Their Son:
Uma said, ‘It’s high time. We can’t live like this. We need a child.’ ‘Hmm. You are right, but, do you think we can do this now?’, said Mahesh. Uma sat near Mahesh and said, ‘ Of Course we can. There is always time to do things we love.’ Mahesh patted Uma’s head and said, ‘ We will have a child soon. Keep your faith in Lord Shiva.’ Uma smiled and said, ‘I have unwavered faith in my God. I know we won’t be lonely anymore.’
Very soon, Uma and Mahesh got what they were waiting for. Their lives were filled with love and happiness. This beautiful child came to their lives and made their lives worthwhile. Uma and Mahesh ensured their child got the best of everything. Right from care, to education, to life skills, the child got everything. When Uma cooked, her child would stand near her and see how she cooked. Eventually, he used to help Uma in cooking. That’s when Mahesh and Uma realised, their son had keen interest in culinary skills. They should help him follow his passion. And as for the son, all he wanted was his parents to be happy. The appreciation he got from his parents for the things he did was something which motivated him to chase his dreams.
15 years flew. The son of Uma and Mahesh now was the owner of a restaurant. Today, it was a special day. Eid. Yes Eid celebrations started. The cuisines that were prepared were all favourite cuisines of Uma and Mahesh. Right from ‘Sheer Khurma’ to ‘Shaahi Tukda’ to ‘Phirni’, the restaurant had everything. Biryani, and sweets were delivered for free to Holy Home Orphanage. After all, that’s where Mahesh and Uma had met their child Rafiq, who was 9 years old then. Mahesh and Uma had seen the little child sitting away from everyone. Nobody wanted to adopt him. Uma fell in love with him the moment she saw him and she knew she wanted him as her son.
The decision to adopt a child at that point in life was a tough one. Mahesh was 60 and Uma was 55 years old then. Their only child, Rohan had left for his higher studies and then got settled abroad, never to come back again. That’s when Rafiq came to their lives. When everyone questioned Uma, ‘How are you going to take care of Rafiq?’, Uma always replied, ‘I don’t have to do anything. My lord Shiva will take care of him. I will do as my God says.’ That’s exactly what she did. Today 24 year old Rafiq could manage his restaurant well. He started saving money too for his future. Best part is, his life revolved around Uma and Mahesh. Uma and Mahesh now knew that, Rafiq could now take care of himself well. If death took them away from Rafiq, they knew Rafiq would manage things well. Whenever they talked about old age and death, Rafiq would say, ‘ My maa and baba will never die.’ He would then kiss Uma and Mahesh and hug them tight. Rafiq had down’s syndrome. Uma and Mahesh were never worried about that. Rafiq was not like the other ‘normal’ children. True. He also never had the acidic tongue, selfish heart and cold demeanour like many other ‘normal’ people in this world. Their son was precious.
