It was a rainy night, Mr. Tejpal Singh, was lying on his death bed, stricken by cancer, he had become weak and his body had become non-functional. Being a single man, widower; he had no one but his son, who’s an army officer.
Lying on the hospital bed, just as he was staring at the ceiling, the Doctors had no hope but they were trying their level best to extend his life to a few more days. As the nurse came with his medicines, she asked him what he kept on staring at. “I’m waiting for my son, Rajpal to come and meet me for the last time as I have no more life to live and time is flying so quickly”
“I understand sir, I’ll inform you as soon as he comes and you can spend all the precious time with him”
Mr. Tejpal nodded as he appreciated her concern.
As soon as the nurse came out of the ward, she noticed a young man in the army uniform, with a bag on his shoulders and a brief case in hand, and his eyes looking all over the place to find someone.
“Ah! So finally you’re here. He’s been waiting for you since forever, come and I’ll take you to his ward.” The nurse said as she did the same.
The army man had a look at the situation and very slowly started walking towards Tejpal’s bed. Tejpal, as he was now half asleep, immediately woke up, but due to his illness, he had become weak and couldn’t get up or even see clearly. He looked at the young man and asked him to come near him, using his hands.
It was midnight and Tejpal was happy that his son had finally arrived. The whole night they didn’t talk. The young man sat beside Tejapal, holding his hands in his own, sometimes saying strengthening words to Tejpal and the other time rubbing his feet and massaging his forehead. He felt a lot of disturbances in the hospital, movement of stretchers and gossiping of nurses and several announcements being made; yet he did not move from his place and kept motivating him staying by his side.
As the night ended and it was time for the sun to take over and shine on everybody, the doctors discovered that Tejpal had passed away and as the army man came, the nurse informed him about his father’s demise.
“Your father is no more, I’m sorry”
“I'm sorry but He’s not my father”
Shocked, the nurse asked “So.. Who.. Who are you? And why were you with him the entire night?”
“You yourself took me to his ward and seeing his critical condition I decided to go with the flow and not reveal the truth. I’m so sorry for him”
“he was waiting for his son to come, and seeing you in the army uniform I mistook you for his son who is also in army. If not him then who did you come to meet here?”
“I’m in the Indian army and I came to meet Mr. Tejpal Singh who is in the same hospital to inform him about his son’s demise during the war”
“Whaaa.. What are you saying?”
“Uh.. Why?”
“The man who passed away was Mr. Tejpal Singh”
