Memories of a Dying Man

A Short Story by Vasu Gangapalli

“Let’s go boating.” said Sanjanna.

“No…what if the boat sinks ? Then we all shall drown.” said Aryan.

“Why do you have to think in the negative sense always?” asked Sanjanna, his wife. “Don’t you worry, nothing like that is going to happen.” She assured him.

“Do you know how to swim?” Aryan asked the boatman.

“Err…no, sir..why?” asked the boatman.

“What if the boat sinks?” Aryan asked.

“Well, then you’ll save me, right.” said the boatman.

“I..I too don’t know swimming.” Aryan said.

“Don’t worry. I know how to swim.” said Sanjana, smiling at them.

“You never told me that !” Aryan said.

“You never asked me that!” said Sanjana.

***

He winked his eye and had a look at the ceiling of the room. The fan was running slowly.

“Sob…sob…I’m lost.” said Little Aryan, then he was five years old.

“What’s your name, son?” asked the stranger, who had just come after attending the prayer in the mosque.

“Aryan.” he said.

“Do you know where you live or where your house is?” he asked.

“No.” he said.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find your house somehow.” he said, holding his hand and taking him along with him.

Meantime, Aryan’s mother was worried finding that her only son was missing. She almost searched all the places where he would probably go. She was almost in tears. The stranger felt thirsty. So he knocked on the door of a house and asked for some water. A lady brought and gave him some water in a glass. She seemed to be really worried.

“You seem to be worried. What is the reason for it?” he asked.

“I lost my only son.” she replied.

“Well, I found a boy outside the mosque. Is he the one?” he asked, pushing little Aryan forward.

“Yes, yes, He is my son!” She cried hugging him, in tears.” Where did you go, Aryan?”

“God is great!” exclaimed the stranger.

***

“Father, I want to have a cycle.,” said Aryan.

“A cycle? why do you need a cycle?” asked his father, who was reading the newspaper.

“So that I can ride it.” he replied. “By the way, all my friends have got a cycle.” he added.

“Maybe, later.” said his father.

“No, I want it now.” he said.

“Who will teach you to ride it?” asked his father.

“Raju, our neighbour’s son promised to teach me.” Said Aryan.

“Ok, let’s see.” he said.

Someday later, someone knocked on the door. Aryan went and went opened the door. He found his father’s colleague standing outside. He had a smile on his face. He handed him a pair of keys and moved aside. A brand-new cycle that was parked outside his house.

“How is it?” He asked.

“Just, great!” He cried, pleased.

***

He winked his eye again and had a glance at the ceiling of the room. The fan was still running slowly.

“Yes, doctor?” said Mohan, son of eighty-year-old Aryan. The doctor’s face showed it all.

“He would probably live another day or two.” said the doctor, leaving.

Another day or two? Aryan heard the words, as he winked again, from his bed, on which he was laying.

***

“Grandpa, is it true that everyone has to grow old and die someday?” asked Aryan, who was five years old then.

“You’re right!” said his grandfather.

“Even you have to die, grandpa?” he asked.

“Why not? I’m also a mortal after all!” he said, smiling at him.

“Then who would tell me stories when you are gone?” Aryan asked.

“There are so many storybooks available in the bookstalls.,” said his grandpa.” Why not you start writing your own stories, son? Tomorrow, you can narrate them to your grandchildren.”

***

“Is grandpa dying?” asked little Rohan, six-year-old son of Mohan.

“Y-e-s.” He said.

“Then who would tell me stories after grandpa is gone?” Rohan asked, sadly. He did not reply to this.

***

“Father, I have won the first prize in drawing and painting competition held in our school and here is the prize.” said Aryan, handing him a book which he had won as the first prize.

“Good.” said his father, taking it and going through it. “Why don’t you concentrate on your studies and get first rank too?”

“I’ll try father.” he said.

***

“What would you to like to be when you grow up, son?” asked his father.

“I’ll be like you, father.” he said.

“Like me, son?” said his father.

“Yes, father, I would like to be a cop like you.” he said.

Aryan’s grandfather was a stationmaster and he took him inside a train engine and showed him how a train engine worked like.

“What would you like to be when you grow up, son?” he asked his grandson.

“A train driver!” replied little Aryan.

His grandfather smiled at him.

***

In the bedroom, decorated with flowers, and fragrant with perfumes, Aryan waited for his newly wed wife, Sanjana. She came with a glass of milk and bolted the door behind her. He made her to sit next to him on the bed. She offered him the glass of milk.

“You drink it…..” He said. “…First and.. ” he added lately.

She drank and gave him the glass. He stared at the empty glass.

“Why is something wrong?” She asked.

“You drank the whole glass of milk!” he said.

“You told me too.” She protested.

“Ok, may I kiss you?” Aryan asked her.

“Why are you asking me this? I’m yours the moment you married me.” Sanjana said.

“Come on, I didn’t purchase you from the market like a bag of potatoes..” He said.

“You are comparing me with a bag of potatoes, is it?” Sanjana asked, slightly annoyed.

“No..no..I was only giving you an example that’s all! What I mean to say is that you are also an individual and I should respect you and your feelings.” He said.

“Then it’s ok.” She said.

“You know I waited for this day from so long.” He said.

“Don’t tell me that you never kissed a girl before!” She said.

“Trust me, I didn’t.” he said. “You didn’t answer my question?”

“What question?” She asked.

“That is, whether I can..” He said.

“Kiss me, right? You can.” She said, smiling at him.

He went forward and held her in his arms and kissed on her lips gently.

***

“Eat your food slowly, Aryan.” said his mother. “Nothing’s going to run away.”

He glanced at his dog, Tiger, already waiting near the main door, alert and ready for adventures.

He had a passion for nature and he longed to be off through the mangroves with his matchbox and butterfly net. He would spend hours together squatting on his heels or lying on his stomach, watching creatures around him.

Tommy was a perfect companion for his adventures. The house was full of all kinds of creatures like, Millie-the cat, Silly- the parrot, Marko-the tortoise, Tula-the fish, Chinky-the squirrel, etc, etc. They even had a monkey until it escaped one fine noon. His grandpa’s house in the village was nick named as the “Zoo House” by the village post man and others.

***

“Are you going somewhere?” Aryan asked Sanjana, coming from his office.

“We’re going to the movie.” Sanjana said, smiling.

“Movie? I’m so tired and it’s not advisable to go for the second show.” He said.

“Please…tonight is the last show. They will change the movie tomorrow. I wanted to see this movie from a long time, you see.” She said.

“Alright….what about my dinner?” He asked.

“You can have it later.” She said. “It’s not going to run away anywhere!”

“Oh, God. You’re such a selfish woman!” He said.

“Let’s talk about that later. It’s getting late for the show.” Sanjana said, holding his hand and pulling him along.

Later after the show, while they were returning home on the bike, some thieves stopped them and told them to get down the bike.

“Hand over all your valuables to us!” One of them threatened, flashing a knife.

Aryan started removing his watch.

“Wait! Let me handle them.” Said Sanjana, holding her husband’s hand.

“Sanjana, are you crazy or what?” Aryan cried, worried.

She knocked them all within no time. They got up on their feet and raced away.

“Sanjana, you know how to fight?” Aryan asked, looking at her in amazement.

“Yes, I got black belt in karate.” She said, smiling. ” Shall we go now?”

“You never told me that!” He said, starting the bike.

“You never asked me that!” She said.

***

“Congratulations! Mr. Aryan, your wife, Sanjana gave birth to a healthy baby boy.” Said the doctor, coming out from the operation theatre.

“Thank you, doctor. May I see them?” he said.

“Sure, you can.” Said the doctor, smiling at him.

He went inside and had a glance at his wife first and then at his son.

“He looks like you.” Sanjana said.

“He has your eyes.” Aryan said, having a closer look at the baby. “He will be a doctor!”

“No an engineer!” said Sanjana.

“No, Doctor!” He cried.

“No Engineer!” She cried.

“Let him decide what he wants to be when he grows up. Also, there is a long time left for that.” said his father, coming inside.

***

After the Biology class was over.

“You know Satish so long I was under the impression that kissing makes babies.” Said Aryan, looking at his friend Satish.

“Yes, even I had thought so.” Satish said. “You know some time back I kissed Shalini. Later, I got worried that she might get pregnant. So I went and told this to my mother. She got curious and asked me what I did to her? I told her that I kissed her. She laughed like anything and told me kissing doesn’t lead to pregnancy. I asked her how a girl or woman gets pregnant? She told me to ask my father.”

“Then?” asked Aryan.

“I went and asked him. He told me that he will tell me when the right time comes.” He said.

“Did the right time come?” asked Aryan.

“Not so far.” He said, smiling.

***

“Son, I am hungry, I haven’t eaten anything from the last three days…. please can you get me something to eat?” asked an old lady, who was seated on the pavements.

“Sure, I’ll be back wait for me!” He cried, crossing the road and getting a parcel from a hotel and when he came back, everyone had gathered in a circle. He pushed through them and saw her still.

“What happened?” He asked.

“She has passed away.” One of them replied.

“She asked me to get something to eat…she asked me….” He said, and couldn’t control his tears.

He opened and kept the parcel before her.

“I told you to wait for me…. couldn’t you wait a little longer, grandma ~?” He asked, wiping his tears.

***

“Son, even if you don’t pass in your examinations, it’s ok. I am not going to scold you. Don’t think of running away from home or something like that.” said his father.

“No, father.” He replied.

Incidentally, Aryan’s father had run away from home when he had failed in his seventh-grade exams, as he feared to face his father. He feared the same thing might happen as his son, Aryan, too had written his seventh-grade exams and was waiting for the result.

Aryan got second class in his exams. His father was pleased.

“Son, if you had worked a little harder you could have got first class.” He said.

***

“Yes, doctor?” said Aryan, looking at the doctor’s face.

“I’m sorry…she is no more.” said the doctor, after checking his wife, Sanjana, who had suffered a stroke.

“No…no…you cannot leave me alone like this and go.” Aryan cried, falling down on his knees, before her lifeless body on the bed. “I’ll miss you, Sanjana.”

“Dad, you’re not alone…I’m there for you.” Mohan said, placing his hand on his shoulders.

“You’re not alone…I’m there for you.” said a voice. The voice was so familiar to him. Yes, it was Sanjana’s voice.

“Sanjana, I’m coming…. I’m coming…,” said his mind.

“Dad, I’m going to miss you.” Mohan said, in tears, holding his father’s hand and pressing it gently. He winked his eyes again. A drop of tear fell down from his eye.

“I’ll miss you too..” said his mind. “But…I’ll have to go as my Sanjana is waiting for me.”

He closed his eyes.

***

Later, he couldn’t open his eyes. He found himself in a strange place, which he thought to be hell. He didn’t get anything to eat or drink. But the funny thing was he never felt hungry or thirsty. Someday, he thought, he come out of this…. someday..

Then one fine day, he did come out of it. It was difficult to open his eyes. He heard many human voices after a long time. He opened his eyes with much difficulty. He saw himself in another room this time. Had they shifted him to some new place? He had a glance, turning his head. He was laying on a bed…a small one…it was a cradle…a baby’s cradle…? What have they done to him? They had turned him into a baby perhaps, he thought.

Someone came and opened the door and came to the cradle and picked him up in her hands.

“Oh, baby John, Mama loves you so much.” She said, kissing on his cheeks. She looked like an American.

So, he was born again in America this time. Someday I will return to my land, my country. Someday…I will….