In the midst of cleaning his glasses, Fazal turned to his wife and remarked, “During our time, there were no mobile phones.” His wife retorted, “But remember, you used to come to the door with a glass of water precisely at 5:55 PM. I could always count on it.” Fazal chuckled, “Yes, I worked for 30 years, yet I’m still not sure if I came for the water you needed or if you fetched the water for me to arrive.”
His wife added, “And how could I forget the time before your retirement, when you hadn’t developed diabetes yet? I used to make your favorite rice pudding. You’d mention that you suddenly craved it around noon.”
Fazal nodded, “Indeed, I recall that. Upon leaving the office, the thought of tasting that pudding compelled me to hurry home.” His wife reminisced, “And the day of my first delivery, when I went into labor, and the pain started. I wished you were with me. If only you had magically appeared within an hour!”
Fazal smiled, “Yes, I’ve often thought about that day.”
His wife continued, “And the times when you would read romantic poetry to me, gazing into my eyes.”
Fazal added, “Yes, I would read those verses, and you would lower your eyelashes, making me believe you were captivated by my recitation.”
His wife laughed, “And the day when I accidentally burned my hand while making tea, and that evening, you pulled out a tube of burn ointment from your pocket and nonchalantly said, ‘Put it in your bag.'”
Fazal chuckled, “Yes, just the other day, I realized that the tube had expired. I wonder when we might need it next.”
His wife mused, “You used to say that after work, we would go watch a movie and have dinner outside.”
Fazal smiled, “And when you would wear an outfit of the same color that I had envisioned.”
Drawing closer, his wife held his hand and said, “Yes, during our time, there were no mobile phones, but there was ‘us.'”
Fazal’s eyes softened, “Today, our son and daughter-in-law are together, yet it’s not the same. Conversations happen over WhatsApp, not face-to-face. There’s no tagging in physical presence, no chemistry like before. Friends are mere followers, not true attachments.”
His wife nodded, “They don’t want children. They want PUBG, Candy Crush Saga, Temple Run, and Subway Surfers.”
Fazal sighed, “True. We are in vibration mode now, and our battery life is down to a single bar. Oh, where did the time go?”
His wife chuckled, “I was about to say that I need to make tea.”
Fazal grinned, “I was just going to suggest that you make some.”
His wife added, “You know, I’m still in the middle of correcting papers, and messages keep coming in.”
They both shared a laugh.
Fazal quipped, “Yes, during our time, there were no mobile phones.”
In this tech-savvy era, the nostalgia of a simpler time remains a reminder of the deeper connections and moments that technology often masks.