I remember the day....... my bags were all packed up and the next day I was leaving home for further studies...... "Amirrrr.... oye Amirrrr....." my grandma called me from her room in a low pitched voice. And I went to her room...... She was lying on her bed as she was ill from some days back.... took out one 500 rs note from below her pillow and handed me...... I was not in the mood to say "pardaina....." my eyes glowed up and I took the note from her hand and sat on the side of her bed.
"Dasain ma auchas??" she asked me.......
"Audina hola.... abo ekai choti December ma aunchu..... 6 mahina pichari....."
She again asked "Abo kati barsa parnu parcha??"
"Abo ajhai 3 barsa cha......"
"Ramro parnu hai... sathi haru cha hola ni?"
"Cha cha..... hami 5-6 jana chau...... huncha fupu-aama janchu la.... alik packing garnu cha!!"
As i was putting my slippers on..... she again said "ramro parnu hai!!" and I smiled and nodded...
I never knew that it was the last time I was with my fupu-aama..... And again I was busy packing my documents, chargers, clothes, some copies, etc etc..... Mother crying from kitchen "sab documents haru halis?? Anta luga kunai birsenas?? Sweator haru pani bok..... Delhi side ma ta pura jaro huncha harey!!"
"Bokey bokey.... sab bokey....... hola"
Brother coming now and then and trying to do chance mein dance...... "Am da....... yo headphone ta k lanchau hou??"
"Am da..... yo speaker chorideu la!!"
"Am da..... yo TShirt malai di hala hou!!"
"Am da..... laptop bholi parsi landa hundaina??"
"Am da..... yo deo ta chorideu?? timi siliguri ma kinana!!"
Next day I left for siliguri in the morning and as fupu-aama was sleeping thought not to disturb her.....
I came to Meerut.... joined college.... class started.... new faces.... new friends.... new rooms.... new environment.... time passed by!! One morning I received a call from a friend of mine who asked me whether I was coming home.... "Why? I will only come in December......"
"huh?? ghar ma k bhayo thaha cha??"
"k bhayo??" I was afraid.....
"Aamai khasnu bhayo!!"
"k........??"
My heart became so heavy and I disconnected my phone.... I cannot imagine my home without fupu-aama sitting near to fire..... this things started haunting me.....
I opened the laptop and opened the video clip I had taken in the dasain of the previous year..... fupu-aama making things ready for tika.... looking so happy maybe because all of her son and their family would gather together that day..... I cannot believe that "she is no more!!"
If only I knew that day was the last day I was sitting beside her and the word "ramro parnu hai!!" was the last word she said to me.......!!! I just pulled the blanket and lied on the bed thinking about the sweet memories I had in my home with my grandma.... teasing her and getting scolded..... Selecting her new sari and asking her to keep it for her grand-daughter-in-law..... Throwing crackers outside her room and asking "Fupu-aama! thikai hunu-huncha hola ni??" Asking her to help me frying meat in dasain..... stealing horlicks from her room every morning!!
I miss you so much grandma..... I was so much unlucky that I couldn't be there at those moments..... [though my presence would matter little] Now all I can do is just remember you wishing that your soul rest in peace.
"Dasain ma auchas??" she asked me.......
"Audina hola.... abo ekai choti December ma aunchu..... 6 mahina pichari....."
She again asked "Abo kati barsa parnu parcha??"
"Abo ajhai 3 barsa cha......"
"Ramro parnu hai... sathi haru cha hola ni?"
"Cha cha..... hami 5-6 jana chau...... huncha fupu-aama janchu la.... alik packing garnu cha!!"
As i was putting my slippers on..... she again said "ramro parnu hai!!" and I smiled and nodded...
I never knew that it was the last time I was with my fupu-aama..... And again I was busy packing my documents, chargers, clothes, some copies, etc etc..... Mother crying from kitchen "sab documents haru halis?? Anta luga kunai birsenas?? Sweator haru pani bok..... Delhi side ma ta pura jaro huncha harey!!"
"Bokey bokey.... sab bokey....... hola"
Brother coming now and then and trying to do chance mein dance...... "Am da....... yo headphone ta k lanchau hou??"
"Am da..... yo speaker chorideu la!!"
"Am da..... yo TShirt malai di hala hou!!"
"Am da..... laptop bholi parsi landa hundaina??"
"Am da..... yo deo ta chorideu?? timi siliguri ma kinana!!"
Next day I left for siliguri in the morning and as fupu-aama was sleeping thought not to disturb her.....
I came to Meerut.... joined college.... class started.... new faces.... new friends.... new rooms.... new environment.... time passed by!! One morning I received a call from a friend of mine who asked me whether I was coming home.... "Why? I will only come in December......"
"huh?? ghar ma k bhayo thaha cha??"
"k bhayo??" I was afraid.....
"Aamai khasnu bhayo!!"
"k........??"
My heart became so heavy and I disconnected my phone.... I cannot imagine my home without fupu-aama sitting near to fire..... this things started haunting me.....
I opened the laptop and opened the video clip I had taken in the dasain of the previous year..... fupu-aama making things ready for tika.... looking so happy maybe because all of her son and their family would gather together that day..... I cannot believe that "she is no more!!"
If only I knew that day was the last day I was sitting beside her and the word "ramro parnu hai!!" was the last word she said to me.......!!! I just pulled the blanket and lied on the bed thinking about the sweet memories I had in my home with my grandma.... teasing her and getting scolded..... Selecting her new sari and asking her to keep it for her grand-daughter-in-law..... Throwing crackers outside her room and asking "Fupu-aama! thikai hunu-huncha hola ni??" Asking her to help me frying meat in dasain..... stealing horlicks from her room every morning!!
I miss you so much grandma..... I was so much unlucky that I couldn't be there at those moments..... [though my presence would matter little] Now all I can do is just remember you wishing that your soul rest in peace.
