The Monologue

“You know dad,” she said, “sometimes I feel you don’t listen when I speak.” No reply. “Like when I call out to you, you don’t seem to hear me. Do you even care? You saw me cry today but didn’t comfort me. I wonder how you can be so heartless!” No response, not a word. “See! This is exactly what I mean. You’re still doing it. Will you even turn and face me while I speak now or should I believe I don’t exist for you?” Desperate, she screamed, “Dad! Answer me!” He didn’t flinch at the sound of his beloved daughter’s cry. He lay there stone cold. They covered his face with a shroud and lifted his body. Tears streamed down her face while she heard the words “Raam Naam Satya Hai”; loud at first, slowly fading, as the procession took him further away, leaving the conversation incomplete, forever.