Rajeev Verma
Ramesh Sharma had just retired from his government job. His entire life had passed in the hustle of monthly salaries, children’s education, and family responsibilities. His own dreams had been buried under the weight of duties. But today, as he looked at the 8 million rupees he received as retirement benefits, he felt for the first time that maybe now he could live a little for himself too.
That evening, his only son, Vivek, came into the room. There was a strange anticipation on his face.“Dad,” he said hesitantly, “from the 8 million you got on retirement… please give me half of it.” Ramesh removed his spectacles and looked closely at his son’s face. “What will you do with so much money, son?” Without a moment’s thought, Vivek replied,“I’ll buy a car… and with the remaining money, I’ll get jewelry made for your daughter-in-law. She has been behind my back for long. She says other wives wear expensive jewelry… why shouldn’t she?”
Ramesh remained silent for a few seconds. Then he took a deep breath and said—“Son, buy a car and jewelry from your own earnings. I educated you, made sure you got a job. Now fulfill your luxuries with your own money.”Smiling lightly, he added—“With this money, I will buy a nice car for your mother and take her on a trip across India. She has had a hidden dream for years— to travel by train and airplane and see our country! Now I will fulfill those dreams.”
Vivek’s face turned sour. He had thought his father would easily hand him the money. But the result was the opposite. Furious, he stormed out of the room and told everything to his wife.
“See? I told you! These old people get money and start spending it on their useless desires!” the daughter-in-law taunted.
Within minutes, both started packing their suitcases. “We’ll live separately now. Your outdated thinking has always held us back,” Vivek said standing at the door.
As they were leaving, the daughter-in-law muttered—“These old bones are ready for the cremation ground, and they have the desire to roam around the country!”
Once the door closed, silence took over the house. Tears welled up in Sudesh Sharma’s eyes. “What wrong did we do, Ramesh? We lived our entire lives for them…” Ramesh wiped her tears. “Sudesh, the only wrong is to kill your own dreams and still not be happy. We never failed in giving our best to our son. Now, let us live a little for ourselves.”
The very next week, Ramesh bought the car. For the first time, Sudesh sat smiling beside him in the front seat. “Let’s go somewhere far ?” she asked.
And the car drove from Mumbai to Kashmir’s valleys… then through Rajasthan’s deserts… and down to the ocean shores in the south. They clicked photos everywhere, collected memories, and revived all those forgotten dreams.
One day, while sipping tea on a hotel balcony, Sudesh said—“Ramesh, you know… for the first time it feels like we are truly living.” Ramesh smiled—“Sometimes even old dreams become young again, Sudesh.”
Message of the Story:It is good to live for your children, but sacrificing all your own happiness is wrong. Everyone has the right to fulfill their dreams—no matter what age.
RAJEEV VERMA 