The Human Touch

There is this story of an old-world father and his tech-savvy son. The son gently nudges his eighty one years old dad to stay put at home and not to take unnecessary risks by venturing out. The conversation is quite interesting and goes like this:

• Papa, your Bahu told me today again you went to the Bank and on the way back bought some groceries and vegetables.

The Dad smiled, beaming with pleasure,

• Yes Beta, it was a good outing.

The son is not amused,

• But Papa, why do you have to go all the way to the Bank for any transaction? I have showed you how to do internet banking. And groceries? Vegetables? These days everyone has a mobile. We just give them a call and they send the stuff home!

Dad looked at the son, his tone became wistful,

• Beta, for internet banking I have to use the computer. It is just a machine, it doesn’t talk to me. At the Bank the man at the counter, although very busy, talked to me for a couple of minutes, enquired about my health. We even touched upon the India-England Test series and Virat Kohli’s fabulous batting, how Anushka has done wonders to him. It was like my old days, breathing, living on cricket! I felt so young and excited! I also met three of my retired colleagues from office who had come to collect their pension. We talked about the old days, went to the kiosk outside and had a hot samosa with a cup of tea. On the way back I stopped at the old Grocer’s shop. We chatted for more than ten minutes – about you, your two sons, we discussed the weather, the political scenario – Ghanshyam even had a word or two about his sense of impending economic meltdown, what with rupee touching seventy three against the dollar and petrol galloping towards hundred rupees a litre!

The son was still not happy about his aged father roaming around the neighborhood at the age of eighty one. What if he slips and falls? Will he be able to recover from such a catastrophe? He asked sarcastically,

• So your grocer friend is an economist? What about the vegetable seller? Is he also an economist?

Dad’s beaming face broke into a smile,

• No, no, Chhedi Lal doesn’t have the broad range of views like Ghanshyam, but he has a warm human touch!  His eyes were moist when he reminded me of your mother’s favorite vegetables, how she taught him how to make stuffed karela and lauki kofta! He almost cried remembering the day her body was laid to rest – how he, Ghanshyam the grocer, Raju the Dhobi and Hameedbhai the ladies’ tailor were in the procession to the Shamshan Ghat, how even on her funeral bed her face had not lost much of her radiance!

The Dad stopped for a moment, emotionally remembering the fateful day three years back. The son fell silent, the poignant memory stirring his soul. But dad had not finished,

• When I told Chhedi Lal it is time for me to go to Memsaab who must be waiting for me in heaven, he was shocked! No, no, Babuji, not so soon. You have a dutiful son, a devoted bahu and doting grandsons! We will not let you go so soon. Let Memsaab wait for some more years – sabr ka phal mitha hota hai!

The son looked at his dad’s wistful face. Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind his dad’s voice resonated, “Will your computer do all this to me? Will it soften my heart with a human touch?”

Friends, today’s video clip is also about human touch so tellingly narrated by Dr. Devi Shetty the celebrated Cardiologist of the Narayana Hrudayalaya fame. Hope you will like its positive vibes!!