The son had become financially independent, leading to frequent arguments with his mother. This was the same mother who used to stand up for her son even against her husband. Despite being financially independent, the son ignored his father’s advice and insisted, “This is the age for enjoyment, dressing well. If I don’t indulge in these pleasures now, what will I do when I have no teeth in my mouth and no energy left in my stomach?”
The daughter-in-law came from a loving family, and the fragrance of her home had captivated the son’s household. While the son’s job was good, his social circle was modern. He often asked his wife to abandon her traditional clothing for modern attire, but she resisted, saying, “You’re doing great things. Everyone nowadays does the same. I’m doing everything for your happiness, and you’re stuck in outdated thoughts. You don’t even know what quality of life means.”
The wife continued, “I don’t need to know what quality of life is because I believe in the essence of life.”
Suddenly, the father was admitted to the ICU due to a heart attack. The doctor presented a bill of three lakhs, which needed to be paid immediately. The son had already paid one and a half lakhs, but the remaining three lakhs seemed overwhelming. He reached out to friends for help, but each one found an excuse to avoid assisting him. With tears in his eyes, he pondered over what to do.
At that moment, his wife appeared with a lunchbox and said, “Taking care of yourself is essential. What will happen by being sad? Work with determination. Nothing will happen to Babuji. Don’t worry. Eat something, and then arrange for the money. I’ll stay here with Babuji.” Tears welled up in the husband’s eyes.
“No one agreed. Everyone found some excuse, including those friends I spent thousands on during parties.”
“Parents used to say to save for such days. Well, no worries. You don’t worry about it now. How much do we need to deposit?”
“We still have time to receive a salary. Why worry, Khushboo?”
“I’ve managed your desires. What does that mean?”
“You used to give me money for new clothes and other things. I’ve saved all of that. Maa told me over the phone that we need to deposit three lakhs. I had two lakhs. I borrowed the rest from my brother. There’s only one lunchbox for food, but there’s money in the rest.”
“Khushboo! You are truly my better half. I wanted to make you modern, flying in the air. But you never abandoned your values. Today, those very values are our salvation.”
In front of him, his mother’s eyes were filled with tears. Today, he felt proud not of himself but of the values instilled by another woman, and the daughter-in-law humbly expressed gratitude to the Higher Power above.