It was amazing to see my family with whom I grew up are doing well and happy. It was pleasant and I after a long time felt genuinely happy. I don't know how long it will last but I was happy! Ketan was here just to take some important documents and left as soon as he met me but promised to bring his kids and wife in morning to meet me.
My old room is now actually my niece room so I was given the guest room but it was still quite decent and hommy. I decided to take a small nap before dinner but as soon as my head touch the pillow, I just got up next morning.
As soon as the sun rays started to blessed itself on earth land, the temple bells were ranging and bhajans were filled in the atmosphere just in the next turn where a Goddess Durga Mandir is situated. A smile made its way to my lips as "Gayatri Mantra" entered my ear. It's early in the morning but my grandmother was already up with wash up and ready, and is doing her morning prayer. I took out a simple saree from my bag and went to bathroom to get ready for the day.
I entered the kitchen and made 3 cups of ginger milk tea for me and my grandparentds with some coconut biscuits I found in a jar on kitchen dise. I remember it beens Ketan bhaiya favourite. I took them out in a tray towards the front varanda, where grandpa was sitting just after his morning walk and grandma join him just after finishing her prayer.
"Good morning dadaji, dadiji. Here have some tea."
"Good morning child! Oh how I missed having this early morning tea. Before Ketan was here, his wife Ridima was the one who had tea with us early morning. But .....! Let it be! Your dadi if by mood only will make morning tea. And Sanjana alone now have taken responsibility of everything and everyone, we can just ask her to wake up early just for our tea."
"Sanjana alone has taken all responsibility?? Really?? She quite look like a bubbly type than of responsibility."
"Oh she is or you could say was a bubbly type but incident happens and people change. And here we are. I am at the age and your aunt had a mild stroke 2 years back, so that child alone has to do everything, from morning breakfast, kids tiffin, lunch to night dinner. " We just heard a light alarm noice rang in Nilesh room. "Look like it's 6 o'clock now. Sanjana will start her daily work. Let me see if she need some. Even if not much but we try to lower her burden as much as possible."
"Dadiji, you just sit here, I will go." With that I went inside towards kitchen to make breakfast. It was only 10 minutes when Sanjana entered the kitchen. And I was making some pancakes.
"Didi, are you making breakfast. I could have done it."
"Oh it's nothing. Just help me a little and get some eggs and makes omelet, I have already started tosting the bread in toaster. And the pancakes will get ready by then. O and do kids take milk or juice."
"Bonvita milk! I will make some tea for us adult."
"Ginger tea, please."
"Ginger tea! It is."
"Ha ha ha ha...." We both let out a good laugh.
After breakfast, I was just resting in the guest room trying to think what to do now. I heard a knock on the door, it was aunty.
"I didn't disturb you, right?" She said coming inside.
"No! I was just resting as there was nothing to do. Have a sit first." I said as I offer the bed as only study table chair available which won't be comfortable for her. The has taken a toll on her and it was clear on her face.
"Actually I am here to ask you to not ask about Ketan's wife when he will bring his kids over for lunch." aunty said in a down tone.
"Aunty what is going on even during morning tea grandpa and grandma was behaving strange while they remember her." I asked.
"She... She was a great lady. I can tell you that. From taking care of your grandparents to taking care of home, she was good. We were all happy to have such a girl in our family but maybe we were blind to see that she was unhappy. You know Ketan behaviour as well as his lack on interest in any family matters."
"It was not his lack of interest aunty. He just didn't know how to express himself." I said cutting in the middle and aunty smile at that.
"Even you know this and still remember it. But maybe she could not understand him or what. Nor we managed to see it. But there relationship was not as bonded as a man and wife should have. Your dadiji saw it and pressure them to have a child thinking maybe it will close the gap in them. Nowhere the less it didn't. It even deepen the gap in them. She first had a daughter then a son both just a year apart." Aunty stopped for a while and took some breath as she continued.
"You know, just like how we force you to get married, she was too. And just like you she had trouble with her husband, Ketan. But unlike you she.. she had a lover and that was the reason why her family force her to marry Ketan. The kids were never really her plan and Ketan being him didn't mind it. Afterall you know the thinking of this family. But your brother fall for her ....Not soon after they divorce. He tried to save his marriage but with only him trying didn't work. Now Ketan lives alone with his 2 kids, separately from this family because he thinks it's was his fault that they divorced." aunty said with a defeated tone.
"But it's not Ketan bhaiya fault. It happens only if no feeling between them. One sided things don't work. I know cause I tried but couldn't do it. So it's not my fault that I have a broken marriage now. I think I know what's going on with bhaiya. So don't worry I won't do anything to hurt him."
After the heart to heart talking with aunty I realised that everyone has their own problem to deal with. Life can really be a bitch sometimes.