Part 6

Garima walked in quietly into her girl’s room making sure not to touch anything that would make even the slightest noise, she cautiously walked closer to the bed and looked at the face of her sleeping daughter. She tenderly held the offending strands of hair that were tickling her little one’s nose and tucked it gently behind her ear.

 Garima noticed that the big windows were letting the light fall directly on her daughter’s face and she walked to the windows and drew the curtains close, she also increased the ceiling fan speed as it was getting warm outside now and this might cause discomfort and wake her sleeping beauty up. Then she walked to the door as cautiously as she had come in and at the door she turned around and looked back into the room to see if she could make anymore changes to make her baby’s sleep more comfortable.

When she was sure she had done it all, she looked lovingly at her baby’s face and walked out of the room closing the door firmly behind her, a peaceful expression on her face that can only be seen on a mothers face when she knows that her baby is safe and happy. Garima was a content woman.

She walked towards the living room where her husband and her sister-in-law were sitting and as she walked in both of them looked up to see her.

“Did you close the curtains?” her husband enquired and before she could reply

“You should have woken up Sanka Devi; she can’t go too long without food. She could have had breakfast and gone back to bed…it’s also her favorite breakfast aloo puri…” started Madhumatiji in her loud booming voice..

“shhhh…” said Shashi to his sister putting his index finger to his lips to indicate to her to keep her voice down.

“Little softly, jiji” Garima said in a pleading tone.

Madhumatiji was annoyed with this “Ooh you are asking me to be quite, how will you stop all the noise that’s coming from outside? This is Laxminagar not some rich locality in Delhi where it is so quite outside that she would wake up just because I spoke loudly….”

“SHHH jiji” Shashi warned his sister again

Madhumatiji was beyond annoyed now, she glare at her brother, stood up, swung her long plait around her neck and stormed out of the house. Nobody shushes Madhumati, she thought while climbed down the front stairs of the house.

I was only telling for their good, Sanka Devi will wake up and realize she missed breakfast and that silly girl will eat so much lunch to make up for the missed breakfast and then end up rolling in bed saying amma my tummy hurts. Then these two will run around her saying bitiya drink warm water, no bitiya drink gripe water hmph..as if she is a baby… then I will have my say… thought Madhumatiji as she moved towards her favorite neighbors house.

I still can’t believe that crazy girl is a doctor..I will never take any medicine that Parameshwari prescribes... she added as an afterthought. But everybody in the neighborhood knew who Madhumatiji's favorite niece was.

 Shashi watched his sister storm out of the house and turned to his wife and saw her watching his sister too. Then she turned and their eyes met and held and a conversation was held through the eye lock, a feat which can only be achieved between two people who are two halves of a whole. It went somewhat like this:

“I didn’t mean to hurt her” he said

“You know jiji’s anger you should have asked her nicely” she gently reprimanded him

“She always throws a tantrum for small things” he became defensive

“Grow up..”  she told him and slightly shook her head showing her exasperation at having to deal with the siblings who were not her kids and walked towards the kitchen to start preparations for lunch.

Sashi sat back in his chair and realized his wife was right like always. He just couldn't help it, when his sister talked about his house not being in a better locality, he had to stop her. He didn’t like it when people made him feel like he didn’t give the best to his daughters.

He was very sensitive with that issue, as he wanted to give his babies THE BEST of everything in this world. And he had worked really hard and sacrificed a lot of things to do just that. But luck was not on his side, yes, he was able to give them a comfortable living and a decent education till higher secondary. But he could never earn enough to give them the extra luxurious life that he wanted them to have; no matter how hard he worked… luck was just not on his side.

The biggest insult to him was when he realized he could not afford Payal’s medical education instead of her being a brilliant student and getting a merit seat in a good medical college. He had calculated that may be he could afford the first couple of years but after that he would go into heavy debt. He had to think of the family and also about getting two daughters married, he just couldn’t afford it. He had cursed himself for not being able to do even such a simple thing for his daughter.

 He had called Payal to his room and explained everything to her. She had told him not to worry and said that she understands and that she will enroll for a B.Sc. in a local college. He just hated himself more after that conversation with her and he had neglected his health and stayed more time at the sweet shop just so that he could avoid facing the people whose dreams he had shattered.

Then one night his little angel had walked in to his room and sat next to him and leaned on to his chest just like she does every time she is worried. He knew he was the reason behind her worry and hated himself more. He put his arms around her to try and erase her worries.

 “What is it bitiya?” he had to let her talk it out to lessen her burden.

“Babuji I am your baby right just like jiji?” she had asked and he was stumped. Where is this coming from or where is this going…he thought

“Is there a doubt bitiya?” he wanted her to clarify

“Then please listen to what I have to say before you decide anything…” she looked up at him pleaded with her eyes too

He looked back into her eyes and nodded for her to go on

“Babuji, I know that when my parents passed away that they had left some money for me, don’t ask me how Babuji…” she stopped him before he could ask her

“I also know that you had decided to never touch that money and planned to give it to me when I am able to manage it on my own…please don’t ask me how I know… Babuji please” she stopped him again when he had opened his mouth to ask her

“Babuji, I appreciate that decision that you took, but now I want to use that money, please let me,” she said

He was a total failure, he little angel was asking for money to spend, he had not been able to keep her happy too, but he kept his insecurities to himself and enquired

“What do you want it for bitiya?”

He held his breath her next sentence will confirm his failure in life

“Babuji, I want my jiji to follow her dream, I know she will be an amazing doctor. There is nothing better that that money can buy for me..you can’t say no Babuji.” she finished.

His angel, his butterfly, his little one had grown up. No, Shashi Gupta was not a failure in life actually he was a success story, his daughters strong characters were reflections of his success. With that thought he had given his consent and said he will look at the money the next day.

For once lady luck had smiled upon him, when he checked into the investments he had made for his daughter, the money had grown with her and he had been able to support both his daughters through their medical degrees.

But once they started earning he had strictly told them that he would not touch their earnings and they were banned from using their money for any household uses. He opened accounts for them in reliable banks and showed them how to invest it. He knew they spent some money on their clothes and jewelry; he didn’t stop them, he knew that as respectable doctors they had an image to up hold. He knew that they bought little gifts for their amma and buaji almost every month. They had tried to do that to him too but after he expressed his displeasure they had stopped.

He knew that they made good money and they will be comfortable even if he was to leave this world today and that gave him such peace. Life was good.

One day he had asked his little angel how she knew about the money, she smiled slightly hugged him and said "I overheard you and amma talking one night I was in the kitchen stealing jelabis after bedtime, I was scared to tell you that then, I was scared to get into trouble for stealing jelabis at night…" she had finished and he remembered laughing till his eyes watered.

“Ammaa…Babuji……” the sweet sound coming from the direction of this daughter’s bedroom brought him back to present. Ooh time to go…his little angel was wake….