Rustam turned 35 this year. His late mother, Nigora opa, did not live to see these days. However, his father, Olim aka, sacrificed everything for his son—he went without eating so Rustam could eat, went without wearing so Rustam could be dressed, and did everything he could to secure his son’s bright future. Even after his wife’s passing, he never remarried. Through honest labor, he provided Rustam with an education, helped him obtain a university degree, and secured a good job for him. He even arranged Rustam’s marriage, and his wife gave birth to three children in succession.
However, Rustam gradually drifted away from his father. Eventually, after consulting with his wife, he decided to send his father to a nursing home. He deceived his father, telling him he would take him to a “wonderful place,” but never brought him back.
Rustam’s children soon noticed their grandfather’s absence and asked about him every day. His youngest daughter, Munisa, missed her grandfather so much that she fell ill:
– “If Grandpa doesn’t come back, I won’t take medicine or eat,” she repeatedly said.
Days turned into months, and Rustam even forgot about leaving his father in that desolate place. Meanwhile, poor Olim aka waited every day with hope in his eyes, truly believing that his son would one day come and take him home.
One day, Munisa insisted that her father take her to visit her grandfather. Rustam, pressured by his daughter, brought her to the nursing home but chose to wait outside. Munisa ran inside and hugged her grandfather tightly, telling him how much she had missed him and how empty the house felt without him.
Olim aka had also missed his granddaughter dearly and embraced her with all his heart. He asked:
– “Is your father doing well? Is he healthy? Is he treating you all well?”
Munisa replied:
– “You know, Grandpa, when I grow up, I will bring my daddy here too. I love both you and him very, very much.”
Hearing these words from behind the door, Rustam realized that he had betrayed the trust Allah had given him…
Anaxon Dilmurodovna Botirova was born on November 1, 2005, in Urgench, Khorezm region. She is currently a second-year student in the Uzbek Language program at the Faculty of Philology and Arts of Urgench State University. She is the author of several creative works and dozens of scientific articles.