65 year old B P Sharma loses his cool when asked about his reason for staying in the old age home when he has a family. He spares no words to castigate his only son’s behaviour. The very son whom he had brought up in a life of luxury and provided the best of education has now put his father in this old age home after his marriage as Sharma and his daughter-in-law could not adjust with each other. Sharma feels that if he had a daughter, she would have taken proper care of him. Sharma, however, hastily adds that he bears no ill-will for his son and hopes that one day he would realize his folly.

Gumla a resident of Banke Bihari countered this correspondent’s wish of a happy new year with “What happy new year? All the 365 days are the same for us. We are all happy here as a new family and every day is a new day for us that begins with a hope and ends with emptiness. It is fate which has forced us to live on our own at the mercy of others when we have a large family of our own. So what is the point in grumbling?”

106 year old Asharfi Devi, the oldest inmate of the home, however, is content with life at the home. Her family members in Palamu do come to visit her on and off but she prefers the life at the old age home and terms it ‘peaceful’. That one word says it all.

There are many others in the home who have a large family but none bother to visit them for months at a stretch. They feel that their obligation is over after paying the monthly maintenance charges to the caretakers.

The ironical thing is that the inmates of the home are not complaining about any lack of facilities or any other need. All that they yearn for is love and genuine concern from all quarters. None of the inmates bear any grudge or ill-will against their kith and kin but definitely convey the message that youngsters should be more sensitive towards their elders and not discard them as they would their old clothing and shoes. They should realise that one day they will also grow old.