“Amit, hasn’t Babuji woken up yet? You know how his health deteriorates if he doesn’t take his medicines on time. Amit, can you please check on him? I’m busy making rotis, the vegetables are on the stove, and I still have to pack your tiffin. Babuji usually asks for tea as soon as he wakes up, precisely at 7 a.m. But it’s already 7:45, and he hasn’t come to the kitchen asking for tea yet.”
Aditi’s words made Amit feel uneasy as well. Why hadn’t Babuji woken up yet? Amit immediately went to his room. Babuji was still in bed, sleeping deeply. Amit called out, “Babuji, wake up! It’s almost 8 o’clock. Don’t you want your tea today?”
There was no response. Amit gently shook Babuji to wake him up, but the cold touch of his body startled him. He screamed, “Aditi! Aditi! Come here quickly. Babuji isn’t waking up!”
Leaving the roti half-rolled and turning off the stove, Aditi rushed to Babuji’s room. Amit, feeling helpless, said, “Aditi, look, Babuji isn’t waking up.”
Aditi tried to wake him too, but Babuji remained unresponsive. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she tried to reassure herself, saying, “He must be in a deep sleep from the effects of last night’s medication. Wait, I’ll call the doctor.”
Aditi dialed Babuji’s regular doctor. “Hello, Doctor Sahab, this is Geeta speaking.”
The doctor replied, “Yes, Geeta. Is everything alright? I just checked on Babuji a couple of days ago. His BP was high, so I changed his medication.”
Aditi said, “Doctor Sahab, Babuji isn’t waking up. Could you please come over quickly?”
The doctor responded, “Yes… yes… I’m coming right away.”
Within 10 minutes, the doctor arrived and examined Babuji. Placing a comforting hand on Amit’s shoulder, he said, “He passed away early this morning. His high BP took a toll on him. I’ll prepare the death certificate.”
Hearing the doctor’s words, Aditi broke down into sobs. The doctor tried to console her, saying, “Geeta, birth and death are not in our control, and besides, Babuji had lived a full life. What’s destined to happen cannot be stopped.”
He then turned to Amit and continued, “I would say it’s a blessing in disguise that he didn’t have to suffer anymore. Alzheimer’s is a very painful disease, not just for the patient but for their loved ones too. By the way, what name should I put on the death certificate? I’ve always known him as ‘Babuji’ because that’s how you both referred to him.”
For a moment, Amit and Aditi exchanged puzzled glances. Then, breaking the silence, Aditi spoke up, “Doctor Sahab, my name isn’t Geeta; it’s Aditi. For the past ten years, I’ve been living as Geeta for Babuji.”
“Wait, what do you mean?” the doctor asked, confused.
Aditi began to explain, “This is a story from about 10 years ago, Doctor Sahab. I had gone to the vegetable market to buy some groceries. After finishing my shopping, as I was searching for an empty rickshaw to head back home, an elderly gentleman approached me, calling out, ‘Geeta, Geeta!’ He grabbed my arm and said, ‘Geeta, I can’t find my way home. I’ve been standing here for so long, but I don’t know which way to go. It’s a good thing you found me. Let’s go home now.’
“The elderly man looked well-off, both in appearance and attire. Holding my hand, he insisted, ‘Geeta, come on, quickly. I’m so hungry.’ I was bewildered and didn’t know what to do. Hearing his kind, affectionate tone, I thought I should take him home, feed him, and then quietly ask for his address so I could drop him off at his house. So, I brought him home with me in a rickshaw.
“As soon as we reached home, the elderly man said, ‘Geeta, hurry up and give me some food. I’m starving.’ I quickly served him the available food, and he ate it with the eagerness of someone who hadn’t eaten in days. Afterward, I gently asked, ‘Babuji, where do you live? Do you remember? I’ll take you home.’
“The elderly man replied, ‘Oh, Geeta, this is our home.’ I was at a loss for what to do. He then went to the sofa and fell asleep. When Amit came home that evening, I told him everything. Amit suggested that we place an ad in the newspaper’s missing persons section and contact the local TV program that helps locate missing people to find out his address or locate his relatives. Amit also informed the police about the elderly man. They told us to keep him at our house until someone claimed him or, if it was inconvenient, to admit him to a government old-age home or hospital.
“During this time, he would always call out for ‘Geeta’ and follow me around the house. He would request specific dishes like bhindi, besan ki kadhi, or halwa. Listening to his requests and witnessing his affection filled my heart with emotions. He had such a genuine and warm way of expressing himself that I couldn’t help but feel connected to him.
“A week passed, but there was no news about him. Although he couldn’t assist with anything, having an elder in the house brought us great joy. Doing something for him made us feel fulfilled. Amit and I then decided that we wouldn’t send him anywhere; we would keep him with us. We informed the police of our decision, and from that moment on, the elderly man became our ‘Babuji.’
“Ten years have passed since I took on the name ‘Geeta’ for Babuji. Today, with Babuji’s departure, the existence of Geeta has also ended.” As she spoke, tears streamed down Aditi’s face once more.
Hearing Aditi’s story, the doctor was left speechless. After a few moments, he said, “In all these years, I never once realized that he wasn’t your actual father but a stranger. To be honest, Alzheimer’s is a very serious disease, and it’s becoming increasingly common among the elderly today.
“In today’s world, even one’s own children are reluctant to take care of their parents. There’s a growing trend of children taking their parents’ money and property and then shirking their responsibilities. As a result, old-age homes are becoming more crowded by the day. But it’s people like you who restore my faith in humanity.”
The doctor then fell silent, offering a gentle pat on Amit and Aditi’s backs as a gesture of love and comfort. He handed them Babuji’s death certificate and, with tear-filled eyes, made his way towards the main door.
Heart touching story