“Papa Ji, your ginger tea is ready. Come before it gets cold,” Seema, the daughter-in-law, called out from outside his room.

After finishing work, Seema came out of the kitchen and saw the tea lying untouched. She knocked on his door again. “Papa Ji?” No answer.

She turned the knob, opened the door and stepped inside. The room was cold. The laptop was open, casting a blue glow across the room.

His head rested in his palms, eyes closed, as if he had dozed off mid-scroll.

Seema touched his shoulder and gently shook him. But he stayed still. He was gone in his sleep. Tears rushed down her cheeks. With trembling hands, she called the doctor.

Seema's husband, Suraj, who was out of town, took the first train back. By the time he reached home, relatives had already gathered.

“I couldn’t answer your call and later forgot to call you back. Papa, I am sorry,” Suraj’s voice cracked.

The funeral concluded by late evening. Relatives and the priest left. Only a silent heaviness and a flickering lamp in the corner remained.

Seema sat quietly while Suraj held his father's photo and sobbed.

Suraj’s father’s room door was ajar, and a thin ray of light fell across the floor. Seema’s curious child tiptoed in. His Grandpa’s laptop sat open on the desk, the screen glowing faintly. The tech-savvy boy couldn’t resist. He climbed onto the chair, plugged in the charger, ready to play his game.

But not one, many websites were open. The kid wasn’t sure if he should close them. Quietly, he stepped out of the room and whispered in his father’s ear, “Daddy, Grandpa's laptop is on, and websites are open. Should I close them?”

Suraj gently replied, “No. Let me check first.” Both walked into the room. Suraj sat down and began closing the tabs one by one.

A YouTube music channel

An article on cricket

Another tab about stock trading

But what hit him hard was the search history-

“Is regret a disease?”

“Are there online friends for old people?”

“Can you die of loneliness?” Suraj’s eyes widened as he stared at the screen. He called out his wife, Seema, who, too, rushed in.

“What happened, Suraj?” Seema asked.

A lump formed in Suraj’s throat. Finally, he whispered, “Seema, look at this search history. What did he regret? Was he feeling so lonely that he was looking out for online friends?”

“Hmm…Maybe Papa wanted to do something, go somewhere, but couldn’t tell us. Maybe that’s where the regret came from. We gave him every comfort except our time. Even on weekends, we were caught up in work or out with friends. Wasn’t that reason enough for him to feel lonely?” Seema replied.

Oh God,” Suraj whispered, his voice cracking. “I never realized it. How I wish I had given him more of my time. But now… all I have left is regret. I’m so sorry, Papa… for making you feel this way.”

Suraj broke down, weeping uncontrollably.