The 70-year-old father-in-law married the stubborn young maid – a year later when she showed the DNA report, the whole family was stunned…

My father-in-law Raghunath ji is now 70 years old. After the death of his mother Kamla Devi, he started living alone in the old bungalow of Pune. We hired a young domestic help, Anjali – 29 years old, from Kolkata, naughty, agile and sweet-tongued to look after her.

In the beginning, I thought, “There’s someone who will take care of them, just don’t cross the line.” But within a few months, Anjali’s situation began to change – she had become no more than just a maid, but Raghunathji’s confidante and companion.

Every evening, both of them would go for a walk, go to the temple, and they would call her “Meri Jaan”. One day they stunned the whole house:

“I will marry Anjali. She’s going to be the mother of my child. If someone says something, don’t regret it later!”

The whole family was shocked. Brother-in-law Rahul started crying, my husband Vikram angrily banged on the table: “This is sheer betrayal!”

Everyone was convinced that Anjali was just greedy for money, trapping an old rich man.

But exactly a month later, when Raghunath ji was adamant on the wedding preparations – he collapsed in the courtyard.

He was taken to the hospital. He died after being in a coma for a week.

A will written with trembling hands and a last gift…

After the funeral, we opened an old letter from him — a testament written with trembling hands:

“Distribute the property equally among all the children.” But the Pune bungalow is in the name of Anjali and her child. Think of it as their wedding gift.”

We were silent. Along with the grief, there were questions in my mind – was this child really theirs?

The DNA report made it all clear.

A few days later, Anjali submitted a DNA report to us to get the child’s birth certificate made.

According to the report, the child was not Raghunath’s.

We were all speechless.

The truth that he never revealed…

After going through the report, we searched his room and found an old medical file – that of Bombay Hospital. It wrote that he was declared permanently impotent after prostate surgery, several years ago.

It meant — they knew the child wasn’t theirs. Still, he didn’t say anything.

Perhaps he deliberately kept silent – simply because he wanted to feel like a husband, a lover and a man for the last time. He knew that Anjali was cheating him, but he accepted that lie as his truth. So that they can relive the feeling of love, belongingness and being a life partner.

After all, he was just a single father… An old heart…

After seeing the DNA report and the medical file, my anger melted. The resentment that Anjali had about has vanished.

Because the man who lived all his life for his children wanted only this much in his last breath — someone to want him… Unconditional…

Maybe it was a hoax. But even in that deception, he found a little happiness, a little comfort.

And that was his last wish…