The confession of a smoker

The cursory assuring 'Plastic' smile of The Doctor,draped in white-apron with a Stetho around the neck and hoards of boys and girls in toe ended the daily evening ritual in the condemned ward of a city Government Hospital.
The patient of corner-bed of the first row saw it all,trying to keep the intense pain under control with gritted teeth.
A Hospital is meant for patients,A Human body can pretty well get infected with a disease but even then his mind was racing fast to a long past era,trying to track a train of incidents ,before he gets run out of his time......
'A Pair of Parrots',along with a 'catch them young' phrase adorning a tastefully decorated hoarding of a good- brand of cigarette was abundant in the city,along with other modes advertisements of tobacco products, always with an almost invisible one-liner statutory warning hardly ever caught his attention,more intensely than a passing tram or a bus or an un-known passers-by.
He was trying hard to exactly ascertain the date and time he had lit the first stick?Was it at some small hour of a Cold December Night? With Harry Weber in the company?Could not figure out.But whether it was Harry or Some one else,he was certain that it was on a cold winter night during one of his Night shifts.
The thing which was bothering him was not the initiator,neither the time but why and how he took the first draft?A room-mate smoking four packs of Macho brand of cig...The Charminar...never even drew a fleeting glance from him,what to speak of interest of having a puff.Curtain changed.Another room mate and a chain-smoker of a better brand of cigarette failed to entice him to go for a casual fag;
The patient passed out for a while,a male nurse reluctantly came near the bed but did nothing.After some time,on his own,he came to his senses.
With all his might,he was trying hard to turn the wheel of the pulley of time to raise a curtain of one of the days of his past life....At last the curtain raised,he found a young man standing in front of a baldy, old man,with specks on..sitting on a bed-stead.The head of the boy was hung low,eyes pointed towards his toe,obviously he was in shame;.
But what was expected did not happen.The young man,as apprehended,did not receive any scolding;On the contrary,a soothing,reasonable voice entered his ear.He found it to be coming from the mouth of the old man,in the form of interactive question
"Have you started smoking?"
Yes...very recently..already told it to my mother.
Smoking is an addiction and as well it is not good for health....are you aware of it?
Yes.
Then you should give it up and I should ask you to go for it.But unfortunately,there is a catch.Morally I cannot ask you to give up this addiction as I have also one and that also is too old...an old habit for almost fifty years.
But we can sort it out,we can pretty well have a sporting deal...Let us resolve that from tomorrow I will give up my habit of taking snuff and you will stop smoking.
Meeting ended.
Rendezvous between the two in next Sunday morning.
Have you given up smoking?The first and only question from the old man.
The young man stood like a statue...The answer was obvious.
Slowly,the old man told that to be a human being is not as easy as it seems to be.However,try and one day you may achieve the faculties of a Human Being...putting a little bit of emphasis...for the benefit of the young man.
The old man gave up his habit of fifty years from the very next day.

Hairs turned grey,frame drooped,years rolled on.No request or order,cajoling or persuasion could force him to stop his smoking although it was not unknown or UN-expected to him of his present fate.But how he could make others feel the intense humiliation he had suffered,the self humiliation he had been suffering not being able to give up a few days old habit whereas some one in front of him gave up fifty years old addiction without any qualm or remorse.He resolved that if ever he gives up his habit then he will do it on his own..a step towards the faculties of a Human being.Curtain pulled down.Darkness and etetrnal silence engulfed everything.A known hand was extended towards him....a thought communicated to him to catch hold that hand...not through any word or sound but through a sort of wave of instant understanding...he has crossed the land of mortals.He caught hold of that hand with fervour and vigour and started following it with glee.It took you a long time to shake it off..a thought with a tinge of remorse came to the boy from his father.