The Real Wealth
*This is an entry for the May Blog Of The Month competition.
"Dr. Imran! do u remember me?" a middle aged man came towards him, while he was looking at the flower's lane.
"No " he replied.
"Sir you saved my son when he was struggling for life. You did his open heart surgery ten years back. Now see he is a young boy." He said while looking at a handsome boy standing with him.
"Oh okay " he tried to smile.
The boy shook hand with him and said " Sir you know i also have a aim of becoming a successful cardiac surgeon like you and I am working hard for it."
"Good luck " he replied.
The father and son walked away.
"Dad why he don't remember us?"
"Son he got so many patients daily. That's why he would have forgotten us. But i'm highly indebted to this man. He is an angel of God. When we were left with no hope, he saved you. It was a miracle for us."
The old man heard their conversation. He was still sitting on bench and watching flowers and children playing."Sir lets go. The sun is about to set." his caretaker said.
He stood up and walked slowly outside the park. "This side sir." The caretaker opened the door of Mercedes and he sat inside. The car was running and he was looking outside scenes as a blind man looking at world for first time.The car stopped in front of a grand royal house and they walked inside.
"Hey you " the old man said.
"I'm Mushtaq, sir " the caretaker replied.
"Get me a glass of water"
The phone rang. Mushtaq picked it up.
"Hello "
"Hello Mushtaq how are you? Are you giving meals and medicines to dad as scheduled?"
"Yes Sir "
"And taking him for outing daily? " "Yes sir i'm doing all the work regularly."
"Okay fine. I'll be back in a week. How is dad?"
"He is not improving, he even forgot my name today."
"Oh okay. See you." He said and cut off the call.
"Sir your son Aryan was calling from New York. He'll be back in a week." Mushtaq said while serving dinner but old man didn't respond. After dinner Mushtaq took the Doctor to his room.
"Good night sir " he said and walked away.
The old man was sitting on bed and looking at the front wall. There were degrees of MBBS and FCPS and other courses awarded to Dr. Imran. There were awards of best surgeon presented to him in different times. In the center there was a big picture of Prime minister presenting him an award.
What's all this? i don't remember anything. He wondered and slept.
The next whole week Mushtaq took him to different restaurants and parks. Almost everyday he met people who were thankful to him.
"Hello Doctor. This is my daughter whom you saved seven years back. Now she's a mother herself."
"Hi doctor you did my heart transplant. Words can't describe how much thankful i'm to you."
And many more stories like this. But he was always looking at them in expressionless way and thinking what are they talking about.
He was taking tea in living room when Aryan arrived.
" Hello Dad. How are you? you missed me?"
He hugged him. Doctor looked at him like a stranger and said nothing.Aryan was disappointed.
"We'll go for check up tomorrow dad"
He again remained silent.
The next day they were in hospital. After check up Aryan went to the doctor's room.
"Dr Khalid he doesn't remember even me now. "
"Yes son. His Alzheimer is progressing. He is now developing the stage of serious Alzheimer. I'm changing the medicines. Let's see what happen."
"Okay " Aryan replied sadly.
"He doesn't remember me. I can't believe how he forgot the days of our medical school. He was the most shinning student. Our friendship was exceptional." Dr Khalid said while a tear ran down his cheeks.
Aryan said goodbye to him and they came home.
In evening Mushtaq came and said "Dr Imran some people are outside, wishing to meet you."
"Yes bring them" Aryan replied.
A teenage girl with her parents was sitting in front of Dr Imran. They had brought lots of gifts, sweets and flowers.
"Dr you did her open heart surgery when she was twelve years old. She was inspired from you so much that she aimed to be a cardiac surgeon like you." The lady said.
"She has got admission to medical school and we are so much thankful to you. I can't imagine what had happened without you." The man said.
The doctor nodded.
" Sir u are so lucky. You are so successful and your home is so beautiful too. You are so wealthy." The girl said to doctor.
" I'm not. I feel like most poor person on earth because real wealth isn't money, house or jewels. Real wealth are MEMORIES and i don't have any of them." The doctor replied slowly.
"Dr. Imran! do u remember me?" a middle aged man came towards him, while he was looking at the flower's lane.
"No " he replied.
"Sir you saved my son when he was struggling for life. You did his open heart surgery ten years back. Now see he is a young boy." He said while looking at a handsome boy standing with him.
"Oh okay " he tried to smile.
The boy shook hand with him and said " Sir you know i also have a aim of becoming a successful cardiac surgeon like you and I am working hard for it."
"Good luck " he replied.
The father and son walked away.
"Dad why he don't remember us?"
"Son he got so many patients daily. That's why he would have forgotten us. But i'm highly indebted to this man. He is an angel of God. When we were left with no hope, he saved you. It was a miracle for us."
The old man heard their conversation. He was still sitting on bench and watching flowers and children playing."Sir lets go. The sun is about to set." his caretaker said.
He stood up and walked slowly outside the park. "This side sir." The caretaker opened the door of Mercedes and he sat inside. The car was running and he was looking outside scenes as a blind man looking at world for first time.The car stopped in front of a grand royal house and they walked inside.
"Hey you " the old man said.
"I'm Mushtaq, sir " the caretaker replied.
"Get me a glass of water"
The phone rang. Mushtaq picked it up.
"Hello "
"Hello Mushtaq how are you? Are you giving meals and medicines to dad as scheduled?"
"Yes Sir "
"And taking him for outing daily? " "Yes sir i'm doing all the work regularly."
"Okay fine. I'll be back in a week. How is dad?"
"He is not improving, he even forgot my name today."
"Oh okay. See you." He said and cut off the call.
"Sir your son Aryan was calling from New York. He'll be back in a week." Mushtaq said while serving dinner but old man didn't respond. After dinner Mushtaq took the Doctor to his room.
"Good night sir " he said and walked away.
The old man was sitting on bed and looking at the front wall. There were degrees of MBBS and FCPS and other courses awarded to Dr. Imran. There were awards of best surgeon presented to him in different times. In the center there was a big picture of Prime minister presenting him an award.
What's all this? i don't remember anything. He wondered and slept.
The next whole week Mushtaq took him to different restaurants and parks. Almost everyday he met people who were thankful to him.
"Hello Doctor. This is my daughter whom you saved seven years back. Now she's a mother herself."
"Hi doctor you did my heart transplant. Words can't describe how much thankful i'm to you."
And many more stories like this. But he was always looking at them in expressionless way and thinking what are they talking about.
He was taking tea in living room when Aryan arrived.
" Hello Dad. How are you? you missed me?"
He hugged him. Doctor looked at him like a stranger and said nothing.Aryan was disappointed.
"We'll go for check up tomorrow dad"
He again remained silent.
The next day they were in hospital. After check up Aryan went to the doctor's room.
"Dr Khalid he doesn't remember even me now. "
"Yes son. His Alzheimer is progressing. He is now developing the stage of serious Alzheimer. I'm changing the medicines. Let's see what happen."
"Okay " Aryan replied sadly.
"He doesn't remember me. I can't believe how he forgot the days of our medical school. He was the most shinning student. Our friendship was exceptional." Dr Khalid said while a tear ran down his cheeks.
Aryan said goodbye to him and they came home.
In evening Mushtaq came and said "Dr Imran some people are outside, wishing to meet you."
"Yes bring them" Aryan replied.
A teenage girl with her parents was sitting in front of Dr Imran. They had brought lots of gifts, sweets and flowers.
"Dr you did her open heart surgery when she was twelve years old. She was inspired from you so much that she aimed to be a cardiac surgeon like you." The lady said.
"She has got admission to medical school and we are so much thankful to you. I can't imagine what had happened without you." The man said.
The doctor nodded.
" Sir u are so lucky. You are so successful and your home is so beautiful too. You are so wealthy." The girl said to doctor.
" I'm not. I feel like most poor person on earth because real wealth isn't money, house or jewels. Real wealth are MEMORIES and i don't have any of them." The doctor replied slowly.
- Ayesha Habib (Class of 2019)
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