A Family Story

Jaya is back from office. We are relishing the eatables sent by Sister. I hear my wife stating humorously :

"Baba to aajee ghurey elo, tora immediately jas na. Ar din das-panero pare gelei cholbe.." (As Baba visited her today, you don't need to visit Pissimoni immediately. Visiting her even after some 10-15 days will do… "

It happened like this. At around 11.10 AM, I was waiting along with my daughter inside the DSCube complex for her friend to turn up when my mobile rang. It was Sis. 

"Kirey, kothai?" (Where are you?) 

"I'm waiting at DSCube for my daughter's friend to turn up."

"Achchha. Choley aai na."

So the conversation went on till I asked her to wait for my next call. My younger daughter was egging me on all along to go visit Pissimoni. 

Finally, her friend showed up. Sister, in the meanwhile, called me again. 

I made up my mind to pay her a visit then at D-63, Street No. 289. The bus ride took some 10 minutes to drop me at Biswa Bangla. I was visiting the site for the first time. Whenever I come across such imposing structures in Kolkata, I feel sad recollecting Barda, my late eldest bro. He would have been happy finding the change Kol, sorry, New Town has undergone over the years. 

Sister called me again and kept talking to me till I boarded a Toto. Within 5 minutes, I was at her hostel. In fact, the Toto driver pointed her out behind the gate to me. 

I loved my Ma. No one can hold a candle even to her memory. I started loving Mejdi more towards the fag end of her life. I don't know what the future holds for me. But the times I called on her at her Salt Lake residence to spend some time with her, will be etched in my memory. I consider myself fortunate that I could spend some time with my parents' fave daughter, their pride, at a time when she was aged, helpless. 

I derive the same satisfaction whenever I am lucky enough to visit Sis. I get to see a lot of Ma in her so far as some qualities like Love, Sympathy, Empathy and Selflessness are concerned. She took me to her room. Soon we were joined by a Trainee Matron. Sister, as a Senior Warden, has been entrusted with the job of training the lady as the lady informed me. 

I spent the next 10-15 minutes listening to her varied experiences. 

I knew Sister wouldn't let me come back without offering me stuff. While the trainee was lunching, Sister asked me to call my daughter and her friend at the hostel to find out if their training was over by then. When I told her that she (my daughter) had to go to college to attend a class, Sister stopped pestering. Then she showed me around the hostel compound. She told me of her loneliness once the hostelers were gone. I couldn't tell her how I'd have loved to stay at her place all by myself. 

I wanted to take leave as I didn't want her to send things to my family, especially in the presence of the trainee matron (take it in whatever way you want to). People normally have a negative mind set. 

As I got up from the sofa, she hurried back to her room. 

"Jayar bagta okey diye dis." She told me while handing a bag to me. "Ar chhatata niye ja. Tor meyer kaje lagbe." (Give Jaya her bag back. Take the umbrella as well. It will be handy for the little one.) Finally, she handed an envelope to me. "Eta tor janmodiner." It's for your birthday. 

After a few innocuous refusals, I didn't hesitate to pocket it. 

"Sara jiban shudhu lokeder upokar chhara apokar kare ni, athocho Or kapal dekhun." (All her life, she tried to help others more and never harned a fly. Yet Life hasn't been kind to her.) I told the other lady from the gate. "Baar banker Manager chhilen. Meye London a. Athocho kapal dekhun." I was venting out my frustration against The One Who controls our fate. 

The lady mumbled out something in reply but I was in no mood to listen. Sister came up with me till the turning. She stood there waving as long as I could see her. 

She called me a little later to find out if I boarded the bus.

As I got lost in the melee near Biswa Bangla, I told my daughter not to wait for me. She rejoined me near Moulali later, and we, father and daughter, walked back home under the scorching sun. 

I told Sister over the phone a few days back that there was a time when I loved the very idea of loving people. My love has started slackening out lately. But for reasons inexplicable, my love for Sister has withstood the test of time by courtesy of His Grace. 

And I pray to Him, All Relationship Maker & Breaker, so that We, my family and I, may love her truly and conscientiously till Death do us apart.