The sun had already made its way through the bedroom window, he got up and found his bed tea ready. Never did he miss his wake up time nor did his wife forget to place his bed tea ready for him by then. He was fresh in another few minutes and made his way towards the hall. His wife was busy in the kitchen.

He walked towards the balcony and made himself comfortable by pulling a chair. From the fourth floor of the building the view was excellent. Green bed of trees spread themselves and not far was the Arabian Sea. Though he had retired four years back it did not make him more restless or depressed like many other friends of his. He always enjoyed the nature and its beauty and did not want anyone to disturb him when he was alone with the Mother Nature.

After a silent talk with the nature he walked back to the hall. He took a glance at the clock that lay on a wall in the hall. At his age of early sixties his eyes were still perfect which was a matter of surprise for all his friends.

His wife was now serving the breakfast. She had prepared his favorite dish. He ate it without uttering a single word. After he had eaten he looked at his wife and gave her a smile and she returned a smile understanding his compliment that the dish had been perfect to his taste. They had shared a unique relationship, rarely found in any other couples. The elders at home arranged their marriage but they had fallen in love at the very first moment they saw each other. They even did not remember any single day having fought.

He went back to his chair in the balcony and began to glance at the street, which had just begun to get busy. In a near by park kids were playing and his eyes caught a boy riding a cycle. Soon he was lost in his past, his son had turned just turned 12 when he demanded for a bicycle.

“ Papa it’s a trend now every boy in the street has one.”
“ No Haresh, its not only a waste but dangerous too”.

He had denied buying one for his son. His son Haresh had left home angrily that day and returned late in the evening.

Today sitting in the balcony of his house he began to find reason for his refusal. May be it was because he had grown up without all these and so had found no interest in buying it for his son as he thought it would be a waste.

His thought broke off as he heard a loud sound from the kitchen. His wife had dropped down something. No doubt she was getting older and losing strength in her arms and legs. He helped her in some of the tasks and asked her to go to bed and take some rest. After his wife had gone to bed he went down to the street to get a newspaper. Probably this was the only walk he went for daily, after his retirement. After reading the paper he was lost again in his past.

Haresh was never interactive with the family. After he had joined college he had a lot of friends and he spent most of his time with them rather than with his parents. He had many times complained about this to Haresh.

“Having many friends is not good son.”

Haresh had not bothered to listen and he continued his friendship.

But he had always loved his son. After Haresh had completed his studies he had got job outside the town and he began to stay away. Then it was really tough to catch a better view of him for the old parents. Many a times he had told Haresh to give a little attention to his parents but it had been of no help. For him to understand his son was the toughest of all the jobs. He was humorous sometimes or serious otherwise.

His wife woke up and began to rush towards the hall as if she had forgotten to do something. She picked the garland of flowers that lay on a table in their living room and put it over on their son’s photograph. Probably this was the only thing that reminded him that his son was no more.

It was 4 years back when some of his friends called to say that Haresh had committed suicide. It was hard for them to believe that their son had ended his own life but then he had realized that he had never understood his son. What went on in Haresh’s mind was always a mystery for him and he had never felt a need to know about the reason for his son’s death. He got up from the chair and went near his wife who was crying in front of her son’s photo. He gave her a light hug. She held him tightly and continued to cry loudly. He glanced at his son’s photo and thought that it was still possible to love a person without complete understanding.

He took her out to the balcony and made her sit with him. The two of them sat there staring at the trees, plants and the birds that are full of life and which makes us realize that we are still alive and we have to live on, no matter what life has to give us.