Last Piece Of Happiness

It’s a Sunday midnight, an ambulance is speeding through the highway amid the highway beams which were passing unnoticed. As it is speeding through the very renowned hospital, the arrangements are already been taken for the patient inside near the emergency. The ambulance stops and a team of doctors come running near the ambulance. The backdoor of the ambulance is opened and a stretcher carrying the old woman is pulled out very carefully. Slowly and gradually the assistants of the doctor come and see the patient been taken duly care, she was accompanied by her son and daughter in law. The team of doctors and them run dragging the stretcher towards the ICU. Son and his wife are kept outside while the doctors take the patient inside the ICU. They wait outside for like an hour. After much of the waiting, Dr. Kiran Malhotra comes outside the ICU. “It’s a case of heartache at this age it normally happens because of Diabetes that she is suffering with, right?” Aman her son continues “she also has arthritis does that make any effect?” Dr. Kiran says “No that doesn’t lead to arthritis this has caused due to a sudden increase of diabetes. She would be staying here for a few days as far as she recovers soon. Since her age, I will take time.” Aman said, “Hmm well so let her rest doctor we shall do the necessary paperwork that it requires.” The doctor gave a strange look at him while he was discussing with his wife about the money that would be spent here. She smiled and said, “Yes you need to fill some documents at the reception and we shall take the patient to her bed.” Aman with his wife went to the reception without even checking his mom. After a few minutes, the doors of the ICU were open and the old woman was brought on a stretcher, slowly they took her to the normal room. They placed the insulin beside her and left her resting. Only one nurse was appointed to look after the old woman. Aman finished his billing and came to her and sat beside her. He holds her hand and slowly massages it. He kisses her bye and looks at the nurse and says I shall come tomorrow please take care of her. He bids good night and walks away leaving her.

The next morning, the Sun shined over the dewdrops of the green grasses and yes, the winter season the climate was breezy as well as cold. Old women gained consciousness and slowly opened her eyes. It was not an immediate one but it took time. Slowly and steadily she opened her eyes. While the nurse had quite a short nap and she saw that the old women’s eyelids were slowly opening she informed the doctor and doctor came. He first checked the heart rate machine. It was slow but it was beating, a good sign of recovery. She immediately gave a nod and went to the reception and asked the person to call up Mr. Malhotra and inform them that Mrs. Reema has gained her consciousness. Aman comes with his wife after 20 minutes and hurriedly walks towards the reception and askes that where was the room. He quickly reaches there and saw that his mother was resting and doctors were talking to her about her great recovery in an overnight. Aman watches his Mother talking and comes closer to her. “Hey Aman, my son did you eat your food?” the old mother asked him. Aman held her hand and gave a node that yes, he did with a teary smile. Mother gently cleans the tears from her son’s face and lays down her bed. The doctor says that for now she is a bit tired and her heart rates are yet not normal. The doctor suggested that let her stay for a few days we are yet to finalize some tests. As they are in conversation with Aman and his wife near to the old lady’s bed another patient is seen admitted. She could see that girl’s wrists were plastered and her mother and dad are crying outside the room. Slightly she could hear that couple did not enough money to treat their daughter yet they said that they will try and convinced the officials to take care of her daughter while they arrange for something. Before going her mother comes and kisses the girl on her forehead and says that she will stay here outside. By this teary-eyed mother leaves her daughter alone and walks off the ward. The Old women watched all this and here her son had finished discussing the recovery and the few more stay here. He waves her bye and says he will come in the evening and walks with the doctor outside. The old lady was unable to feel anything at this moment but she fell asleep. The nurse wakes her up in the afternoon for lunch as she had not eaten since the morning. She got up slowly while the nurse helped her getting her back in the right posture. The nurse came near to her with the plate and she started feeding her the food gently. While asking the old woman asked “Neeta, what happened to that girl next to us. She was bleeding from her right wrist. She looks like a good girl must be a personal relationship.” The nurse replied “Today’s girls I tell you aunty are so careless while choosing what love is and what’s not. Wrong decisions they take and they end up giving trouble to their parents. She is just 21 and wants to give up her life already. Now what to say about such people?” She finished her meal and lay down on the bed and she saw that girl beside her, she too was sleeping facing her face to the opposite side. Grandmother felt too pity about her and even she closed her eyes. Sunset down finally and cold winds started. Room temperatures became cold and the night climate was awesome. Aman and his family came to the hospital. They also brought grandfather. Her nephews also had come to see her. They were happy to see her and yet again her son was busy discussing with the doctor. She felt a bit lonely. Feeling this emotion grandfather gently took her hand and cupped it with hand. “Darling kids become big and it’s difficult to choose the priorities. Now your son has a job and his family to look after. Don’t feel too much it’s a part of life, right?” With desperation in her eyes, she smiled at him. Her nephews were sitting with her. Then suddenly they could hear the bed near them was shaking and saw that the girl who was sleeping had got seizures. She was not in control and the table fell due to her hand movements. The children were scared so grandmother held them close. Doctors rushed in and nurses firstly held her hands and then the doctor herself gave her the injection of amnesia and she fell into sleep. The situation was normal now. Visiting hours had come to an end. Aman came inside and bid goodbye to mom and consoled her and went away taking his family. Grandmother was smiling but yet felt the loneliness and then she saw the girl who was now unconscious in such a state. After some time, her parents had come and they were told about that happened a few minutes ago, they were shocked and the mother starting crying but she was not allowed to enter inside because then it was under a very delicate state. They told her to come the next morning. All this the old lady saw from the closed door. And she lay down completely on her bed and closed her eyes. 

She couldn’t sleep as she was recovering now a bit and sleeping almost for two days she couldn’t sleep. She kept her eyes open and saw that girl who was also sleeping unconsciously. Outside the nurse was also not there. She started talking to that girl “Hmmm sleeping you asleep like this my sleep has gone. By the way, what happened to you? You look like you have come from a decent family where they take care of you. Then why this subtle action of innocence by you? Sometimes life doesn’t give you what you wish for obviously!! See my son; I made him an engineer where his father was still struggling for a job at that time. But now he is working successfully and has been taking care of each one of us since then because it’s his duty, right? But yes, I still feel sometimes that the time shouldn’t have moved on. I miss those days where I used to make his tiffin since his childhood until he finished his engineering. I can’t believe that time went so fast that now he has become so practical that he doesn’t talk to me now. I don’t blame him at all. It’s life, in the time of struggles we forget to live our lives in every moment of it. We forget and then when the old ones are laying down like this we talk about the old times because they don’t come back.” Old women speaking thus, tears came from her eyes when she missed her son and she fell asleep. By the side, that gained her consciousness and the sign were the tears that rolled on her face. The next morning, doctors came and checked her and that girl was recovering. The old lady was eating her breakfast and she was quite glad that she was recovering but still she was suffering from depression. The old lady wanted to hear her story but she waited for the right moment. After eating her breakfast, she didn’t have any work to do and the climate was very good outside. She called the nurse and asked to take the permission from the doctor that she could at least take a small walk on the lawns down. The doctor permitted her to walk for just 15 minutes accompanied by the nurse. The nurse slowly took her down through the elevator and they gradually walked towards the lawn. The sun was shining bright and the dews were still on the grass. The old lady felt pleased when her feet touched the grass with dew. She felt amazing and looking at her smile even the nurse felt good. Walking, walking she asked her about the girl and then the nurse replied “Well her name is Amrita Banerjee she is just 21 and it’s a case of suicide but at the nick of the time parents saw her and brought her to the hospital. And she is very weak now because a lot of blood was passed when she cut her wrist. According to her parent, she lives alone and that night she came and was sad. I wanted to live there for a while but they didn’t understand that their daughter was feeling very disturbed and she couldn’t open up to them and yes she was also having issues with the depression.” Old lady listened to her while she was looking up where amrita was also looking at her from above the window. 15 minutes were over and the old lady was feeling tired because she was yet to recover and for the test again. She went up and the test ran till the afternoon and she returned to her bad and she slept for a long time till night. Aman was called by the doctor for the reports of the test taken on that day. The doctor said that the recovery is going well in three days she will be discharged. She also mentioned that she is keeping good even with the nurse so no need to worry at all. Aman was happy and saw his mother from the see-through door and she was sleeping. He thought not to disturb her and he went away. This night also she wasn’t able to sleep and like the last night, she decides to talk to amrita. “Well you should have come to down on the lawn it was too good. The little droplets of water, dew I was just feeling them beneath my feet it was very good with the sunshine shining on my face. Look I came to know about your story. But as an old aged woman, I don’t have the right to ask you why did you do it or what made you do it but yes only thing as an old woman would say please value your life as much as you can.” “My life? What about that stuff it has always given me bad times that’s it. Firstly, I did everything for my family without questioning myself whether I was liking it or no. They didn’t respect that and threw me outside when I met a boy and the first thing I did was to show them that yes, I could start something on my own they didn’t listen to me. So, now yes, they care about me but where was that time when I needed them the most and they didn’t turn up. Questioning myself whether it’s my fault or theirs? Which is true? Which is true?” Amrita cried while she was saying it and even the old lady listened to her. She took time and the old lady continued “Amrita do you know when the struggles of a parent end? It never ends unless and unless it’s about you. And parents have to accept that with time the place and that same person changes with whom a mother gave birth and father held her hands to walk the path of life. These are true for sure but it isn’t the duty of the children to understand to forgive some of the mistakes that must have happened earlier just because that struggle was only just for you. My children may stand a lot of struggles and with God’s name may they conquer it but I will always want my son to come and look after me. Parents gave their life for you so, at times you also face a situation where you do a mistake for yourself but it’s your presence of mind that decides which is more important to believe that person that gave you birth or the person that you even don’t know at all and think it’s your life. I miss my son even though he is near to me I miss him because he still looks at me as a patient who is sick but not like his mother. I miss him.” Amrita looked at her while she was saying that even at the age of where we think they are satisfied they aren’t. Amrita was now wondering whether her problem was any big for her life to be taken so easily. The old woman continued “See girl, life has to be valued it works in two ways care that gives and care that takes. And we women are very complex I regret being saying this but yet it’s true. We should always think both the sides because our life is always giving care to who deserved. Firstly, I would say mines though I was married at a very tender age where I even didn’t know what was life, I prepared myself to begotten my desires and dreams to give care and what’s the result is seeing the smile on your family’s face. Tomorrow you will feel better, just smile at your mom when she comes to see you and forgive her for what they have been doing to you because they don’t think anything else when they think about their children or what else they have been doing for you. What matters to them is your life and how you live it. It’s not their fault, dear”.Amrita felt the most important message that was necessary at this time. The night was important not because they were not asleep but both of them told the life 60 years ago till the time where people want to walk alone without igniting the flame of knowledge. The night ended where both slept peacefully and with some feelings and understandings about a certain change of life and it’s priorities.

Saturday morning and it’s been a lazy Saturday’s as usual. The nurse came a bit late to wake the patients up. The sun rose and fell on the old lady’s face, she opened her eyes. And she turned her back and saw Amrita. She had got up early and was tying her hair and saw the old lady. She gave her a very beautiful smile. Amrita came closer to her and said that she has been discharged and, in an hour, she would be leaving. “Thank you, aunty, I didn’t feel, what a smile can do when done on the right person hahaha…Thanks, aunty I shall come tomorrow since it’s a Sunday we will have some quality time. And I won’t bore you this time. But today I feel I should be with my family. Goodbye aunty.” Amrita said these words to the old lady. After some time, her parents came and they greeted the old lady and thank her for taking care of her daughter and wished her great health and they bid goodbye and went. Now the old lady was alone she didn’t feel to go to walk today when the nurse called her. It was afternoon, she quietly ate her meal and slept even nurse felt she was feeling lonely and she didn’t even talk to anybody. The final test reports were taken and Aman was called and doctors told that the heartbeats have touched the normal pace and recommend her for a daily walk of 15 minutes. Aman was happy and went to his mother and told: “Maa tomorrow you will come home they have said that the recovery is good and also the doctor advised you that you need to go for a walk at least for 15-minute and some diet that has to be followed.” His mother’s eyes were a bit wet and she looked at him and caught his hand and said “Aman I miss you son. And sorry for what trouble that I gave you I know it has been difficult for you. I have no one in my life except the family that I have. I missed you, Aman.” Aman kissed her hand and said we shall take you home tomorrow and gently helped her lay on the bed and said Good night and went to the reception to finalize the papers. It was 2:00 midnight where there was pin-drop silence, all the patients were sleeping and the nurse was also having a small nap sitting right next to the old lady’s bed. After some time the glass of water which was kept near her fell and she got up and saw that the old lady was crying in pain keeping her hand on the chest it was a sign of a heart attack. The nurse ran to call the doctor but when they returned it was too late and she passed away at 2:15.

The next morning Amrita came to the hospital and saw that Aman was standing and crying with the whole family together were sad and depressed. Then she searched for the nurse and she told everything about the account of her death. Amrita was shocked and tears rolled her eyes and she saw the old lady’s bed. She gradually opened the door and sat near her bed and cried. Aman saw that girl crying on her mother’s bed and we continued watching her. For a while, she cried keeping her head down and she lifted her head and remembered the old lady’s moments and what she taught her “Life is long for everyone belive it what makes it beautiful and memorable is you and your moments. Choose your path’s for the correct ones that favor you with a memory that might be cherished when it passes. Thinking about your parents, children, friends and your loved one will never make you a bad person. For the people, we stand for is the people that will walk with us, forever.”