ONE EXTRA BEDROOM - A Thought Provoking Article - but slight depressing and it is from a pessimistic angle!

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One Extra Bedroom...A Thought Provoking Article - but slight depressing and it is from a pessimistic angle

We don't own this article - Someone had written and we got this article as a forward!

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ONE BEDROOM FLAT... AN INDIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEER'S LIFE...- A Bitter
Reality
As the dream of most parents I had acquired a degree in Software
Engineer
and joined a company based in USA, the land of braves and opportunity.
When
I arrived in the USA, it was as if a dream had come true.
Here at last I was in the place where I want to be. I decided I would
be
staying in this country for about Five years in which time I would have
earned enough money to settle down in India.
My father was a government employee and after his retirement, the only
asset
he could acquire was a decent one bedroom flat.
I wanted to do some thing more than him. I started feeling homesick and
lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my parents
every
week using cheap international phone cards. Two years passed, two years
of
Burgers at McDonald's and pizzas and discos and 2 years watching the
foreign
exchange rate getting happy whenever the Rupee value went down.
Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I have only 10
days
of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I got my
ticket booked in the cheapest flight. Was jubilant and was actually
enjoying
hopping for gifts for all my friends back home. If I miss anyone then
there
will be talks. After reaching home I spent home one week going through
all
the photographs of girls and as the time was getting shorter I was
forced to
select one candidate.
In-laws told me, to my surprise, that I would have to get married in
2-3
days, as I will not get anymore holidays. After the marriage, it was
time to
return to USA, after giving some money to my parents and telling the
neighbors to look after them, we returned to USA.

My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then she started
feeling lonely. The frequency of calling India increased to twice in a
week
sometimes 3 times a week. Our savings started diminishing. After two
more
years we started to have kids. Two lovely kids, a boy and a girl, were
gifted to us by the almighty. Every time I spoke to my parents, they
asked
me to come to India so that they can see their grand-children.
Every year I decide to go to India. But part work part monetary
conditions
prevented it. Years went by and visiting India was a distant dream.
Then
suddenly one day I got a message that my parents were seriously sick. I
tried but I couldn't get any holidays and thus could not go to India.
The
next message I got was my parents had passed away and as there was no
one to
do the last rights the society members had done whatever they could. I
was
depressed. My parents had passed away without seeing their grand
children.
After couple more years passed away, much to my children's dislike and
my
wife's joy we returned to India to settle down. I started to look for a
suitable property, but to my dismay my savings were short and the
property
prices had gone up during all these years. I had to return to the USA.
My wife refused to come back with me and my children refused to stay in
India. My 2 children and I returned to USA after promising my wife
I would be back for good after two years.
Time passed by, my daughter decided to get married to an American and
my son
was happy living in USA. I decided that had enough and wound-up every
thing
and returned to India. I had just enough money to buy a decent 2
bedroom
flat in a well-developed locality.
Now I am 60 years old and the only time I go out of the flat is for the
routine visit to the nearby temple. My faithful wife has also left me
and
gone to the holy abode.

Sometimes I wondered was it worth all this? My father, even after
staying in
India, had a house to his name and I too have the same nothing more.
I lost my parents and children for just ONE EXTRA BEDROOM.
Looking out from the window I see a lot of children dancing. This
damned
cable TV has spoiled our new generation and these children are losing
their
values and culture because of it. I get occasional cards from my
children
asking I am alright. Well at least they remember me.
Now perhaps after I die it will be the neighbors again who will be
performing my last rights, God Bless them. But the question still
remains
'was all this worth it?'
I am still searching for an answer................!!!!

- By an Indian SE who was in US.