The Postcard

Today, Sunday morning, Shyama has a bitter verbal fight with her engineer daughter Misha. She tries hard to keep a harmonious relationship with her, but Misha considers her parents’ generation outdated and judges them. Today, Misha’s friend Bela tells her she won’t attend the evening party. She has to attend an exhibition where her entrepreneur mother booked a table a month ago to participate. Unfortunately, she has broken her leg in an accident the last week. The doctor has suggested bed rest for fifteen days, but she is determined not to cancel the table. Being unable to walk without assistance, she needs family involvement. 

Bela’s mother is not yet cured; to save her honor, the entire family will have to suffer a lot selling her stuff there. Thus, Bela’s father and brother must also cancel their Sunday plans. Bela concludes by saying, “This fifty-plus generation is genuinely selfish. They fail to understand that everyone faces troubles because of their over-enthusiasm and dedication.”

In the morning, Shyama insists Misha arrange her cupboard. Lying lazily on the couch, she utters angrily, “Your entire generation is the same. You, people, can’t tolerate anyone’s leisure time.”

Shyama can’t take this accusation lightly. She retorts, “Yes, my generation doesn’t like couch potatoes. When we were your age, tireless hard work and patience were our priorities. We didn’t have the wings of the Internet, so to achieve our goals, we had to walk and run instead of fly. We had to earn our name with hard work.” 

Misha refuses to pay attention to Shyama and puts in earplugs to listen to some songs. Feeling humiliated, Shyama runs to her bedroom and opens a folder where she keeps letters, postcards, and greeting cards, sent by her parents and brother post-marriage. 

While reading those, one postcard written by her brother makes her turbulent mind completely shocked. It says, “Didi, you have always criticized Mother because of her traditional way of living. She keeps me saying that in your presence, she never feels worthy of anything as you have made her feel ‘Good for nothing’ by referring to the generation gap. Now, she is alone but never misses you as she is happy that you are living your own life without her interruptions. Now, you must be relieved as you don’t need to tolerate her anymore.”

Shyama recounts that on every occasion, her illiterate mother has been put to shame by her. After getting a corporate job, she never considers her mother as a worthy one. She always says that her generation is the best because women are financially independent, unlike the women of her mother’s age group, who are parasites. 

She realizes that God has given her a taste of her own medicine. She immediately dials her mother and asks for an apology with sincerity. Her mother forgives her instantly because she knows this generation gap issue will always create troubles between the parent and the child.