A short story by Rajneesh Shukla

Sitting under the shade of the mango tree, I kept gazing at the lock on the main gate which constantly danced at wind’s whim. And suddenly, a voice “Soon there will be lock on this door” dragged my attention. I looked around. Nobody was there. But I had heard exactly the same words somewhere.

Brain searched the events dictionary of my lifetime. Minutes elapsed, five…ten and I recognized the words. She said it three years back. In a flash whole story started floating in front of my eyes. What a time we used to have few years back until she left. And yesterday, she left forever.

Smile passed through my lips when I remembered the way they used to fight over trivial issues. Yes this forsaken, barren place with locked door hadn’t had the same story two years back. It was alive with fights, chit-chats, small tea parties and unauthorized panchayat. The place was the symbol of liveliness.

Amidst all the thoughts, a small mango fell near me from the mango tree. I picked it up. And looking at it I realized how time changes. Had she been here today, I wouldn’t have dared to touch this fruit. Forget about picking it up. She had the habit of guarding the fruits so that there could be plenty of them available for her son and his family when they come home in summer vacation. She loved them more than anything else. And in return of this maternal love her son sent ten thousand bucks in her account. I know the amount because most of the time I went with her in the bank as a helping hand to withdraw the money. After I helped her withdraw the amount she would hand over ten rupees to me to eat something. Sometimes she would ask me to bring Mirinda, yes she loved that orange hydrated water. And we drank it sitting on the bench outside the State Bank of India. In those days when she requested me to go along with her I went but half-heartedly. And today I want to go, willingly help the old lady but now she never calls me for help.

“It’s all over. What are you looking at now?” Ramlal chahcha asked coming towards me.

I kept mum. Words were lost somewhere.

He again intervened with my silence, “Nice lady, she was. I still remember that day when my munna fell sick. I had no money. And Even though I hadn’t asked her for help she called me and handed over five hundred rupees to me.” Tears rolled down his eyes. “When I declined her help she rebuked me. She said it’s for my grandson idiot and not for you. Take him to doctor and don’t show me your face until munna gets well.”

“Hmm” I said. “Normally it was a mountain climbing task to get a single penny out of her pocket. But I don’t know how she made that big heart when people in village found themselves in trouble. Not with a huge sum but she always helped others from her small bank balance. And that’s why people loved her; we loved her and respected her.”

“She never wanted to go away from this village. But she had to bow before wicked fate” Ramlal chacha said. “She happily lived at this place except for these two years when her son forcefully took her away to Delhi. And she never saw this house again which she considered as pilgrimage.”

“Once I asked her almost ten years ago that why doesn’t she go to the city at her son’s place? She will have all the comforts there” I said, putting stress on my brain to remember exact words that I told her. “And she simply replied that where husband is, is the only place where all the comforts are. AC, freeze, TV or expensive sarees were not important to her. And she never considered them as the source of comfort or happiness. Happiness for her was seeing her husband happy and being with him. Helping him in his every small and big task and mockingly make his husband count all that she has done for him till date. And she never went to city because her husband had the desire to live and die at this place (his motherland) and she obeyed it. Though there was no constraint on her. She was free to go. Even her husband insisted her twelve years ago, when he was fit and fine to take care of himself, to go with his son. But she refused. She stayed firm with her decision like her husband. She would live and die with her husband.”

“Bearing all the hardships she successfully lived with him but couldn’t die with him. Neither she had the opportunity to take her last breathe here” Ramlal chacha moaned.

“Her husband was really lucky. If he was paralyzed then she always acted as his wheel chair.” I said looking at the wheel chair visible from the little gap between steel bars of the main gate on which chacha ji used to sit in his last days.

“I remember how fate laid foundation to snatch the liveliness of this house” Ramlal chacha said. “It all started on the Holi night when her husband fell from the stairs”

“She came running towards my house and shouting my name madly” I said rubbing tobacco leaf in between my palms. “Recognizing her voice I rebuked her assuming it to be a call to solve the small fight issue with her husband as usual. But she started knocking the gate vigorously. What the heck these oldies are, I thought and opened the gate to see her lying on her knees in front of my gate. I picked her up immediately.”

“He’s not speaking. He’s not moving.” She started moaning loudly. And my body shivered.

“What happened?” I shouted.

“Don’t know. Whiling climbing down the stairs he fell down on the floor.” She explained while crying. “God save him. I warned him not to climb on terrace. Who listen to me? Please save him.”

Ramlal chacha knew entire story but kept listening the same story from me.

“I ran towards her house and found him lying on the floor motionless and drenched in blood” I said. “Seeing ocean of blood I almost fainted. Somehow I held my nerves and called Amin Saab. And he called others. In few minutes hundreds of people gathered at this place. We knew he was critical and needed immediate hospitalization. But who would take responsibility of Money, Time and Effort. Who?”

“I called Raju on his mobile to inform about his father’s accident” Ramlal chacha added. “Learing about the incident his son broke down immediately and requested me to admit his father in best of the hospitals in Allahabad. He also said he will pay whatever amount was required. And hearing his word we called the Sumo to take him to hospital.”

“Though Doctors saved him after a lot of struggle but it didn’t help” I said, carefully placing tobacco in between my lips and teeth. “His health constantly kept deteriorating.”

“Do you remember how she pleaded every passerby to persuade her husband to eat at least single bread when he stopped eating” Ramlal chacha asked looking at me.

“Number of times I requested chacha ji to drink at least half glass of milk but he never listened” I said. “I had never seen that person say no to food except for those last days.”

“Death son, death” Ramlal chacha said taking a deep breath. “When it’s near it starts pulling you away from all the earthly pleasures. Same was happening with him too.”

“Hmm, we knew by the way his body condition was deteriorating that he would not last long” I said. “But chachi ji wanted him to get well. She wanted to live few more years with him.”

“Do you remember the day when he called his wife in his last moments?” Ramlal chacha asked me.

“Yes, I still remember his words. He said throughout my life I have never given credit for all that you have done for me. I have always fought with you but I accept today that it was because of you I am alive till today. It is because of you my life was a smooth journey. You never cared for your personal happiness but looked for happiness in my eyes. What you have done for me is something which I will cherish even after my death. You have always obeyed my words. Will you obey my last words? Please don’t cry once I leave you.”

“Chachi ji wept saying you will get well soon” Ramlal chacha said. “And after few minutes chacha ji started breathing heavily. Doctor was called but he couldn’t help. After performing last rites of his father, Raju decided to take his mother along with him. Do you remember she was not ready to go? But Raju didn’t listen to her this time.”

I continued as Ramlal chacha stopped, “She went to everyone for help to persuade her son not to take her away from this house. Once she came to me. She said Hari you know it well that I can’t live anywhere else. Though he is gone I can feel him around in every single object in my house. Tell my son Raju that if he wants to see me happy then leave me here. I can take care of myself.”

“Yes, we all requested Raju to leave her here for one or two months and then take her away but he didn’t listen to anyone. And I think he was correct in his decision. Who would have looked after her?”

“And it was impossible for him to leave his job and settle in the village” I supported her son’s action and Ramlal chacha’s thought.

“Well, both of them will remain in our sweet memories” said Ramlal chacha and stood up. “You sit I have some pending task to finish.”

Ramlal chacha went away. All of a sudden visuals of her last moments in this house came to my mind. I and his son were sitting on a cot having morning tea. She was sleeping. His son called her. She woke up and immediately looked at the cot on which her husband slept.

It was the first thought that came to her as she woke up. He was gone. And, soon, this bedroom, the house in whose eastern corner it sat, and the tiny garden outside with its gnarled old red hibiscus and the half-grown mango tree they had planted together, all those would be gone as well. It was the strangest feeling ever.

Though she didn’t tell these things to me but I understood her feeling looking at her expressions and the way she looked at everything around this house. It was the last time I saw her. And will never have the opportunity to see her again. Tears started rolling down my cheeks.

Suddenly my ten year old son came running towards me and said, “Papa I came first in the class.”

Instead of being happy, the first thought that came to me was, “Would my son also settle in some other city after finding job once his education completes?” And my heart beat increased. I looked at his innocent face. I kissed him and hugged him strongly as if to shackle him with these arms of mine forever.