Skip to main content

The Cherished One

“Parents are not interested in justice, they're interested in peace and quiet.” 
― Bill Cosby
The baby gave a loud bawl as it grew restless in its grandfather’s arms. Nothing could divert the baby’s attention. The grandfather  Mohan, quickly began showing the baby the cars, buildings, dogs and whatever he could to divert its attention. The child whimpered and kept gazing at the car in the parking. There was a black car parked outside a huge building. The streets were empty being early in the morning. On either  side of the car stood the baby’s parents. The mother was ready to go to the office while the father was trying to enter into the driver’s place. The baby laughed and jumped into the arms  of the old man with a ferocious intensity of joining his parents. The mother looked on lovingly while trying to wave. The father admonished her saying he would get late. The car moved away. Old Mohan was tired as he sat on a nearby seat to rest for a while. It meant a whole day managing the baby. The child now started playing with his face and lovingly took his face very near his as if he wished to apologise. The chronic pains of aging and other physical ailments flew away making him happy that he was able to help his children… His mind wandered as he looked on at nothingness. It reminded him of his trip to his childhood friend Alka.
Alka and he were neighbours in their childhood. They grew competing with each other in every field. Yet when they had to choose their professions, Alka was married off. They met often when Alka came to meet her parents. As friends, they often discussed how lucky she was to have a caring husband. Alka’s husband loved her and was willing to do anything to put back a smile on her beautiful face. Mohan got a job in Bangalore  and shifted there. His problem of loneliness and food resulted in an arranged marriage to Kavita. Life went on, it turned busier with the birth of his son and daughter. Before his retirement he could get both his daughter and son married. Alka’s parents sold the house and moved to Chennai to live with her brother.
Alka was bestowed with riches and a loving husband, but she was not blessed with kids. The absence of kids bonded the couple greater as the pain was a common one. A mutual decision prompted them to adopt a baby boy. They wanted one in the family as they felt the caste and creed of an orphan is not known. Since they were well to do, Alka’s brother in law gave them his child. A piece of property was registered then and there in his name.  Nothing deterred Alka’s spirit as she loved being little Akash’s mother. The child grew well in the presence of two sets of parents. Prosperity moved the family from a small house to a bigger one. The love and affluence spoilt Akash who desired for more and more from his parents. The last straw was a shock when Akash walked out, leaving Alka distraught. He wanted all that they had on his name.They had grown old and had no more wealth to shower.

Mohan and his family moved back to the city a couple of years back. He renewed his friendship with near and dear ones in the city, yet he could not meet Alka. Alka made a number of excuses avoiding Mohan. Yesterday when Mohan visited Alka he was speechless to see Alka pale and weak. They said she suffered from typhoid, but his experience told him that she suffered from something more than typhoid, perhaps she had a cancer that ate her internally like her thoughts. She had no hair on her head and her nails were black. There was pain written on her face as she eagerly awaited her end. The little baby slapped softly on his cheek diverting  Mohan’s attention to him. Mohan smiled at the little one wondering how the strength of love transforms into a weak spot when a child grows and matures into an adult.
 “Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.” ― Oscar Wilde

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wealth for Lakshmi

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”   ―   Mother Teresa ‘ A ayi ’  refers to m other in Marathi, but Lakshmi had graduated from a mother, to a grandmother. Her daughter and her grandchildren loved calling her ‘Aayi’ in Konkani.  She was a native of the lush green Konkan. Aayi began her life with ‘ abu ’ Jagannath in the city of warangal in Andhra Pradesh. She was a tall, healthy lady and Jaggnath a good looking, lean and handsome man. Together they made a handsome couple not only looks wis e, but also mannerism wise. Lakshmi’s family was a large one consisting of seven sisters and the youngest one was the much awaited sibling brother. Her parents were ecstatic over the birth of a boy after seven sisters. The sisters treasured their kid brother. Lakshmi and her sisters got married early owing to the social norms and customs. Lakshmi was blessed with a daughter and a son. The daughter was a replica of Jagannath, the same chisel...
10 comments
Read more

A Tryst with ‘Carmbola’

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome"—   Anne Bradstreet  ‘Karmbala Torro’ is what we call it in Konkani. It is a pickle and my Mother in law pickles it wonderfully well. Whenever we visit Tiruvalla, I find bottles of these stacked to be devoured during our stay and carry  some to Pune, which lasts a few months reminding us of our visit. ‘Karambal’ is small, juicy and sour with ridges known as ‘Carmbola’ in English, commonly known as Star fruit. The   Scientific name is   Averrhoa carambola. Star fruit is a small, bushy evergreen tree that grows very well under hot, humid, tropical conditions. Carambola is native to Malayan peninsula and cultivated in many parts of Southeast Asia, Pacific islands and China for its fruits. Although abundant and plentiful, carambola is yet to gain popularity, especially in the western world.(Wikipedia)   The fruit is a...
6 comments
Read more

The Crab’s Pincers

“I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.”   ―   Kahlil Gibran The advent of winter towed along the festival of lights that bound a holiday break for the schools and colleges. The weather has turned cooler with cold winds blowing, rousing people to  exercise and interweave health. Indians have turned more conscious than ever regarding their physique and general well being. These days people prefer buying small quantities of  pickles and savouries rather than making large quantities of these at home. During our childhood, maids were engaged specially to pound roasted chillies and other spices to get the precise aroma that was handed down the generations, yet we prefer eating a lot lesser of these. Broccoli, mushrooms, lettuce and others have encircled their way into the Indian homes replacing the fiery and oily curries. The mornings no longer loo...
4 comments
Read more