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.
