It was already ten-thirty at night, and everyone in the house was busy inside their respective rooms. Someone was scrolling through reels on a mobile phone, another was replying to office messages, and someone else was tangled in worries about the next day. Amidst this daily hustle, the oldest member of the household, 72-year-old Shyamlal, sat in the veranda repeatedly looking at his old phone. From inside the room, his son called out, Papa, you should sleep now. Who are you waiting for? Shyamlal smiled and said, Nothing, son, just like that. The son assumed his father must be reminiscing about some old memory again and went back to his phone. A little later, Shyamlal got up and walked over to his son room. Yes Papa, tell me, just two minutes, let me send this message, the son replied without looking up. Shyamlal sat right there on the chair. Two minutes turned into five, and then ten minutes passed. Finally, the son put his phone down.
The Simple Question That Brought Silence to the Room
Shyamlal asked, How many phone calls do you receive throughout the entire day? The son laughed and said, A lot. From the office, friends, and for work. Why do you ask? And out of those, how many people call you just to hear your voice? Shyamlal continued, Today was your mother anniversary. Since morning, relatives have called and old friends have sent messages. But I was waiting for one specific call all day long. Looking directly into his eyes, Shyamlal said, Yours. Just to ask, Papa, how are you today? Silence swept across the room. The son suddenly remembered that in the morning he had touched his father feet, placed flowers on his mother photograph, and then rushed off to an office meeting. He had completed every important task, except talking to the one person for whom he was still a child.
Realizing the Cost of Constant Busyness
He reached out and grabbed his father hand. Papa, please forgive me. Starting tomorrow, I will sit with you every single day. Shyamlal smiled. Why starting tomorrow, son? Today is still not over yet. The son picked up his phone, put it on silent mode, and sat down right next to his father. That night, for the very first time, he felt that spending a few minutes with someone was just as important as typing out a hundred words to answer someone else. Before going to sleep, Shyamlal switched off his phone entirely. Today, he was no longer waiting for any external ringtone.
The True Meaning of Being Present for Loved Ones
The core takeaway from the entire experience is that we often forget to dedicate time to the people who are always present in our lives. However, having someone always around and ensuring they never feel lonely are two entirely different things. Sometimes, to make someone dear day better, you do not need an expensive gift, but simply a genuine and heartfelt question asking how they are doing.
