The Mask!

I was a little amazed to see a non-AC bus on the road. Thank fully it was not crowded. I managed to get a window seat. It was open to the scorching sun. Just then, we passed by the city's main dumping yard. I thanked my mask for protecting me from the fetid pile of garbage. I wondered whether this thought might have occurred for the other passengers too. It was for the first time in my life that I am realizing such a practical advantage of wearing this mask. I used to think that it was only used to facilitate breathing.

The traffic was heavy. Maybe, the reason could be that most of the people were returning after the weekend. It took me another hour to reach my IT park's main gate. The traffic is still too heavy.
I stepped out of the bus and saw a salesman at the gate. He was making great sales, especially from the techies who were traveling for long distances and those who weren’t able to replace their tank at their back.

I checked my tank's regulator gauge.

Yes! I have enough "air" to live till noon!

Bygone!

The soil under my feet was wet. I saw them leaving my premises after leaving my wife where i was for the last few years. No one has ever took an effort to visit me. Suddenly, I saw my eldest son pausing at the gate for a moment. Yes! He looked towards the place where I was sitting, but I saw the pain in his eyes which were about to overflow with tears. I know that he will overcome the situation, as the days pass on. However, in these past few years, had he thought about us for at least a second, he might have offered me a visit.

Suddenly I could see someone approaching me. It was a familiar silhouette. It was a beautiful lady. Ah! It was her; my love; with whom I have shared my sweet forty years. Those were the most beautiful times of my life. We were blessed with two sons. However, my last few years were really painful. Thrown away from all my beloved ones and destined to face solitude in the place where I am now.  She touched my shoulders and smiled at me. I really wanted it. It relieved me from my sad thoughts. At last my wait was over and she is now besides me. We finally ended up in the same place. I held her hands and took her to the side wall of the compound. From there we looked at the main road and the passing vehicles. We talked for hours. She updated me about the new-borns and new weds of the family.

Days passed by. The side wall became one of our regular place during the day time. Sometimes we would see people who knew us, but they never noticed us.

One fine day, we saw them. My youngest son with his wife and their kid. I saw her whispering something to the kid’s ear and next moment she stood up and said "Assalamu alaikkum grand pa and grand ma'. We smiled at our grand kid. She waved her hands and left with her parents. It was the only gesture of love we got recently. Hearing from her and returning her salaam was our day's greatest pleasure. At the end of our day, we stood up and turned towards the place where we belongs. The place where tomb stones are laid out and to find ours among that.