A Magnificent Lie: The Last Conversation

Anand felt the ground vanish from under his feet. He felt his stomach clench; his heart rate spiked up and he could feel the sweat running down his back. A hush fell in the small room. The white walls seemed to close in on him. He couldn’t take his eyes off the doctor’s face, who in turn, did not avert his eyes but kept staring on in return. In those few seconds, he realized that he had started to cry.

He turned his gaze towards the lifeless body of his father on the stretcher. They had bought him in his night clothes. His eyes slowly moved over the body. He noticed the spit coming out of his mouth; how his hands were dull as if life itself was the colour in him. His eyes were closed.

The male nurse called his aunt and siblings inside the room. The aunt immediately broke down, clutching his father’s shoulders and leaned over him. His sister closed her fingers around her father’s hand, hoping they would close and comfort her. His brother stood at the end. Perhaps he knew that their father had passed away on route to the hospital.

Anand walked out of the room. He couldn’t take it anymore. He felt claustrophobic. He rushed out to the corridor and clutched the wooden bench. Here, when he was surrounded by unknown people, he let out the tears. He sobbed unabashedly. The woman, who was earlier looking at him reproachfully, now was staring at with him with compassionate eyes.

The first thing he did was to call his work supervisor and break the news to him. He won’t be returning to work today.  Next, he sent a text message to his friends.

His head started to spin. Everything had happened so fast.

 Just last night, he had spoken to him…

“Look,” said Anand, dropping the stack of neatly folded clothes in front of his father.

His father was lying on a mattress on the floor. He had propped himself up, using the back wall for support. His face was sweaty and his breath heavier. Earlier in the day, his aunt had called Anand up to tell him that she and his dad were headed to the Sarvodaya Ghatkopar hospital. They were going to meet the doctor who was looking after his dad’s health.

“What is this?” he asked Anand.

“New clothes for Goa!” cried Anand jubilantly.

“Goa?” his father puzzled.

“Yes, my friends and I are leaving for Goa from tomorrow,” Anand replied, “I’ll come back after a week.”

“When did you plan to tell me about it?” his father asked him heatedly.

“I think I told you about it,” said Anand, sounding unsurprised.

His father fell silent for some time. He kept staring at the clothes with an odd expression. Anand sensed something was going on in his mind. His father’s expression was grave. He seemed to be thinking something, for his eyes were not blinking.

“What’s up with him?” Anand asked his aunt.

“The doctor gave him some new medicines today,” she replied, sounding anxious, “These medicines are of a higher power. He was supposed to consume them, slowly at a time. But he has taken them together, all at once!” Her eyes widened on the last three words. “To top it off, he has taken them again, despite of me and your sister telling him not to do so.”

‘Why would he do something like that?’ thought Anand. His father was a smart man and would never disobey his doctor’s command. But here, he did that, not once, but twice.

He turned to look at him lying there. His father looked frail and weak. Perhaps, the heavy dosage was taking a toll on him. He noticed how he was sweating, how he had trouble breathing. Perhaps, that was the reason for him not to sit straight.

‘Help him, dear Lord,’ thought Anand. He didn’t know what to tell him. He could never see him weak.

 “Come here, you,” his father called out to him.

Anand went and sat next to him.

“Look, go there and have fun. Don’t take your chain along with you. Be safe. And if you need money, then call me.”

Wow! He now had his father’s blessing to go on the trip. Listening to those words was gratifying. However, it did make him feel guilty. Now, that he recollected it, he had definitely not informed his father about his bold plan.

He had purposely kept him in the dark. He didn’t want his old man to dissuade him from going on the vacation on his friends. After all, Anand deserved it. All that he had ever done was work hard and manage the household. These thoughts had gained further control as the plans for Goa took further shape.

Anand sat on the bench. Everything had happened so fast! He had to come to reality! He still couldn’t believe it! How all this could have happened in just a few hours?

And then it hit him. A thought crept into his mind and he sat bolt upright. The idea began to contaminate his every cell. As the thought gained ground, he realised the magnitude of his thinking.

His father had just pulled off a magnificent lie on them all.

 

                                                                                                                                   To be continued