Veena ! ………. You Are Great!

Today morning when I get up from my bed, it was lovely day, because it was fresh morning, I was feeling it is the best day for me, I made a coffee for me, I came in balcony, and start to read a newspaper. I, Mrs. Malni Kulkarni, retired from bank, and I was having a good retirement life, My husband Mr. Sudhakr Kulkarni, he retired from Railway, our son Mr. Kumar was in Bangalore, any weekend, or at any long holiday, when he was getting, he was coming to us, he was always forcing us for coming at Bangalore, and always saying that why you all not shifted to Bangalore? But Mr. Sudhakr was refusing him always, because he wasn't adjusting himself at Bangalore, after retirement he wants a peaceful life, without tensions life, and actually both of us, wasn’t to interfere in his life, Kumar was enough understandable, and we didn’t want to affect his personal life, after his marriage, both should have own privacy in their life, so that, we both weren’t showing interest to shift to Bangalore. But once in month we were going and enjoying his place.

Mr. Sudhakar went for his morning walk, today, I wasn’t interested in walk, so I made my own coffee, and came in balcony, suddenly, I saw some people at front side’s building, I thought that there are new family came in front of us, in our society, most of the families were working, all were nuclear family, husband, wife, and their one kid, the whole day, husband and wife, were busy in their office, and kid was busy in school and classes, at evening all kids and their parents, were coming in society’s garden. But at that time, usually I wasn’t going in the garden, because Mr. Sudhakr, and me both of us wasn’t like more noise. I saw again and again, from my balcony, there was some rush I found, though I was having a cup of coffee, but, my whole concentration was on that family and their members.

           After some time, one girl came to me, she was near about 20-25 years old, and she asked me, “would you like to give some water” she gave me a bucket. I came to near her and said, “Yes, of course, why not?” I welcomed her and permitted to take water, I asked her for a cup of tea, but she refused. She took 2 buckets of water from me, and she went, but when she saw some books kept on shelf, she kept bucket and went to that shelf, and asked to me, “would you like to give me book for reading”?, again I replied to her, “Yes, whenever you want, came and take a book, to reading, I have other books also.” She said thanks to me, and she went to her house, I thought that, how she loves to read, today’s young people, not much more interested in reading, but she showed her interest in reading, I was happy, and I shared this thing with Mr. Sudhakar, he was also happy.

           Mr. Sudhakar and I decided that we must share each and everything with each other, there should be transparent in our relations, so that, the crystal clear relations we can maintain, and for this reason, I was sharing each and everything with Mr. Sudhakar, when I told him about morning’s incident, he was very happy and said to me that, I got new person to talk, I just laughed, and then I started doing my regular work, today we had to talk with our son, we talked with Kumar, our son with web camera, It was long discussion, again he told us to come at Bangalore, for forever, but we didn’t reply to him anything and we didn’t make any promises to him about same.

           The days were passing, my regular work was going, I totally forgot about that girl, suddenly the bell rang on my door, I opened it and she was there, she was so tired, I took her at home, and gave some water, and gave a cup of tea, I asked to her about what happened, she didn’t spoke anything, I asked to her, about her name, and she just said that her name is Veena.

           Again one week passed, Veena came again to my home, now she was happy, and when she saw to me I am reading, she came to me and asked about book again, I went inside, and from shelf, I gave her one book, she was looking very happy, but when I asked about that day, again she refused to say anything, she went at her home, it was questioning me that, she is hiding something, why she is doing like this? Mr. Sudhakar came to me, and he was trying to talking with me, but I was thinking only about her……………….

           Again some days passed, she came to me, it was an evening, I was cooking in kitchen, Mr. Sudhakar was an ill, he suffered from mild heart attack, so doctors kept him under observation, meanwhile, I couldn’t look after that house, that Veena’s house, I was doing my work, the whole day I was in hospital, Mr. Sudhakar was out of danger, but doctors were saying that he must have rest, so at least 2-3 days he should be in hospital, I told to him that, we must inform to Kumar, but he refused, why we should give trouble to him? He will worry, again he has to come here, and nothing is serious so that we didn’t call him. Whole day I was in hospital, at evening, I came to home, it was my fast, so I came home, lighted the lamp, I prayed to god for Mr. Sudhakr’s better health, suddenly she came, Veena came, I was so much tired, it was evening, she asked me,” why you are so tired?” I described the whole story, she started to help me, and she started to cooking, I asked her,” at this time you are here, you don’t have any work at home?”.

She told me,” no one is in the home, all went to watch a movie.”, while she was saying, her expression was blind, she was not reacting anything, she wasn’t angry. I asked,” You don’t like to watch movies, it’s your age, to have an enjoyment watching movies”. She replied very politely, “Aunty, I like the movie, but my mother said that I should be at the home, and should prepare the dinner for others.” I said to her,” It is wrong, she is your mother, she should be at home, and you should go for the movie.” Her answer was really shocking to me, she said to me,” Aunty, she is my stepmother.” After this, I didn't have any word to say anything. She was helping me, for dinner, I was in a hurry, because I want to give tiffin to MR. Sudhakar, so I didn’t ask many questions to her, after dinner, she took another book form me, she returned the first book, and she went to her house.

           Veena was having stepmother, she was having 2 step sisters, after her 12^th her mother stopped her education, and said that, if she educated then who will do work at home, after her marriage she will go to another home, so why they should waste money on her education, her father was working in a company, but their income was not so good, her mother thought that, her daughters should learn more and more, because Veena was good in her studies, and these two girls was an average in their studies, Veena’s stepmother, forced to her father for stopping Veena’s education, and start to find a boy for her.

           They met many families for Veena’s marriage, but they all were demanding for dowry, and Veena’s father, having not so much money that they can gave dowry to them, apart from Veena, two more daughters he was having, and he must have to look after them, so that, the topic of Veena’s marriage, get back, the days were passing, meanwhile, Mr. Sudahkar and I, went to Bangalore, again Kumar was forced to us for being with him, and again we refused, we didn’t say anything to him regarding Mr. Sudhakr’s heart attack, if we told him about the same, he kept us with him very forcefully.

           One day at evening, Mr. Sudhakar went to an evening walk, suddenly Veena came, and she was cring, I asked to her,”Why you are crying?, she shown me a diary, I took from her hand, and I started to reading, it was a letter of Veena’s father to Veena.

           Dear Veena,

                       I know that I never gave you any happiness, I never took your care, after your mom’s death, I didn’t want to do another marriage, but my parents forced to me, you were just 10-12 years old, I was thinking that you have a need of mother’s love so that I became ready to another marriage, but nothing happened what I was excepting, Archana (Veena’s Step-Mother), was not caring you, whole work of home, she was doing from you, meanwhile, she gave birth two girls, and my parents also passed away, in these all things, I couldn’t look after to you, you were growing physically as well as mentally also, but when you were having a support from my side, I failed in it, I was trying for your marriage, but I failed here also. I was expecting that, at least, Archana would you understand you, but here also I failed, I was looking only to my daughters, I was totally careless about you.

           I hope you will understand and forgive me, I know, you are my best daughter, these all things I want to say for many days. I tried it many times, but I couldn’t say anything, so today I wrote whatever was in my mind.

           Again I am requesting you forgive me.

 Your loving father.

           When I read the letter, I couldn’t’ stop my tears, both were caring, I told her that, her father really loving so much, but due to some situation, he wasn’t able to express, or he couldn’t open his mind. Today really you met with your dad newly, so don’t worry, everything will be fine, I offered tea to her, she refused, but when I forced she took a cup of tea.

           Next morning, I saw, that there are rush to Veena’s home, so many times, I was trying to get that what happened, but nothing I was getting in form of news, after some time, I got the news that, Veen’s father attempted a suicide, it was again shocking to me, my wished was call to her, after some days, but I couldn’t call to her, I was scared about how she will react, after some days, I saw that their home is locked, I asked to their neighbor’s, they told that they left this home, their neighbors, returned me the books, which she took from me. Tough the books were in my hands, but I was feeling that I came with empty hands, after Veena’s going, I lost a good friend. Fried? Was she my friend? What was the relation with her? Who was she for me? Why continuously her thinking was coming in my mind? I was knowing that, though some relations had not any names, but they are always be with you, within you, forever, Veena was really special for me, because her presence was giving really something extraordinary to me.

           Meanwhile, Kumar got married, with beautiful daughter named Kartiki, she was also doing job in Bangalore,, after some days, both Kumar and Kartiki went, to Bangalore, again both were forced to us for parentally shifting to Bangalore, but again we refused, actually we want to give their own space for their life, we didn’t want to create unnecessary interference in their life.

           The days were passing, both, I and MR. Sudhakar was living happily, we did Europe tour, obviously, sponsored by Kumar and Kartiki. The year was passing, it was almost 10 years, after 10 years, Mr. Sudhakar passed away due to massive heart attack, Kumar and Kartiki came, it was really bad time for me, suddenly, a person who is living with you, and he left, that the most dangerous thing to digest, I was trying to mould in that situation, and was adjusting myself, Kartiki gave a birth to baby son, I was having now, a grandson, and I became, a grandmother, my designation were change, but Mr. Sudhkar it wasn’t possible to me to live without him, but it is life, we have to survive, both were forcing me, to come to Bangalore, now this time, I couldn’t refuse to them, they booked the ticket, for that they came to home, and next week I was shifting to Bangalore, permanently, many memories were with me, especially about Veena, I didn’t have Veena’s contact, she was just in my mind, only in mind.

           Almost we did the packing, next day, we were moving to Bangalore, Kumar, Kartiki, and Sarvesh my grandson, they went to market, for bringing some things, I was alone at home, and the doorbell rang. I opened the door, and I saw, she was Veena, yes, she was Veena, I became very happy, after so many years she came to me and I saw, drastic change in her appearance, there were dark circles under her eyes, she was looking more fatty, now she crossed almost 35 years of her age, but her eyes were really speaking with him, some invitation cards were in her hand, she gave me one of them, I asked,” is it your marriage card?”, she said, “ no, no, it is not mine, it is my sister’s wedding.”

           She started to explain me, after her father’s death they collapsed totally, then they shifted to their uncle’s place, Veena started to working in factory, she gave education to her sister, now both are well educated and well settled, both found a very good family for them, now her mother is also relaxed, and now happy.

           I asked, to her about herself, she didn’t say anything about herself, but she was happy, after giving invitation card, she left, I was thinking that Veena, what wonderful girl she was!, after her father’s death, she worked, gave better education to her sister, took whole responsibility of her family, on her own shoulder, really Veena was a girl who lived only for her family, she didn’t live for herself.

           Spontaneously, from my mouth, the words became, “Veena! You Are Great………………………