Small Story 195.

Small Story 195. A Bond Forged Through Kindness Prakash was waiting for his son, Arun, to return from the office. Normally, Arun came home at 6:15 P.M., but today, something was different. Prakash's phone rang, and it was Arun calling. "Hello, Dad. One of my colleagues fell down at the office. I’m at the hospital with him. I’ll be a little late. Don’t worry, just let Mom know," Arun said. Prakash immediately called his wife, Suganya, and told her that Arun would be coming late. He added, “I don’t know if he’ll meet my friend Sudharsan today. He was supposed to, but his colleague fell in the office, and Arun had to take him to the hospital." At 8:30 P.M., Arun came home and explained the situation to his parents. "Dad, he was weak, and his BP dropped. That’s why he fell. Don’t worry. He’s fine now. He recently joined our office. His mom is a really nice lady. She offered me tea and sweets, and his dad went out to meet a friend. His sister also greeted me." The next morning, Prakash received a call from Sudharsan. "Hey buddy, I asked my wife last night if your son came over. She said no," Sudharsan said. Prakash explained, "Arun took his colleague to the hospital and then went to his house. He was treated well and had tea and snacks there." "Oh, I see," Sudharsan replied, keeping the phone. Later that evening, Sudharsan and his wife arrived at Prakash's house. Prakash greeted them warmly, offering Mysorepak, which Suganya made every alternate day, since Prakash loved it. "Arun had to go see his friend," Prakash mentioned. Sudharsan smiled and said, "Prakash, you don’t know how wonderful your son is. He helped my son, who recently joined his office. He’s very weak, and because of his poor health, he fainted. Arun took him to the hospital, stayed with him, and even brought him home. It’s so thoughtful of him. And the funniest part is that he was supposed to meet me, but I had some urgent work and couldn’t. But, in the end, everything worked out. My daughter, Vasanthy, saw him, and he saw her. I hope he likes her." Just then, Arun came home and greeted Sudharsan and his wife. Sudharsan looked at Arun and thought, "Handsome boy." Vasanthy, who usually didn’t warm up to people right away, was impressed by Arun’s kindness. She realized how thoughtful he was to help her brother, Vasanth, and take him to the doctor. Prakash nodded and said, "Yes, God works in mysterious ways. An accident brought us all closer." After some time, Sudharsan and his wife left. Two months later, Arun and Vasanthy’s wedding was grandly celebrated at a famous wedding hall, with beautiful Carnatic music filling the air. It was a day filled with joy and blessings, a bond that began with a small act of kindness and grew into something beautiful. K.Ragavan 25-3-25