By: Rupak G Duarah

It was Friday that I went to the doctor’s chamber as I was suffering from a severe headache. The doctor’s chamber was almost full and I could hardly manage a chair for me. Just beside me, a person was feeding a banana to a little boy. Most probably, the person was the father of that boy. I asked him casually, “What’s wrong with the boy? Is he sick?”

The person replied honestly that he did not know whether the boy was sick. I was surprised by his reply. What type of a father he was! “Are you not his father?” I asked him again. “No Sir, I am not his father. I am also a patient like you. This boy was sitting alone and crying for a long time. I asked him the reason and he replied that his mother went out and he was hungry because he did not have anything in the morning. I felt pity on him and bought two bananas from the shop and am feeding him.”

“Oh, that’s great!” I appreciated his work. Such type of helpful, kind hearted and benevolent persons are very much required today more than ever in our society. I asked him again, “But what about the boy’s mother? Is she not available here?”

“Don’t know Sir, modern mothers are like that only. Never care for their children properly.” The person expressed his disappointment towards the boy’s mother and went outside to wash his hands.

Right at that time, a fat woman came hurriedly from outside and scolded the boy rudely, “Hey nonsense, what are you eating?” I was surprised by her startling behaviour. I thought that she might be the mother of the boy. “I had brought you in empty stomach and you are eating like a pig”, she shouted at the boy again.

I couldn’t suppress my curiosity and asked the lady, “What happened Madam, why are you scolding the boy?”

“Ah, what to tell you..!” The lady replied in anger, “I brought the boy in empty stomach for an ultrasound but someone fed him bananas and filled up his stomach. What a stupid and ridiculous fellow he was!”