Part 1
It was unusual to see the house quiet that morning. Until the previous day, Manya and Megha came and there was much activity. However, Narayan had risen early and left the main door open as usual. He was in the kitchen preparing coffee for himself and his wife Usha, who sat at the dining table calmly now. For a change, she didn’t shout at the watchman or talk loudly over the phone to relatives or friends. A little over eleven, the television shrieked from the house. Usha liked to keep the volume up always and it said everything was fine. Life had been peaceful until a week back. But the moment the couple came to know Deepa and her family were moving back to Nepal, both had been upset about it. Particularly Usha as she was quite attached to the kids. She’d had held them as babies and seen them grow until now. Narayan loved them too, but not to the extent of his wife. Their mother Deepa worked as a domestic help in some houses and in their place too. Since she knew them for a long time, Deepa also plaited Usha’s thin grey hair every day. She earned a handsome salary no doubt. But what the children received was much more, as Usha taught them for a few hours every day. It was free of cost, like social service.
Manya and Megha studied in grades one and three; went to a reputed school in the neighbourhood. This was unthinkable even for the local kids with good academic records, given the school’s standing and results it produced year after year. Moreover, they were Nepali’s and the parents being illiterates, made it all the more difficult to believe. But thanks to Mr. Gopi’s influential ties with the school management and the apartment where the children’s father worked as a watchman for many years, had helped secure them seats. Usha’s apartment was two houses away and that was how she came to know about them! Therefore, the kids came home every day and the old couple received them with all the warmth. It was usually at four, after returning from school and in the mornings during weekend. After helping them with their homework and studies, Usha then served curd/yogurt rice and potato fry for dinner every day. However, during the weekend, things were more relaxed and the kids came around ten in the morning. They were dressed neatly and Narayan made sure the two chanted few slokas, before beginning their lessons. The menu also varied to everyone’s relief. They sat down together and enjoyed a sumptuous South Indian meal before leaving home.
Usha was close to seventy, plump and loquacious by nature. She’d worked as a teacher and retired some years back. Her son and daughter were married and had settled in the States for many years. However, both had got divorced later. As time passed, the son married again and was expecting a child through his second wife. He had a four-year old son from his first marriage as well. But her daughter remained single after all the pain the relationship had caused her. Narayan was a reserved man, but energetic for his age. His duties included collecting rent from the tenants every month, arranging repair works if any, running errands as and when required by his wife.
Radha lived with her family in a small room downstairs. Tej her husband worked as the watchman and they’d a two-year-old son named Arya. They were from Nepal too and reliable people. They saw that everything went on smoothly when the old couple travelled to the States every year. Deepa drew rangoli outside the gate every morning, swept and mopped the staircase in the afternoons. Perhaps once or twice a week in the couple’s absence. For that matter Tej too and he hardly worked. The trio took advantage of the situation and gossiped most times. However, it was different when the couple were around. Usha’s mood was unpredictable and she would erupt any time of the day. Tej was reprimanded often; Manya and Megha weren’t spared too! Though she showered her love abundantly on them, Usha was a strict disciplinarian when it came to their studies. They were often scolded for being inattentive and not doing their homework properly. Then the report cards came and Deepa brought them over dutifully. Usha wore her reading glasses, appeared solemn and studied them for a while.
‘Terrible performance and they would get detained at this rate!’ she yelled, afterwards.
It terrified the children, they cried and Deepa consoled them. However, Usha remained strict and continued yelling for rest of the week. She was under constant tension and found it hard to teach them. Nothing went into their heads and it was quite obvious. They were playful too and didn’t know the seriousness at all. Sometimes Narayan intervened, as she would go on scolding without any break. An argument soon followed and both of them fought in the end. He often advised her to stop teaching as she was not only old, but also impatient with them. But Usha disagreed and felt the kids were too lazy. That with a bit of push, they would perform well. Also, she loved teaching as it helped share the knowledge. So, the high blood pressure or vertigo problems or whatever didn’t matter to her. And if not for anything, she simply loved having them home. She wanted them to study well and decided to help as long as her health permitted. But the truth was they couldn’t cope and struggled every day. Perhaps a lower curriculum and a change of school might help. But neither the old couple nor Deepa thought about it any time. Despite the scoldings, the kids got a chance to watch their favourite T.V. programmes every day. The couple didn’t interfere at all and it seemed to be the best thing.
Part 2
Radha worked in Sarala’s home on the second floor and in two other places. She was a good worker and liked by all. Tej’s affair with another woman earlier had shattered her completely. But Usha had counselled him and the two broke up. From the kitchen window, one heard Radha shouting at him on most days. Tej hardly looked after Arya and she accused him for being indifferent with them. Sometimes he drank liquor and beat her up. She went for work with a swollen eye the next day. Sarala felt bad on seeing her sometimes and counselled Tej from time to time. And as the months rolled by, Radha saw a visible change in his behaviour. He became more understanding, bathed and fed Arya daily. He did his duties properly and Usha rarely quarreled with him. He became responsible; stitched blouses and other stuffs during his free time. And surprisingly, Usha didn’t object and had agreed to the idea calmly. Radha thanked Sarala as it wouldn’t have happened without her help. Few months later, Sarala wanted a gown stitched for her daughter-in-law. From a saree, bought a year or so back. She approached Tej and he said about doing it himself.
Though he’d lost touch and it was a bit challenging, Tej didn’t disappoint and the gown came out just fine. He felt quite special as everyone praised him that evening. There was this feeling he could do much better in life, than just work as a watchman! Then orders came from his close circle of friends and he became busy. Radha saw the photos on her mobile phone again and again. Bounced with joy and dreamed of starting their own business soon. Tej’s ultimate dream was to open a small restaurant and spoke about it often. He worked in a hotel before their marriage and had sufficient experience in the field. Moreover, he cooked every day and it seemed to be his passion. It was Egg Pulav, Paneer gravy or some tantalizing food on week days. Chicken or mutton biryani during weekends. Likewise, he also promised to set up a tailoring shop for Radha. She did a bit of stitching and added embellishments on blouse pieces sometimes. They desired to build their own house in Nepal too.
However, Radha seemed to be the mastermind behind all this. She’d turned into a smart woman within a few months and Tej couldn’t fool with her anymore. She fought boldly if he gave money to his friends or refused to share the household chores. She earned more than him and this gave her strength. She became selfish, wanted a better life and was willing to toil for it! She dreamed of sending Arya to a good school too. Deepa also seemed to have contributed to this partly. Radha had been to her house couple times and envied their lifestyle thereafter. They’d a bigger room, small television set and fridge. And Radha had become a troubled soul afterwards. Sometimes she sat by the entrance and thought how well they’d progressed in life. Deepa and family had lived for almost fifteen years in Chennai. It wasn’t an uphill task and she took them as examples.
Usha on the other hand, wasn’t that friendly with Radha and family. She didn’t talk or play with Arya too. She’d a matter-of-fact relationship and often quarreled with them. They were fed up of her behaviour and wanted to look for a job elsewhere. Radha shared this with Sarala sometimes. Who knew about it and advised her to be patient, as old people were bound to be cranky. She also explained how Usha missed being with her kids and it was the main reason for her irritation. That they spoke on WhatsApp videocall every week and how this lifted her spirits afterwards. Thus, Narayan was mentally strong and able to divert his mind on other things. And even though Usha was a terror outside, she could break down easily and very emotional from the inside. Radha on the other hand, didn’t agree at all. But there were problems everywhere and the best solution was finding a way to tackle them. So, Sarala advised her to ignore the petty things and focus on the positives instead. They earned well, had a place to stay for free and could also save money. They also spent lavishly and enjoyed at times. This was unimaginable to the locals in the country.
Part 3
With the pandemic scare, everything came to a standstill in 2020. Manya and Megha stopped coming and Usha felt bored. However, she occupied herself by reading the newspaper, watching T.V. and talking to relatives every day. With her daughter-in-law’s due date approaching soon, she became anxious sometimes. She was also greatly disturbed when her son didn’t call every week and it resulted in frequent outbursts at home. Narayan had a hard time and tried his best to pacify her. But it didn’t help and they ended up fighting as usual. Despite the laziness, Usha cooked every day. It consisted of spinach kootu or some curry, sambar or rasam along with rice. A middle-aged lady brought vegetables and fruits on the pushcart. Narayan went downstairs and bought once a week like the rest of them. As for provisions, a guy from P.K. stores delivered whenever required. They cleaned up the house and utensils by themselves. Radha too stayed home with her family. But after a few days she began working in Sarala’s house silently. Took proper precautions, wore a mask and sanitized her hands thoroughly each time.
Usha couldn’t be held captive for long and after a month or so, visited the other residents in the apartment. With the mask on and sanitizing properly. Of the four units in the apartment, three belonged to them. They lived in one and had let out the other two. One was their son’s and other their daughter’s. The last one had been sold and the owner lived in Mumbai. They’d let it out to Sarala and family. Previously, there was an old house in its place. But the entire property was given to Narayan by his parents as he’d looked after them. The latter being generous, had given a small sum to his sister later. Who bought a flat and lived close by. Usha chatted a little with everyone and was back home quickly. Meeting people was nice and it lifted her spirits now.
In spite of the fights, Usha loved her husband very much. She shared this with Sarala when they met at her home. She feared living alone, with no one to take care in her old age. She also informed about her sister who was in her eighties and become a widow some years back. And with both her kids living abroad, how difficult it was to manage things by herself. However, a cook and fulltime helper had been arranged few years back. She also visited the States and stayed with them occasionally. Hence, she spoke to her every day and also visited whenever possible. Usha also enquired about Pinky’s health, Sarala’s one and only daughter-in-law. Who was pregnant with their first child and living with her parents in Ahmedabad now. Sarala informed she was doing well and the delivery due in a month’s time. She liked Usha’s openness as there were no secrets in her. She was like a child and displayed her emotions spontaneously, be it anger, laughter, happiness or sadness. She also shared bundles of homegrown drumsticks with the residents from time to time.
It was the month of May and the heat rose steadily. But the good thing was most stayed indoors and it helped escape from the scorching sun. Also, the rules were relaxed now and people could move around the city with some restrictions. However, the cases increased every day and the lockdown was extended until month end. Thus, small businesses functioned with minimum staff; standalone shops and restaurants had extended their timings. The bigger companies had given the work from home option long time back. And now, they operated with minimum staff too. But Schools, colleges, places of worship, cinema theatres etc. remained shut as usual. So, things began to look up gradually and people started carrying on with their lives like before. However, not all was fine in Sarala’s place. Her husband contracted Covid-19 and was admitted in the hospital. Sarala was packed off to a relative’s place nearby. Their son Dheeraj stayed put in the flat and managed alone. Radha cooked dinner and took it upstairs every day. But soon he too contracted the virus and was down for a month. By then his father after a hard battle, was discharged from the hospital and came home. Sarala came back shortly and looked after all of them. Around the same time a baby girl was born to Dheeraj and Pinky. Unfortunately, he couldn’t visit them and convalesced at home.
Radha resumed work in other homes. However, it wasn’t about wearing a mask and sanitizing her hands alone. She went a step further, bathed three or four times a day. Deaths due to the pandemic made people paranoid and she was no exception to it. She’d been soaking the vegetables and fruits in salt water and turmeric powder already. Saw there was adequate stock of sanitizers and Dettol at home too. She was extremely scared, especially with the little one around. She was responsible and careful. Seeing Sarala’s family suffer was more than enough and she didn’t want them to contract the virus at any time. Things had changed in Usha’s place too; Manya and Megha began visiting again. Deepa came for work as usual. Usha and Narayan were more than happy to have their company after a long time. Since the school hadn’t begun the online classes, Usha revised the old lessons every day. Afterwards they’d lunch together and the children went home. Then they came in the evening and studied for some time. It was followed by dinner and watching T.V for a while. Usha screamed as usual and the house came alive again. A week or so later, painting works began in the apartment. Apparently, Mr. Muthu and his family had vacated the flat in the second floor. So, Usha decided to paint and keep it ready for the next tenant. The single bedroom downstairs had also been vacant for long. So, there was enough work; the men came in the morning and worked until evening. Sometimes there was a lot of noise due to drilling.
However, Radha and Teja were unhappy and felt the old couple were putting everyone’s lives at risk. Radha spoke to Sarala in an agitated manner every time. Because they lived downstairs and she feared they might get infected because of them. However, everything went off well and the work was completed in a couple days. The following night, Sarala went downstairs and saw Tej painting their room. Arya sat on the chair with the mobile phone; Radha was busy arranging the vessels on the shelves. But she stopped and saw her standing near the car. She was all smiles and her teeth shone brightly. There were no fears whatsoever. And all that mattered was to keep their little place neat and tidy now!
Part 4
It was June and life went on dully. However, Usha was quite excited as her son and daughter-in-law were blessed with a baby girl few days back. Sarala congratulated as soon as she received the news. Usha called different names and talked to the baby through WhatsApp every time. She also felt frustrated for not being with them now. She grumbled often and this irritated Narayan a lot. But fortunately, the online classes for Megha and Manya began and this kept Usha busy. By that time, the border issues between India and Nepal aggravated and it created lot of tensions. Radha didn’t talk about it directly, but there was some uneasiness and Sarala sensed it. She talked about the growing Covid-19 cases and their fears of living here. That they were foreigners and wouldn’t have proper access to medical treatments if something went wrong. Also, it was costly and they couldn’t afford to spend so much money. She also said many of their friends had moved back to Nepal and some were contemplating the same now. And she went on grumbling every day.
Sarala understood her concerns and was equally apprehensive. The situation was difficult to tide over, whether rich or poor. However, she told her not to worry and be positive. That despite cases increasing every day, the recovery rate was good and deaths relatively lesser, as compared to other countries. She also promised to help financially and not letting them suffer alone at this time. Radha was happy to hear this and thanked her for taking interest in their well-being. But Usha hadn’t said anything and she said it hurt them a lot. That she treated them as just employees and didn’t want any commitments as such. Sarala explained this wasn’t true and they would definitely help when the need arose. That they were large-hearted and not like what she thought. But Radha didn’t believe a word and all those bad moments they’d experienced before came to her mind now. It made her angry and she wanted to leave as soon as possible. She also explained it was better to be in their own country and surrounded by their people. And her desire to go back increased day after day.
Some days later, Radha informed Deepa and family had booked their tickets to Nepal. Sarala was taken aback and asked if they too were contemplating the same. Radha said this was the right time to go home. However, Tej felt December was better and so they would stay until then. It didn’t make sense and Sarala told if they wanted to go, then they should do so without delay. But the virus had spread everywhere. Therefore, she also advised wherever one lived, it was the safest place now. Besides there was institutional quarantine, which made things difficult at this time. So, in a way Tej’s decision about not leaving now seemed right. But Radha was silent and continued with her work.
To help Manya and Megha study from home, the old couple provided them with a laptop and tablet shortly. It was a new experience and Usha in particular enjoyed a lot. Narayan also shared the responsibility now and taught the kids. They joked and laughed often. And ate together in the afternoons as usual. But sometimes Usha yelled at them. One morning she lost it totally and shouted at Manya a lot. Megha got up and closed the door quickly. Then the kids and Deepa slept at Usha’s place for a few days. Radha noticed their slippers outside and asked her one evening. She came to know their table fan wasn’t working and the old couple had let them spend the nights. While on one hand she appreciated the gesture, on the other it seemed totally unnecessary. And if they really wanted to help, they could send an electrician to repair or buy a new one for them. But she knew it was Usha’s decision and Narayan had complied in the end. She and Tej felt the couple were doing things out of the way and didn’t like it.
The pandemic had devastating effects overall. Some lost their loved ones, some their jobs, some their mental peace and others were forced to leave the country. And by month end, Radha informed they were going home. They were traveling in a luxury sleeper coach as it was a four-day journey. Sarala was sad, but wished her a safe journey and return in a few months as promised. However, it wasn’t a smooth dealing with Usha. She was extremely annoyed as they hadn’t given sufficient notice and decided to leave during the pandemic. She also told it was unsafe now and they should go sometime later. Radha narrated everything shortly. That despite promising to return within three months, Usha had also categorically said about withholding some amount from Tej’s salary. She said it was unfair and considering the way things went they couldn’t guarantee their return immediately. But Sarala too felt what they’d done was wrong. Anyways it was too late now and she asked them to handle the situation tactfully. As the days rolled by, she noticed the excitement on Radha’s face. Her parents called from Nepal often and she spoke happily after finishing her work. She said they were quite excited to see her and Arya especially, after three years. On the other hand, Tej’s parents lived in Bangalore and they were expected to travel the following month.
Radha brought Durga shortly and introduced her to all the families. They knew the couple for a few years and were confident of them doing a good job. Sarala briefed her the jobs and told her to start once they’d settled down. She also gave strict instructions about wearing a mask and sanitizing her hands every time. The old couple were also relieved to get a replacement on time. And, Tej and Radha were mentally free for not leaving abruptly from here. Usha paid full salary to Tej afterwards. One afternoon in the second week of July, Sarala saw the children seated at the dining table. They were dressed up neatly and Usha was busy speaking to their mother on the phone. She said it was getting late and so on. It was loud and she heard while going up the stairs. A little while later Radha came along with Arya and she opened the door. She gave him biscuit packets and they spoke for some time. Then took photographs on the mobile phones as proof of their friendship, before parting ways finally. It was quite emotional and they wished the pandemic hadn’t been the reason for this. Dheeraj had already taken their luggage in his car and was waiting near Gita Bhavan. From there they would take separate cabs and head to the bus stand with Deepa’s family. Radha thanked her for everything and left shortly.
In the meantime, Narayan and Usha had gone downstairs and bid farewell to Deepa’s family. After some time, Usha stood by the window and stared at the road silently. Her eyes were moist and she dabbed them with the pallu of her saree. A month passed by and life went on as usual. But she hadn’t forgotten the kids and kept in touch with Deepa regularly. She and Narayan chatted with Manya and Megha through WhatsApp videocall and it lifted her spirits. Their transfer certificates were still with the school and Usha was confident they would return back. However, Narayan was skeptical and advised her not to be too hopeful. And like he’d thought two months later, it was confirmed they weren’t coming back. Usha was unhappy as they hadn’t been truthful about their plans. She felt cheated like a child, whose favourite toy had been snatched away suddenly. Furthermore, they stopped answering her calls.
Though they weren’t her grandchildren, it was hard to be away from them. Usha thought of the happy times from time to time. When she and Narayan waited by the balcony and waved their hands at them. The kids with the bags on their backs and marching to school with their father every morning. They were also happy to see them and waved their hands back. Then the pretty gowns, pencils, crayons and chocolates they’d bought from the States every time… It was painful to think now as she’d treated them as her own family.
‘How could they stop talking after everything we’ve done…,’ said Usha unhappily one afternoon.
‘Perhaps they’d no attachments…,’ said Narayan, leaning on the chair. ‘Now once the air travel resumes, we can go and see our grandchildren. So, don’t worry…’
The once dark world of Usha’s illuminated again at the thought of her grandchildren. She understood Manya and Megha would forget them with the passage of time. Unless Deepa kept in touch but the chances were remote. She let go of the feelings gradually and focused on other things. Went downstairs and supervised Prashanth’s work. Who was the new watchman and Durga’s husband. When Pinky came back, she went upstairs and saw them. With gifts for the little one and spent few minutes twice or thrice a week. Then she and Narayan drove to nearby places in their car on Sunday evenings. Had dinner outside and came home late as usual. After some months when the airplanes finally flew, they travelled to Houston and stayed with their son and daughter-in-law. Enjoyed the time with the grandchildren and Usha’s mood improved significantly. They also travelled to California and spent time with their daughter. A month later after their return home, Usha received a call on her mobile phone. It was from Deepa and she felt excited. She and Narayan chatted with Manya and Megha afterwards. Usha missed them a lot and thought of the times together. But they’d settled down in Nepal and wouldn’t come back. She sighed and accepted the reality. What’s left now was memories. She kept them safely in her heart and came to peace in the end.
SavithaWrites 