While going through the application form filled by the young beautiful lady, sitting in front öf her table, Anita's mind was filled with emotions. She couldn't understand how could this world be so mean. Astonished by the answer given in the visitors colunm, Anita stared at the young woman with anger. It was written none in the visitors colunm.
Sitting on the chair of warden in the most famous old age home of the city, Anita could see the merciless behaviour of different kinds of People. Many sons and daughters left their parents here forever after promising that they will pay a visit very soon. Though, they didn't return, they maintained the courtesy öf not hurting their elders on face.
Here a daughter or a grand daughter??? Anita couldn't make out the age of the victim whose fate is written in the narrow corridors of this old age home. The woman who sat in front of her must be around thirty or thirty five...From her age, Anita guessed the victim as her grandmother who could be of the age somewhere near seventy or sevent five. Seventy five is not a big age in this home as most inmates here are running on their nineties . Thinking about the age, her eyes flew to the colunm of age. That colunm was empty.
The lady who filled the application left towards the car even before Anita thinks of asking about the inmate's age. Within a few minutes, she appeared with two big bags and one trolly bag. That was again a surprise to Anita as never in her career, she saw more than one bag given to the inmates. Two or three sets of clothes and a box filled with medicines were the most common contents of those small bags.
Looking at such a heavy luggage Anita called her back. She was confused on the available space to get all these things accommodated. She couldn't understand the need of this much luggage to a woman aged more than seventy. On her voice, the lady looked back with a lot of questions on her long eyes. Though, they were hidden behind her small spectacles, Anita could spell each and every questions in that look.
She left the luggages on the corridor and slowly walked towards Anita. Anita couldn't prevent herself from being harsh towards the lady because of her cruelty towards her mother or grand mother. She said in a rough voice that she can't afford this much of clothes here. The lady seemed calm and answered in a low voice that they are not clothes, they are books....the only assets I have in this world. I cant leave them.
Suddenly Anita felt that she is making a mistake while raising voice to a woman. She must have been entrusted by her siblings to leave their mother here. So she is not the only one to be blamed. On this thought, she could relax herself a bit and asked whether they needed a bigger room which will cost an amount of fifty thousands rupees more. The lady replied no. That no added a lot to Anita's anger. She couldn't imagine the suffocation an old woman will have in a small room, among this much of books
Without even showing the politeness to seek permission, the lady turned herself towards the luggage, Anita stopped her to give the reciept of 2.65 lacs. She explained the details of the Payment. Rs.15000 towards admission fees and Rs.2.5 lacs towards the fixed deposit, 40% of which will be returned on the death of the inmate.
Relatives of the inmate cannot claim the dead body as all the healthy parts of the body will be donated to the needed patients and rest of the body will be given to the medical students for their practical sessions. The lady listened it without any pain or restlessness unlike other People who reached there to leave their unwanted parents. Anita started hating the lady again for her insanity. Her mind tagged the lady as personified cruelty.
As the lady was about to leave again, Anita again called her from behind and asked her to fill the colunm of age. While the lady was taking the pen to fill that colunm, Anita asked her where is the inmate, she should sign in the register. Returning the application form, the lady forwarded her hands for the register. Being hesitant to give it to her, Anita told her that,"no, it should be signed by the inmate". First time since they met, the lady stared at Anita's eyes and took the register and signed on it without her permission and returned it. Shocked on her move, Anita looked at the colunm of age at the application form. It was written "32 years".