In the year 2005, my grandfather passed after enjoying seventy five years of a good and a pious life. He had become quite lean and weak from both inside and outside. He ate less because of the age factor. On the last day when I saw him he said that he had no interest left in life now. I think this happens to all when you are not left with any wish or aspirations in life.

I told my mamu that we would not sleep the night my grandfather died as I believed that souls do come back to see their home and their children. Both of us sat outside the house and lit a candle inside. At around one in the night, we heard a cough sound as nana was there and then mamu was telling everyone in the morning that we had really heard nana’s coughing sound. But you can imagine how do I know these things as I was younger to mamu, didn’t he knew this fact? This I am going to tell you later.

It was a sad morning the other day. Prayer meetings were there at home and we left the next evening. Before I helped my nani to sort out all documents of nanaji as he had already transferred his pension to nani which helped her a lot. We were sorting out his things and remembering him by picking up his watch, pen etc. I was completely lost in him while doing all these things. My mausi, mama and mami had lost their father and they were feeling really alone in this world, since no one can replace parents at all. But me and my brothers were seeing and experiencing all this again. I was totally shattered on that day. I recalled that whenever nana used to send any official letter in Hindi, he used to make me write and I always asked him that was I the only literate and highly educated person amongst all? Once he asked me to choose Biology and opt for studying medicine. But I refused as I was interested in something else. My nana used to ask me that I have such beautiful hair so why always I kept them folded in a loop?

Whenever I used to see Nani without him, I always used to accompany her in all her matters which she wanted to discuss with me. Now she is also in her seventies, but she gets sabji and other things as she is an active person. She visits canteen along with mausi every month for buying groceries. And she believes that one should be independent always and that much bold enough to solve the problems of the life. I inherited all these characteristics from them only. They taught me everything as they were the parents of my mom. Today also once in a week I enquire my nani about her health, medicines, her routine ….She says doctor gives me the same medicine, and I always ask her that you have to make yourself healthy as you have to see our marriages and your grandchildren getting married and you have still to welcome your daughters-in-law. And in this way my nani is still performing all her duties well.

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