid, this day has become overhyped, overrated and over celebrated. How can you decide to pamper your loved one only on one day of the year and bestow all the love (pocket money) upon them?  Expensive gifts and flowers only provide the sellers with one week of good business and t
5 comments
Read more

Things We Do When We Hate Someone

We have all been mad at someone or the other for some reason or the other but does that put an end to our love for them? Do we stop feeling the same for them? The answer is relative to the reason for which you’re mad at them. IF it is something that can be fixed, then the answer is NO, but surely when the damage done is irreparable, let’s take YES as the answer. People change, feelings change. Nobody can guarantee same behaviour throughout the course of a relationship. This is one solid ground for relationships falling apart. They say, "The opposite of love isn't hate. It is indifference." I am a true believer of these words but then again, sometimes, the next level indifference is called hate, or so I like to think. It's like they cease to exist for me, hence their role in my life becomes zero.   If I were to define hatred, it would be "absence of love”. It is a long ride to go from being mad at someone to hate them but there’s no looking back when you de
2 comments
Read more

Are you ready to fly?

There is nothing that excites me and amazes me more than airplanes. The sole possibility of travelling back and forth in time, defying all perceptions of time travel. There is also nothing that makes me cringe more than being on an airplane. It makes me sick to the stomach, sends shivers down my spine, and renders me helpless, all at the same time. There is a reason why people send texts and make calls before take-off and after landing. No matter how advanced air travel becomes, no matter how many thousands of dollars you spend on that luxury first-class suite just so you can feel at home at 40,000 ft in the air, the fear is inherent. I am no frequent traveller, I am no member of the mile-high club, I am just a young girl who sees airplanes as nothing but a means of transport and occasionally a means of thrill. Having taken a few different flights to and from a few different destinations in the world, what has remained unchanged is my praying before each take-off and after e
1 comment
Read more