The Mad House

Imagine staying with multiple people of different generations? Imagine if your privacy is at stake? Can you cope up with everyday struggles? Nowadays staying in nuclear family is difficult, how can anyone dare to stay in a joint one. But one man....,made this possible. He is a simple man with a small wish, that his generations stay together. Let me take you all to Ahmed's family journey, and how he made his dream come true.

Ahmed was a small town man, with big dreams. He got married and the couple led a simple life. He was a middle class person, simple, but had only one big dream that his children stay together even after his death. Isn't this a small dream? But if the number of children being six sons and two daughters then this dream is a little bit tough to achieve. They stayed happily as a normal family, enchanting the mantra"We will stay together forever". Everything was normal, until the elder son got married. Ahmed's mother to her daughter in law at the day of their marriage, "Ahmed's father had taken an oath from me, that until I die all my children will stay together, I want you to take the same oath," She agreed. She proved herself as an ideal daughter in law doing all the chores, a perfect homemaker. Then came the marriage of second, followed by third, Still enchanting the same mantra"We will all stay together".

The problem started when the fourth son got married. He got married to a young,career-oriented female Riba. Under family pressure, she got hooked burying all her dreams. She was not meant to stay at home, which led to family issues. Riba did not like the small room which she was alloted after marriage. Ahmed's home was small which he divided into compartments so that his son's family would stay happily together. One day Riba asked her husband."Where are we going for honeymoon?" He replied, "Ther isn't any room for honeymoon in this family, its a family holiday, we all will go together." Riba didn't like her privacy being at stake, still she agreed with a heavy heart. She was the culprit of creating misunderstandings between family members, all knew but did not object, to avoid chaos. She fought with everyone only to get separated from them so that she could stay as a nuclear family with her husband. But her fights went in vain, because they all wanted to stay together. Then all the sons got married. They stayed together. Ahmed's daughters being career-oriented did not get married, they both stayed with them. 

The problem in joint family is space, dividing chores, dividing budgets. But the best part is it all gets divided and not on one's shoulder. Riba still plotted fights she could not adjust in this environment. One day Riba's son was hit by his cousin, a small fight and he was admitted. Riba inspite of taking his son's health seriously wanted to take advantage of this situation. She said to her husband "I tolerated everything in this house, but harm to my children won't be tolerated, you want to stay you stay at this madhouse, I will leave with my children" was her statement. This provoked her husband and due to his children's sake he went to speak to his father. Ahmed was ill by that time, and seeing the seriousness of the situation he agreed with a heavy heart. Though his dream was that his children will stay together but his motive was with love not with hatred. Riba and her husband went separate ways. Ahmed died. His dream also died with him.

This was destiny, he had the potential to dream but turning into reality was not in his hands. The mantra "we all will stay together" faded away. Initially, it was difficult for Riba to manage all her budget with her husband's income, because when they stayed together all the expenses were divided. Later it became more difficult as her husband lost his job. Years passed by, Riba and her husband had to struggle hard to survive. One fine day, at the market, she met her elder bhabhi "How are you riba, how are kids?" She said, "All is fine, with a sad smile". Her bhabhi understood, that there must be something wrong, but Riba being adamant did not tell anyone. She enquired with the help of her husband and finally they came to know that their life is not running smooth. One fine day they both went to Riba's home, "Riba I have come to take you all in that same mad home, do u agree?" said her bhabhi. Riba please don't be adamant and turn to your real home where there was no individual problem it was everyones". Everyone has problem in their family but they don't separate, they fight and forget". After hours of convincing, she agreed with tears in her eyes." After all those fights you still want me to come, I don't deserve a second chance, she said with tears." Bhabhi said "Come sister have taken an oath that everyone will stay together forever, everyone deserves a second chance, you realised your mistake that only matters". Now, They all stay happily together in those allotted compartments, with cleaning together, dividing the budget, with lots of love and care. The only difference is the man whose dream was to see his children stay together forever is no more in this world. Ahmed, a small dream which cost his life, he saw a dream, it turned into reality but he was not present to cherish it. Now the house is named as "Second innings" with all the oldies (Ahmed's sons and daughters in law) staying together, with the new generation flying away, everyone did not accommodate in that small house, but they are together. This is family, every family has some mad, some wicked, some intellectual characters, its the understanding and forgiving petty things that matters. 

Family is made up of unfamiliar living beings adjusting and compromising, to value relations. Be it nuclear or joint the people in it nurtures everyone with love and affection,The heart should be always bonded with each other, that only matters. There are characters like Riba in everyone but being Ahmed needs a pure heart.