Khicdhi Over Bruschetta

Born in a simple family dad got a unique talent for sales in him. He could sell anything to anyone. And this talent turned a boon for him. Soon he got a famous name in the sales industry. In those days the advertisement mode was mainly TV and the newspaper, so the sales executives were given high importance by companies.

And so dad would bid between two better-paying companies. He got a flat in Delhi, car and even the company would pay for fuel.

But it was only he, who rise to these heights in the family. The rest all were still simple. Grandpa has a cloth store in Faridabad, taken care of by my uncle now.

With the rising salary dad's status also grew. Now somewhere he had a taste of his success in his mouth. Knowingly or unknowingly ego monster started to grow.

While grandparents got him married to a simple girl from yet a simpler family. This freaked dad more. Mom would feel awkward in his parties. Mom would not be able to carry her the way dad wanted to. After a year I was born. Mom became a full-time mother and hardly a wife.

As I grew I could sense the dissatisfaction in dad. He would take mom for granted and would ask her not to make me like her.

But I really loved mom. She could be of no worth to dad but for me, she was my life. I spent the entire day with her. May be she wore simple clothes, could not articulate English properly and would spend time in pooja and customs but her motherly love was best. 

Gradually dad kept himself fully busy at work, with no visits to grandparents' house and so on.

It was only mom who was holding the house tight and firm.

Once I went to an office party with dad, but I really felt bad seeing him drinking and talking close to his new lady boss. 

It took no days for dad to fall on his knees for her. Mom allowed dad to settle down with the other lady and in return only demanded expenses for both of us.

I tried to spend the maximum possible time with her. Despite dad moving out, mom continued her duties as a daughter-in-law. My grandparents were not proud of their successful son but their simple daughter-in-law was the pride.

Years passed on, we heard lesser from dad. Mom seemed to busy in a satsang etc. I was about to complete my engineering, and already got a training letter from TCS Noida. I was happy to stay in the vicinity with mom, as in no way I could abandon her.

Days went on, and I got satisfied with my working life. After I got my first paycheck, mom asked me to meet dad.

I hated meeting him, he reminds me of struggles of maa through the years. Her simplicity became a curse for herself because of dad's crib for better.

To my surprise, I heard from his office that he had been fired from the job, as his name was involved in a big-money scam. Some of his friends told, the new lady boss used him, and now she eloped to Europe with her friend along with money.

I got the address of his new residence, with heavy feet I entered in, he looked so pale and week. His aura seems to be broken by his own ego clash. Due to the excess alcohol liver dysfunctioning occurred.

I sat silently and listened to him weep and narrate how he was cheated and ditched. Now no companion, no family, no job he is totally shattered.

Seeing him crying in his bed, I recalled my childhood stories that mom told about; all that glitters is not gold, greed kills, the ego is the biggest monster for oneself and so on. It seems all stories were based on him.

I left silently without telling him about the new job and mom.

He asked me if I could make him reunite with mom. He misses us. 

Going back home, all I thought about what to tell mom and what not to. How would maa react.

All these years mom never wanted to reunite with dad, rather cry in a closed room and get stronger. Then why dad cannot take hardship alone. Does simplicity make you stronger and ego makes you hollow within?

It seems like a man returning home asking for homemade khichdi after serious diarrhea picked from dining in a five-star buffet back to back.

Full of thoughts, I opened the house door, maa has called grandparents and Uncle family for the celebration of my new job.

Silently I forgot the previous happenings and slipped into the celebration with this simple family.