Mystery of the missing mom
A.Charumati Ramdas
The child was not crying, but there was bewilderment on his face. A smart elderly lady was taking care of him. Another boy, with exactly similar features, but with a sober and serious expression on his face was seated on the chair next to him. A middle aged person, again with the same features, too was frequently coming to them and handing them over either a glass of water or juice or some eatable.
Then he put a spoon full of hot- hot halwa into the mouth of child and the child started yelling. The old lady exclaimed, “It was too hot!” The child’s mouth remained open with only the shrieks emerging from it. Hot halwa didn’t budge an inch from its place!
“Sorry, son, very sorry!” the father tried to calm down the child. The son was staring at him with his eyes full of tears, reproach, disappointment, loneliness and what not….!
We were constantly staring at them. Myself and my Dil (Daughter in law). She too could not take her eyes off from the quartet.
“Probably, they don’t have mother!”Dil exclaimed.
Suddenly I felt a wave of sympathy in my heart for the kids. I wished it were not true!
Now, we were not only onlookers, the kids had silently occupied a corner in my heart, and probably in Dil’s too.
After some time I saw a young lady approaching them; she lifted the younger child and took him away. He clung to her with his head resting on her bosom.
We felt relieved…probably the mother had come.
It was a marriage function of a very close relative and as we were going to be there for almost two days, we got an opportunity to observe these two kids.
After an hour or so, many young kids – elder than OUR kid, were seen playing, jumping, and shouting in the hall. HE was sitting quietly near his granny.
After another hour he was seen going out of hall with another young lady….. ‘Oh, the earlier young woman was not his mother!’
The mystery was deepening!
Next morning I noticed him in the hall. The marriage ceremony was scheduled for 11.00A.M.. It was around 9.30 A.M. Sitting with his grandmother, he was crying loudly! She was not even trying to console him!!
I could not restrain myself, “Oh, dear, why are you crying? You are such a lovely boy! Be brave! Never should you cry like that!” and asked his granny, “Is he not feeling well?”
I found no need to introduce myself, nor did she. She said, “Yeah, he is a little unwell and unhappy too! You know, he is not getting the kind of attention that he is used to! Appa is busy; Amma – on her way!” My ears didn’t hear anything else. I was happy – He has Amma! I informed Dil about this discovery. She too seemed happy.
After some time I spotted HIM on the stage. Many ladies were sitting around the bride and the groom; on the lap of one of them was sitting HE, like a Prince on his throne – with no fear of being dethroned.
Right! This was the lady who had reached the hall half an hour ago with her bag and was telling someone, “Thanks God! I could finally make it!”
During the lunch, when me and Dil were moving around with our plates, full of delicacies, in search of some place to sit, we noticed HIS Amma and Appa sitting in a corner, and there were two chairs lying vacant nearby. Dil, sort of approached the chairs, and she bounced back, “She is too rude! Even before I could enquire whether I could take away these chairs, she quipped that they are meant for somebody!”
I decided to drop curtain on the episode, but this was not going to end so soon.
While I was coming back to the hall, I noticed HIM playing with a small tennis ball. I stopped and looked at him. His eyes were smiling. “So, your mom has come?” He nodded in the affirmative. “Where is she?” he pointed towards her – there were quite a few ladies in the room opposite and obviously I could not locate her.
“Fine! Are you happy now?”I continued.
He nodded again.
“O.K. then, tell me your name now and shake hand with me.”
HE cooperated, said, “ARVIND”.
The granny came rushing and quipped, “So, you are friends now! Tell your complete name! Arvind Raghavan.”
The child repeated.
The granny asked, “Are you from the groom’s side?”
“Yeah, he is my nephew!”
“Oh. When I saw you yesterday I thought that you are a Bengali. Are you? You are not a South Indian, right? ”
I said, “No, I am a Maharashtrian.”
She introduced herself, “I am Anita Das. We stay in Bengalore. My daughter is married to Raghavan, and they have two children.”
We took leave of each other on a happy note.
After a couple of days, I gathered more information about Anita Das. She is a very well cultured and sophisticated person, very good singer, has a small troupe of her own and performs in foreign countries too.
I liked this smart and graceful lady and her little chubby grandchild Arvind.
Where ever you are Arvind, be happy! Our best wishes are always with you!
A.Charumati Ramdas
The child was not crying, but there was bewilderment on his face. A smart elderly lady was taking care of him. Another boy, with exactly similar features, but with a sober and serious expression on his face was seated on the chair next to him. A middle aged person, again with the same features, too was frequently coming to them and handing them over either a glass of water or juice or some eatable.
Then he put a spoon full of hot- hot halwa into the mouth of child and the child started yelling. The old lady exclaimed, “It was too hot!” The child’s mouth remained open with only the shrieks emerging from it. Hot halwa didn’t budge an inch from its place!
“Sorry, son, very sorry!” the father tried to calm down the child. The son was staring at him with his eyes full of tears, reproach, disappointment, loneliness and what not….!
We were constantly staring at them. Myself and my Dil (Daughter in law). She too could not take her eyes off from the quartet.
“Probably, they don’t have mother!”Dil exclaimed.
Suddenly I felt a wave of sympathy in my heart for the kids. I wished it were not true!
Now, we were not only onlookers, the kids had silently occupied a corner in my heart, and probably in Dil’s too.
After some time I saw a young lady approaching them; she lifted the younger child and took him away. He clung to her with his head resting on her bosom.
We felt relieved…probably the mother had come.
It was a marriage function of a very close relative and as we were going to be there for almost two days, we got an opportunity to observe these two kids.
After an hour or so, many young kids – elder than OUR kid, were seen playing, jumping, and shouting in the hall. HE was sitting quietly near his granny.
After another hour he was seen going out of hall with another young lady….. ‘Oh, the earlier young woman was not his mother!’
The mystery was deepening!
Next morning I noticed him in the hall. The marriage ceremony was scheduled for 11.00A.M.. It was around 9.30 A.M. Sitting with his grandmother, he was crying loudly! She was not even trying to console him!!
I could not restrain myself, “Oh, dear, why are you crying? You are such a lovely boy! Be brave! Never should you cry like that!” and asked his granny, “Is he not feeling well?”
I found no need to introduce myself, nor did she. She said, “Yeah, he is a little unwell and unhappy too! You know, he is not getting the kind of attention that he is used to! Appa is busy; Amma – on her way!” My ears didn’t hear anything else. I was happy – He has Amma! I informed Dil about this discovery. She too seemed happy.
After some time I spotted HIM on the stage. Many ladies were sitting around the bride and the groom; on the lap of one of them was sitting HE, like a Prince on his throne – with no fear of being dethroned.
Right! This was the lady who had reached the hall half an hour ago with her bag and was telling someone, “Thanks God! I could finally make it!”
During the lunch, when me and Dil were moving around with our plates, full of delicacies, in search of some place to sit, we noticed HIS Amma and Appa sitting in a corner, and there were two chairs lying vacant nearby. Dil, sort of approached the chairs, and she bounced back, “She is too rude! Even before I could enquire whether I could take away these chairs, she quipped that they are meant for somebody!”
I decided to drop curtain on the episode, but this was not going to end so soon.
While I was coming back to the hall, I noticed HIM playing with a small tennis ball. I stopped and looked at him. His eyes were smiling. “So, your mom has come?” He nodded in the affirmative. “Where is she?” he pointed towards her – there were quite a few ladies in the room opposite and obviously I could not locate her.
“Fine! Are you happy now?”I continued.
He nodded again.
“O.K. then, tell me your name now and shake hand with me.”
HE cooperated, said, “ARVIND”.
The granny came rushing and quipped, “So, you are friends now! Tell your complete name! Arvind Raghavan.”
The child repeated.
The granny asked, “Are you from the groom’s side?”
“Yeah, he is my nephew!”
“Oh. When I saw you yesterday I thought that you are a Bengali. Are you? You are not a South Indian, right? ”
I said, “No, I am a Maharashtrian.”
She introduced herself, “I am Anita Das. We stay in Bengalore. My daughter is married to Raghavan, and they have two children.”
We took leave of each other on a happy note.
After a couple of days, I gathered more information about Anita Das. She is a very well cultured and sophisticated person, very good singer, has a small troupe of her own and performs in foreign countries too.
I liked this smart and graceful lady and her little chubby grandchild Arvind.
Where ever you are Arvind, be happy! Our best wishes are always with you!
