" Arrey Sunte ho, uth jao, din nikal aaya hai" said the age old wife to her husband older than her,
"Kya hua, sone do. Abhi to suraj bhi nikla hai."her old husband replied still insleep.
"Suraj niklne per hi to uthey ho.Aaj bahut kaam hai"spoke the old lady emphasizing urgency.
"Aisa kya kaam aan pada hai.Aur bhi to sau rahein hain.Hum bhi uth jayengey" retorted the oldman.
"Tumhe kya ho gaya hai. Bazar jaana hai. Jasldi utho aur taiyyar ho jao"the old lady spoke.
"bazar kyon jaana hai.Sabhi kutchh to yahan milta hai. Humne to thodi bahut safai karni hai, aur khana aur sona hai" snipped the oldman.
"Arrey, aak apnet Tinkuka janam din hai. Bahut kutchh pakana hai uski pasand ka. Cake, gigts, ballons, decoration slips, etc bahut si jeezain laani hai" said the old lady with enthusiasm
.
"Arrey sathiya gayee ho. Kiska janam din, kiska cake, gifts, balloons. "replied the oldman who was fully awake now He futher added that their grandson would be celebrastying his bithday with his parents and little friends in a hotel where all their relatives would be present except us.
The old lady suddenly came to senses.She realized she was in OLD AGE HOME.Then she starded weeping. Tears rolled down her wrinkled cheeks. The oldman tried to paccify her but the more he tried the more she wept. She remembered that aboy three years back their son and daughter-in-law had brought them to this Old Age home and went back leaving them here. She remembered the baby Tinku trying to reach his Dadi-Dada but he was taken home weeping and sobbing.He disd not know he would never see his old Dada-Daadi again.Hearing the sobs of the old lady the other inmates also got up and came to her. All of them were left inthe Old Age Home by their sons/family members as these were considered as a burden which nobodt was prepared to carry. They made the old lady realize that all of them were thetre for one reason or the other and this Old Age Home was now their real home from where only GOD can take them to heaven. They preached".
In this modern world the numbers of old age persons is increasing at alarmingh rate. Most of them are old parents. The families earlier used to be JOINT Families. But with the developments in the esucational, medical, technocal and social patterns of living, the age old parents are made to stare at the sky and prasying "Oh. Lord, Take us to your world. Our nest is empty and there is nothing for us to look to".
It was known to all that the birds lay their eggs after building a strong nest so that her children are saved from crows and other dangers to their lives. The bird would keep its "Choosas" warm and fly around to collect food for them. As these developed their wings to fly the birds would leave them to flyand be on their own. But human beings stick to their families. The old parents, even though their children have grown up, feel that they need protection. They forget that it is they who need to be cared for and protected by their grown up children who have themselves become parents.
The old parents, if not admitted to OLD AGE HOMES, have to live alone in their own made houses.They become sick with one or the other diseasers.The Empty Nests affects the mother more who becomers sicker than her husband.As the females care more for their careers and like modern style of living.When old these ladies suffer much in these "Empty Nests"In modernlife ther families have are becoming "Nuclear" and this has verry injuirious effect upon the elders and old.
*The females suffer physically as well as mentally more than males.The fathers who live alone are annoyed with their sons.Those wholive with FULL NEST are less attacked by sicknesses than the one with Empty Nests.Being away from their children, the Empty Home elders get slowly detached from their children.When compared to ther health ailments between those living in Empty Nests with tthe Full Nest ones, the fotrmerr suffer double on account of Heart and Arterial Diseases, , in Ladies Digestive problems threefold, Nerves related double fold, Fathers in Empty Nest sufdferr doubly with Joints, Bones, and Muscular problems while mothers have threefold.Parents have been found sufferring from insecurity, depression, glooms, griefs, anger, sensitivity while living alone and away from children.Petty things annoy them.Due to fear of insecurity the hands and feet get cold(5 times more than those in Full Nests), getting outraged double, hearing voices in dark and trembling of hands and feet have also been observed.
Those left in Old Age homes feel neglected and manyget sick. These people need a kind and caring behaviour, If they are treated with respect, allowed to participate in the celebrtions of family festivals, givenchance to meet their grand children then they can be sdaved from getting mentally sick.
The modern young generation, in its blind race for living a luxurious life leaving their parents uncared for and alone destined to die with a bitter experience of their children attitudes, is perhaps forgetting that they too have to get old one day. Then the lessons learnt from them by their children will be used against them as well.And this will go on and on and on till the Society shall be devastated and shredded. At hour these modernsons and daughter would reap the fruits of their deeds. AS YOU SOW, SO SHALL YOU REAP is an old saying.
Those who live in Empty Nests sufferr more being alone than the ones left in OLD AGE HOMES. Though all of them suffer but the degrees andquality of sufferrings are different.
It is high time that the mad race of material gains and Nuclear families, in the name of Modern Living is checked and the old atre not left behind at the mercy of the cruel world.*