BY AVTAR MOTA
When Aasha ji advised her husband Ramesh Kumar Koul to go to Bangaluru and see their newly married daughter and son in law , he pretended as if he heard nothing. This typical style of Ramesh Kumar to avoid conversation was quite familiar to Aasha Ji. Quite often she did not drag her conversation sensing Ramesh Kumar’s disinterest . Possibly this was not the moment to leave conversation at that point . She did not keep quiet and continued ..
“ I say to you, Look this way . Where are you lost ? Don’t you ever think about sweety ? It has been more than six months now. We do not know anything about Sweety and Rohit Ji.I do not believe these telephone calls . What do we get out of these calls ? Just ” I am fine “ or “How are you ?” . And then the usual line “ We shall talk tomorrow. I am busy today “ Is this communication ? I am sick of this style that these youngsters have adopted. We do not know facts . We do not know which direction these people are going . We do not know what they are eating. We do not know how they are living. You should have gone twice uptil now but you appear to take these things lightly.”
Ramesh Kumar kept quiet. Sometimes he felt that staying in his home for full day after retirement was a curse. He better tell his wife that he had a job and leave at 10 AM in the morning and return at 6 PM to save himself from these daily grilling sessions. For him, Aasha ji was there in the house only to rake up any and every issue to create unending annoyance for him. But then he also thought that to some extent she was right. He had seen Sweety talking on her mobile phone for hours when she received calls from her colleagues or friends. She also chatted with so many friends on internet as and when she came to Jammu from Bangaluru where she had been staying for the last three years. And to her parents, she would simply say “Are you fine? Okay, We shall Talk tomorrow. I am busy today “. Both Aasha ji l and Ramesh Kumar were long waiting for that TOMORROW to arrive . It never did.
Ramesh Kumar would also think that there was no Issue worth talking between Sweety and her parents except a mutual reassurance that all were fine. With friends she had issues of her age, job and future.
“young children are sharp and better equipped to understand and decide what was best for them. “
Consoling himself with these thoughts, Ramesh Kumar would often feel that all was fine. That made him to stop further thinking on this issue.
Now that he could not avoid going to Bangaluru , Ramesh Kumar started his preparations . He booked his Air ticket and bought Kulcha , Rajmash , Kashmiri Brinjals , Nadru ( Lotus stems ) , Rice powder , A packet of Barfi and Chhanamurgi from Pahalwan’s shop , Kadam ( Knol Khol ) Pickle ,Vaariemuth ( small Black Beans consumed by kashmiris ), A small Wood carving House Boat , A papier Mache kangri , one kg of kagzi walnuts , kashmiri spices from Prasad Koul’s shop , Burzil Almonds and a small 5 gm packet of Pampore saffron and finally Green leafy Haak. Aasha ji had accompanied him and selected most of these items.
When Ramesh Kumar asked Aasha Ji as to who would cook all these vegetables , she said , “It is not so difficult. Sweety is there. Let you go first, Both of you should help each other to enjoy all this stuff. I wish I could go . Even if you have to cook something for the children , there is no issue . We live for them only. Had Rinku not been in his ten plus two final class, I would have loved to go personally. But I cannot leave him alone at this crucial period. Who shall make him to get up at 5 AM for the tuition classes? And listen Don’t you ever ring up that Nalini , your cousin sister . We had enough from this relation of yours . She did not have the courtesy to invite Sweety and Rohit ji for a lunch or Dinner. Leave that Lunch or Dinner aside, she has not invited them even for a cup of Tea. All your relations are like that. They demand respect from us but never exhibit it when their turn comes. Don’t telephone her about your presence in Bangaluru .”
That day all flights from Jammu airport got delayed due to inclement weather. Inspite of leaving Jammu at 11.30 AM, Ramesh Kumar reached Bangaluru at 6 PM . He was tired and not in a goof mood. He also felt cheated when the Airline staff at Jammu asked him to pay Rs3700 for the extra baggage that he was carrying.
To himself he said ,
“ Rupees 3700 for Nadru , Haak , Kulcha , spices , Kadam , Rajmash ,and Brinjals ? Why do these Airlines allow free luggage of only 15 Kgs per passenger? My god, this is loot. Better go by Train next time . “
Infact he had also approached the travel agent at Jammu for Tatkal tickets of Rajdhani or Karnataka Express offering him a premium of Rs500/ for his seat . Nothing could be managed and accordingly he had to travel by Air only.
When he reached sweety’s flat , it was locked .
“O God! Where to go now?” He said to himself. He thought of knocking at the door of the adjacent flat. As he did so, an elderly person came out and conveyed politely that they do not know anything about Sweety and her husband. They neither had keys of the flat nor any information. Accordingly, he could provide no assistance on this front. Thanking him for opening the door, Ramesh Kumar picked up his luggage and came down by the building lift to meet the Guard at the entrance. The guard informed him that he too had no information and offered to keep his luggage in safe custody till Sweety and her husband arrive.
Ramesh Kumar decided to call Sweety on her mobile .First , second and third ring and Pat came the reply in a hush hush tone .
“ Papa , Please wait . I am in office. It shall take me about an hour to reach home. Rohit is coming to pick me up.”
Ramesh Kumar also informed his safe arrival to Aasha ji . While he was busy on his mobile , The Guard had brought him a Cup of Tea and made him to sit on his bed cum cot. Gossip followed. Kashmir problem, General corruption in the country and finally sandalwood smuggler Veerapan came up for discussions . Impressed , the Guard kept listening .
At 9 PM , Sweety and Rohit arrive in a car. Hugging, smiles and together they proceed to the flat. Ramesh Kumar wanted to talk about his long wait and seek reasons as to why the flat key was not kept with the neighbour or the guard but decided to forget all that he went through. Once inside the flat,he wanted to have a bath and go to sleep . Sweety switched on the TV set for the News . Together they heard the news while Rohit busied himself with his laptop. Sweety was also busy with her Mobile and intermittently looked towards the TV and her father. That was the communication environment in the room .
Before the newsreader shifted to weather report / forecast , the door bell rang. A boy entered with some food packets that had possibly been ordered by Sweety . And then she suddenly declared.
“Papa , Let us have food .”
Somehow he ate the oily and spicy food served in disposable plates . Drinking half a bottle of Mineral water, he felt like going to bed immediately. Bangaluru was pleasant in August . He went to the bed room , changed his clothes and had a dreamless sleep waking up at 6.30 AM. This was the time when Asha ji would bring him a cup of hot tea along with the morning Newspaper. That made him to feel something like a King in his house. Where to Get the Tea? How shall he begin his day without the usual cup of Tea ? He kept thinking. He opened the window and saw groups of people in the park below the flats. Morning walkers in sports shoes and neat clothes. Women and children walking briskly over the circular track in the park. Hawkers distributing Newspapers to the residents of the flats. Newspapers ( with pages secured by tight rubber bands ) thrown up with perfect skill and thrown up like projectiles even to fourth floors . Just below his bed room window in the open balcony, he found a newspaper. That kept him busy for about one hour. What to do now?
He went to the kitchen and to his surprise, he found the sink full of unwashed utensils. Plates, cups, saucers, glasses and spoons. The maid had possibly not come the previous day. He opened the Refrigerator and found that there was no Milk. Sugar and Tea, he could locate but then he cannot drink black Tea. He came out and looked at the hanging clock that kept ticking in the silence of the Flat .It was 7.30 AM. He went near the bedroom door of Sweety , Put his ear close to the door but could hear nothing. No sound from inside the room. He believed that Sweety and Rohit must be sleeping. Why disturb them ?after all his cup of Tea was not that important .
Avtar Mota is a blogger, writes for local and national papers and journals
