बोया वैसा ही काटना
Summary
An elderly man, referred to as Baba, waits anxiously at home after 2 PM. His daughter-in-law, Kamla, and grandson, Selvam, have gone to a movie and have not returned. He worries they have been in a car accident or robbed. When a knock finally comes, it is only a neighbor, who informs him that Kamla planned to go directly to the railway station after the film to pick up her own father, Ramnathan. Relieved they are safe, Baba’s hunger becomes intense. He has not eaten. Kamla returns with her father at 7 PM. She sets out an armchair for him and they chat about the food they ate at a hotel. Baba, starving, clutches his stomach. Kamla does not attend to him. She finally enters the kitchen at 9 PM and serves food at 10 PM, first calling her father and offering him yam soup, which Baba dislikes. Ramnathan stays for four days. During this time, Kamla and her father go out during the day, leaving Baba hungry. The armchair is also put away when they leave. On the morning of Ramnathan’s departure, Kamla gives him a box of sweets. Ramnathan tells her that his own daughter-in-law treats him like a street dog, never gives him enough food, and insults him. He says his life is now useless. Kamla cries and asks him to stay, but he leaves. That afternoon, Kamla does not cook, spending the time crying and cursing her sister-in-law. At 2:30 PM, she remembers Baba. She finds him desperate with hunger, drinking water from the tap. Kamla falls at his feet, realizing her mistake. Both have tears in their eyes.
Conclusion
The document highlights the painful reality of elderly neglect within families, where a once-respected father is reduced to hunger and isolation in his son’s home. The story’s outcome reveals a moment of reckoning: the daughter-in-law, after witnessing her own father’s similar suffering, finally recognizes her mistreatment of the elderly protagonist. This realization leads her to apologize and seek forgiveness, suggesting a potential for change. The implications are clear—such neglect stems from a cycle of behavior that can be broken only through empathy and self-reflection. The document underscores the urgent need for families to honor their elders, as the emotional and physical toll of abandonment is devastating. Ultimately, it calls for a shift in attitudes, where compassion replaces indifference, ensuring that the elderly are treated with the dignity and care they deserve.