The Duet: A story by Sreemati Sen

A pensive Rishi sat looking at his sleeping son. An exact replica of him, he smiled. The cute dimples, the mop of curly hair, the mole on his upper lip – the child was a beauty. Happily married to his childhood sweetheart, a secure job, a nicely furnished flat in a posh locality; his life was straight out of a fairytale.

But all of a sudden one day, disaster struck them. His son fell sick. A battery of tests and expert opinions diagnosed a rare blood disorder which involved an expenditure of a few crores. The fairy tale became a nightmare. The flat was mortgaged. Huge loans were waiting to be paid off. His beautiful wife looked much older than her age. Stress and strain had taken a toll on her.

Rishi’s parents were supportive. Aged and infirm, they lived in the village. In a bid to save their grandchild, Baba - Rishi’s father had sold off most of their agricultural plots to raise money. He was willing to sell off their ancestral house. But Rishi had objected. He knew how much it meant to Baba.

Cradling the child in his lap, Rishi broke down. He wished fate had been kinder to him.

~~~~

The phone rang breaking his reverie. It was Baba.

“Beta*, check your phone. I have forwarded a clipping on Whatsapp. Check it.  I will hold on.”

The clipping was of a singing contest organised by a leading organisation. The winner would be paid a whopping amount of a Crore

“Beta, I have registered on your behalf. This is your only way out.”

“I…I... can’t Baba. You know these shows scare me,” implored Rishi.

Baba: “Beta, the fight is yours. Face it. Do it for your son. We all know how good a singer you are. And I am always there with you.”

Rishi: “But Baba…”

The phone got disconnected.

A crore. Seven-day deadline. The stage…The mike…The audience. Rishi could feel the stress mounting up. He and Baba had been a popular singer a couple of years ago till his father lost his voice to a throat tumour. The decision was made.

~~~~

Rishi’s name was called out thrice. He stumbled onto the dais. The lights intimidated him. Thousands of eyes looked back. The anchor signalled him to begin. But fear overpowered him. He knew this was his only chance to win the money. And then he saw his father climbing up the stage. Baba stretched his hands out to him. Rishi held on to them and sang. The audience sat mesmerised. The end was greeted with a thunderous applause. Baba left the stage.

Two hours later, the winner was announced. Rishi had won the money. Shedding tears of joy, he called home to realize he had switched it off. His cell phone beeped. Ten missed calls and a message. “Baba passed way at 6pm. Heart failure,” read the message from his wife. He looked at his watch. His performance had started sharp at 6pm.

***

Glossary

Beta: Son