It is 5:30 in the morning. Ibrahim rubs his eyes and tries to peek outside by partially lifting the curtain of his bedside window. As usual, the sun is not out yet but today the sky is covered with clouds. He makes a small prayer before putting his first step on the floor, gets out of his bed and freshens up quickly. Without making any noise, he steps out of his house for his morning stroll.
The lush green fields are wet because of the overnight shower, the wind is cooler than usual and the sky is brighter as compared to when he woke up. He skips putting on his slippers and starts walking towards his little tree house in the middle of the field - a couple of miles away. Climbing up the tree, he is hooked on the first glimpse of the sun, a visual aid that he believes is helping him wake early since nearly 70 years now.
While walking back, he takes a longer route around the periphery of the farm, fixes a couple of scarecrows that had fallen down because of the storm and greets a few neighbours. He returns home to find his son and daughter-in-law - Manohar and Shweta - busy with the morning household chores. He finds his wife sitting in the inner verandah, knitting beautiful flowers into garlands for the wedding in their neighbourhood. Flowers have always been her passion and even at 68, she finds newer combinations and techniques to make the festoon look prettier.
In the afternoon, Manohar and his wife had taken their daughter for some hands-on lessons on ploughing the field - after she returned from school. Ibrahim was lying besides his wife when an old thought struck him again. He nudges her and she understands that he wants to talk about something. They walk up to the tractor shelter - about half a mile away in the field. He points towards the only tree in the west and reminds her of the day when his friend gifted him that part of the land with the Banyan tree.
About 45 years ago, Ibrahim's best friend and neighbour - who owned a small farm adjacent to his - fell critically ill. Ramesh, a single parent, was deeply worried about his two-year old son, Manohar. Ramesh demanded that Ibrahim should keep all of his property as well - but he declined. After Ramesh insisted on the Banyan tree is when Ibrahim agreed to keep that portion of the land and donated the rest to the nearby old-age home. Furthermore, Ibrahim never farmed that portion of the land - for he didn't want to feel that income from Ramesh's land was being used to feed his child. It was only after Ibrahim took primary responsibility of the field that he started to farm there.
Ibrahim's wife, a little furious as to why narrating an age old story again was more important than her afternoon nap, asks him his point. Ibrahim throws light on how Ramesh had always been an organised person - someone who would always think and plan about his future. It was because of this attitude that he was able to plan his son's custody and have him handed over legally before his last breath.
Ibrahim's wife, although a lot more agitated than ever, realises that there might not be any point. She has lived through the story in real and yet heard it and its million perspectives incessantly over the last forty five years. Ibrahim tells her how he has always been anxious to know why Ramesh was so adamant that he kept the tree. He believes that there is some family story behind it and that Ramesh must have told him sometime during their evening tea sessions. He feels that he owes it to Manohar, who doesn't even know that Ibrahim isn't his biological father - he was so young when he lost both his parents that he doesn't have any memory of it.
A few days later, Manohar came back very late from the fields. Ibrahim, a lot more determined to tell him the truth about his biological parents, waited for him to finish his dinner. Although Manohar was very tired, Ibrahim took him to the Banyan tree, held his hands and started telling him about Ramesh. Manohar listened patiently in the beginning, for he thought that his dad was telling him some random story, but was astounded when the entire truth unfolded.
To Ibrahim's surprise, Manohar held his hands even more firmly and told him how fortunate he has been to have had a father like him all his life. Ibrahim further expressed how he and his wife were planning on having a kid but they dropped the idea right after they adopted Manohar - and tried their best to treat him like their own. He also highlighted how after the adoption, his fortunes took a turn and his farm started to flourish like never before.
After exchanging their emotions, the father-son duo started walking towards their home - when suddenly Manohar asks "Dad, there is no doubt on how you have always treated me like your own son. The fact that I never even sensed this in forty-five years is a testament of how I have never been a friend's son to you - but your very own. However, why is it that you never mentioned to me about your gold deposits near the Banyan tree? Is it a tribute for your friend in lieu of the son he gave you?"
About 45 years ago, Ibrahim's best friend and neighbour - who owned a small farm adjacent to his - fell critically ill. Ramesh, a single parent, was deeply worried about his two-year old son, Manohar. Ramesh demanded that Ibrahim should keep all of his property as well - but he declined. After Ramesh insisted on the Banyan tree is when Ibrahim agreed to keep that portion of the land and donated the rest to the nearby old-age home. Furthermore, Ibrahim never farmed that portion of the land - for he didn't want to feel that income from Ramesh's land was being used to feed his child. It was only after Ibrahim took primary responsibility of the field that he started to farm there.
Ibrahim's wife, a little furious as to why narrating an age old story again was more important than her afternoon nap, asks him his point. Ibrahim throws light on how Ramesh had always been an organised person - someone who would always think and plan about his future. It was because of this attitude that he was able to plan his son's custody and have him handed over legally before his last breath.
Ibrahim's wife, although a lot more agitated than ever, realises that there might not be any point. She has lived through the story in real and yet heard it and its million perspectives incessantly over the last forty five years. Ibrahim tells her how he has always been anxious to know why Ramesh was so adamant that he kept the tree. He believes that there is some family story behind it and that Ramesh must have told him sometime during their evening tea sessions. He feels that he owes it to Manohar, who doesn't even know that Ibrahim isn't his biological father - he was so young when he lost both his parents that he doesn't have any memory of it.
A few days later, Manohar came back very late from the fields. Ibrahim, a lot more determined to tell him the truth about his biological parents, waited for him to finish his dinner. Although Manohar was very tired, Ibrahim took him to the Banyan tree, held his hands and started telling him about Ramesh. Manohar listened patiently in the beginning, for he thought that his dad was telling him some random story, but was astounded when the entire truth unfolded.
To Ibrahim's surprise, Manohar held his hands even more firmly and told him how fortunate he has been to have had a father like him all his life. Ibrahim further expressed how he and his wife were planning on having a kid but they dropped the idea right after they adopted Manohar - and tried their best to treat him like their own. He also highlighted how after the adoption, his fortunes took a turn and his farm started to flourish like never before.
After exchanging their emotions, the father-son duo started walking towards their home - when suddenly Manohar asks "Dad, there is no doubt on how you have always treated me like your own son. The fact that I never even sensed this in forty-five years is a testament of how I have never been a friend's son to you - but your very own. However, why is it that you never mentioned to me about your gold deposits near the Banyan tree? Is it a tribute for your friend in lieu of the son he gave you?"
Amazing and lucid turn of events👏🏻
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