The Missed Call

As the hour hand hits 12, the Sun reaches the overhead. The Shining Star grins with his full enthusiasm, telling us all that the purpose of life is just to be happy. But most of us are not present to witness the magical phenomena that happen every single day, no matter what. Even though, some days the blazing rays doesn’t reach us, as the Sun is playing hide & seek with his friends. The clouds do outcast the smile, but that doesn’t stop the Star to not send us a crucial life lesson, ‘Not every day the things go your way’.

But unlike Sun, there is someone who is punctual and provides relief and a prominent reason to look forward to the day ahead. Every day, at 12 noon, within no seconds, the bell rings. The mobile phone kept by the side of the fish tank on the table emits a light and sound show for the two little fishes residing there. Moreover, a breath of relief for the blind old lady lying on the bed a few inches away.

The blind mother has now made an unusual bond with the telephone ring that only at twelve in the noon embarks the beginning of her day.

Sheila, the daughter-in-law brings the brunch for the landlady and also for the fishes. She being the family member is well aware of the importance of the phone call, the Miss Call.

“Check whether the battery is full or not”, uttered the old lady, “two weeks ago, it was empty and I lost Ashok’s calls for two days…I don’t want that to happen again.”

Prior five years, the lady lost her eyes. Not in any tragic accident, but the sweetness proved bitter for her. The sweet poison costed her, her eyes. The loss made her a bit anxious. As the feeling of not able to see you own family would pinch any being. Diabetes took her sight, but not her vision.

Two years after the tragedy, the old lady, faced another attack. The house lost its owner, a son lost his father, the lady, her beloved husband and the nation, a dutiful servant. The man just didn’t die, he was martyred. In other words, his physical body died, not his ideology. He was still alive in the heart of millions of people in the country.

For him, the motherland mattered more than the mother. And the patriotic feeling was transferred likewise to their ward, Ashok, who joined the army as soon as he became eligible.

The mother knew that nothing could stop her son to not be a part of the army. For him also, the motherland held the topnotch priority. And the mother admired it, keeping aside her fear of losing him.

“It is fully charged and you won’t miss any more calls from Ashok”, Sheila smiled as she served her the brunch. The house only had these two ladies and the two fishes.

When Ashok joined the Army, the mother was composed, only from the outside, but inside, the thunder was blaring. Unlike Sheila, she didn’t have the upper hand of calming down her fiery senses by looking at Ashok’s photos.

Ashok’s routine break at 12 in the noon paved a way for the call at home, gave his mother the assurance of his life. The mother felt satisfied after every missed call of Ashok each day.

One fine day, the old lady was in urge to talk to his son. She eagerly waited for the clock to hit 12. Her hands carrying the phone and the thumb intact on the green button. She was all set to hear the voice of her brave son who was out there on his duty. His duty of serving the nation.

As the hands of the clock coincided with each other, the screen lit up and the bell rang. The incoming call on the phone of the mother was from Ashok. She got all thrilled and killing no time, she hurriedly pressed the green button.

The ringing stopped. The call was initiated. She carried the phone close to her ears, but before she could speak anything, the call was cut. She found that peculiar.

She called Sheila to look at the matter. As Sheila treaded with the brunch in her hands, she heard the predicament. She said, “There must be some network problem out there and he would call again tomorrow at the same time”. Sheila took the phone and kept it on its appropriate place.

Sheila ignored the temptation of the ailing mother and got busy in her work. She went upstairs to sundry the washed clothes.

Not satisfied by anything, the old lady picked up the phone and pressed the green button twice. She placed the phone near her ears and in no time the call was connected.

The bell rang.

But the sound of the outgoing call wasn’t the only sound that entered her ears. Sheila’s phone rang. The sound was directed from the Kitchen.

She cut the call and repeated the process. Again she got the same response. The bell rang. The sound came from the kitchen.

Being an Army Man’s wife, she was determined that there are no coincidences. She did it again. Again and again. Again and again. And again and again. Every time, a tear dropped from her left eye, as she pressed the green button and the sound of the phone hit her ears.

Fifteen minutes past, Sheila hailed down. As she heard her phone ringing, she hopped in the kitchen. Seeing the mother’s number flashing on the screen, tears rolled down her eyes, too. She walked to the mother with the phone in her hand.

The old lady’s eyes were drenched. The agony was reflected on her face.

Sheila fell on the feet of the mother and they both started crying.

It seemed like the ugly truth of the fake ‘Missed calls’ was out.

Ceasing her crying, the mother wailed only one thing, “When?”

Taking her time to come out of the phase, Sheila confessed, “Two weeks ago”.