MEMORIES

Ritu Siddharth

                Her walking stick moved ahead of her. She walked towards a bench in the park, her back hunching with strain due to age, and sat down with a groan. She relaxed awhile. Then the pair of eyes from the chubby wrinkled face gazed at the distant horizon, thoughts flitting from one to many. Anyone who saw the lady found this a common feature. Amrita will be 68 the following March, if everything went smooth.

              She was 4 years old. Her father took her to a Hindi medium school , a totally strange atmosphere , because it was the closest to her house. Her eyes widened to see teachers much taller than herself , reading out from the book and writing on the board and talking in unintelligible language. She rolled her eyes in fear and blinked often when the teacher questioned from the lesson he had taught the previous week. At the start she tried to communicate with other students making signs and her own mother tongue while they gaped at her in amusement. Soon she picked up the new language and moved freely in the class and was quick to learn the lessons. She would come home with her progress report in hand beaming.

               9th std. She was in different school, English medium, because her father got a transfer. Now an older girl yet in awe as her peers from affluent background moved about her, but being smart in studies she made good and the rest had a special respect for her. She wore school uniform for special classes even on Sundays and wore heavy slippers that made much noise while walking. She endured it though sore inside because she understood her father could not afford for them from his limited salary and she never complained; her friends did not make fun of her though she was not sure if they laughed behind her back.

                She was 17 when she entered college; the same old fashioned plain girl; the only difference, she was taller and her hair longer. A few boys were interested in her; it was probably her innocent nature that attracted them. Her parents had warned her of love affairs so she kept a fair distance from them.

               There were frequent power cuts in the city. She gazed at the opposite row of houses lit with lights powered by generators and UPS while her house was illumined by a kerosene lamp …the second lamp was kept aside for emergency if arose. She gazed from the balcony with hushed yearning , aware that they could not afford the convenience.

               25. Her first employment. She was as apprehensive as she was on her first week in school. Soon she was accustomed to the work though there were times when she was over-strained.

              She was aware her parents were anxious to see her settled in family before their days were over. She married without objection. Her husband ,Preetam, was reserved. He had no interest in maintaining the household. He talked little, spent much , had only a close circle of very few friends and had very few needs, the first in the list was a combo of whisky and cigarettes. Her heart sank.

               Then their first baby. He had little interest for his daughter.So Amrita had to raise the girl all by herself, the most difficult task for a working family woman. She watched her daughter grow in school and home. Malini was stubborn, liked to live a lavish life and spend a lot like her father.

              Preetam took little notice of the instructions and suggestions of doctors and one Tuesday he died staring at the bottle of whisky on the table.

                Malini graduated. Amrita was secretly proud of her though she did not verbalize it.

                Her daughter was married to a bank officer and settled well. Soon the couple moved to a flat of their own in a busy locality.Amrita visited her whenever Malini needed her help. Malini had two boys, naughty ones and her husband got a promotion and the young lady had every reason to be happy.

             Amrita was content. She felt her duty as a mother was complete. She liked to stay humble and lived a simple life. She had no sorrow nor joy. She went to the park when she felt she needed fresh air.

              The red sun was only a hemisphere to go down the horizon, emitting his last red gold rays for the day. Amrita admired the blades of grass swaying in the breeze and as the wind grew stronger, quiver along with the flowers that rose higher as their stems were longer than the grass. She admired the small white and yellow flowers on the ground, “scented stars on earth’, she often said to herself. She observed and appreciated the different shades of green of the leaves of trees and plants and the change of their shades with time. A song was playing ‘….. kal ho na ho…’.The music was good and the lyric just fine. She passed her hand over her white hair, pushing back the black ones that were waiting to turn white just like she was waiting for the final call.

Concluded.