VISION

VISION

"Can you see the stars?"

"Yes, Papa I can clearly see them." ' replied the little boy.

"How many of them can you see?"

"There are a lot of them." ' The boy pointed out to one corner of the sky. "It is very difficult to count them properly. Isn't it so Papa?"

The sky was cloudy but not overcast when the father and the son came to the roof. There had been some stars in the corner of the sky where the boy showed his finger. The father was assured. He did not ask any further questions. Instead, he started showing 'Great Bear', 'Plough', 'Cassiopeia', 'Scorpio' and other constellations to his son with renewed zeal.

The boy doesn't have his mother. His father was his only friend in the world. A few months back, when he was complaining of a headache during his studies his father took him to a doctor. The doctor inter alia, tested his eyesight and said,

"It is very unfortunate that your son is losing his vision gradually. He has been suffering from an incurable disease of eyes. Nothing can be done to restore his vision. In course of time he would lose his eyesight completely."

Since then the father felt restless as well as helpless. At first he didn't believe the doctor's words. He took his son to one after another doctor across the country to verify the fact. But all the doctors told him the same thing. Being desperate enough he started testing his son in different ways. One day showing four of his fingers he asked his son,

"How many fingers I am showing you my son?"

"Three, father."

The father sighed in despair.

"I was cutting jokes with you father. You have shown me four of your fingers. Haven't you?"

The father hugged the boy and kissed him on the forehead. Another day after coming back from his office the father asked his son about the colour of his shirt he was wearing. The boy smartly answered,

"It is a deep blue shirt you are wearing. Do you have any doubt about it, Papa?"

It was actually a violet shirt. When the father tried to rectify his son's mistake, the boy said,

"It is not a violet one Papa, it is deep blue. This is why mother used to call you a colour blind"

That evening, when the boy was going to the toilet, he stumbled on a bucket full of water, bumped himself against the wall and fell down on the floor. The father rushed to pick him up. The injury was not that much serious but the father smelt the rat. His spirit became very low. He realized that he was fighting an uneven battle against the God.

The next day he took his son to the doctor. The doctor was an hour late. It appeared to him that it was not an hour but a hundred years. After having a complete check-up the doctor said gloomily,

"I am very sorry to say that your son has completely lost his vision."

"Can you kindly tell me when it happened, I mean, did it happen yesterday only? This is very important for me to know."

"No, it happened at least fifteen days back."

The father was totally broken. He came out to the road grabbing his son's hand strongly. The boy asked,

"Can we have ice-creams Papa?"

"Certainly, we can. Let us enjoy this evening. What else do you want my son?"

"Nothing Dad."

All the people seemed happy on the road as if in contrast with his world. Only his world appeared blank and hollow. Back home they were sitting on the sofa in their drawing room and the television was on. Tears rolled down silently from the father's eyes. He could not and did not control them. Suddenly the boy said,

"Don't cry Baba. I can see you better now. You are looking more handsome today wearing the pink T-shirt."

Posted in Love.