jagjit singh

Others

2  

jagjit singh

Others

Rao Ji

Rao Ji

2 mins
169


Father wore his uniform, time to report at the airforce base, palm.


"Devi", hurry," my breakfast, dont worry if it's not ready, I will have at the mess ".

The smile of my mother almost every time enchants dad.


She stood behind him, with a plate of rotis and dal, last nights, winters no problem. 


Dad took his cycle and mom stood at the quarter's main door, with that beautiful smile. 


I was a child always behind my ma, longingly looking at the cycle for the ride. 


I was tugging ma's hand, she smiled at dad.

" come on, hurry".


Dad loved my laughter but never told me.


It was years later, ma told me, I didn't cry, I knew. 


Mother became sick and bedridden immediately after dad's departure. 


She went inside her shell, arthritis eating away her young body, she was 35.


The shadows are longer, the daylight less, the color of our everyday matched our fading look.


The shock numbed me, I never cried.


I tried to live, failingly, with no support. 

" Abhi, ye log hamare Sar pe baithenge ", relatives and friends together suddenly became aliens.


Dad's nickname was, Dharamraj, after the eldest of pandavs. 


He helped, even by taking loans to help friends and relatives. 

He had no foes. 


Now we had none.


Nobody came forward to return the amounts.


Mother became introverted, her love for dad was unfathomable. Theirs was teen marriage with the blessings of elders.


I knew she suffered, struggled, to live, to move.


Painkillers were not helping, she was giving up willingly. 


I studied hard, wanted to fulfill Dad's wish.


Four post graduations, after every post graduations I used to ask dad, are you, happy dad, no, right, I went after another pg.


During these pg's, I knocked on the doors, expecting no help.


I also applied for jobs, the army was one of them.


I went to SSB, Allahabad after UPSC clearance. 


Innocent and ignorant and in my own world of sorrow, I cleared and went to Chennai, then madras for the officers training school. 


Ma, saw my passing out parade.

Then the second lieutenant, now, retired colonel. 


Mother left me soon after the commissioning. 


My son is in software and settled in the US.


Mom got me married to the girl of her choice, been my only love ever since. 

I am prone to seriousness, she manages the world for me, as I sit with a glass of rum, with the same empty look.


I am nearing 60 plus, I took VR.


I made my mom and dad happy, I forgot happiness, leaving it to those two beautiful souls, love you, dad, love you mom.

I know you won't like me drinking, but I may live a wee bit longer.


I still don't cry, like a stone, with water inside.


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