Family Short Story – I will take care of you…
Photo credit: allyeargarden from morguefile.com
One hot summer afternoon few days back at a client’s office, I had just excused myself for a washroom break after a long meeting. As I stepped into the ladies room at the farthest corner of the plush office, I saw a young pretty girl sitting away in a corner talking on the phone to someone. Aah a quickie love talk with her boyfriend maybe….I whispered to myself sarcastically while pulling away the tissues when I heard “Don’t worry Mamma, stop crying…main hoon…we will take care of it together'”.
I turned around to look at the girl, a tear dropped on her beautiful face as she hung up on the phone.
“Everything alright?” I asked…with a shaky voice she replied…”Yeah thanks, some critical health issues in family. I need to be there atleast as a support even if I know I can’t do anything better than this” …
I thought it better not to probe further & gave her an assuring pat on her shoulder. “All the best, you better make a move and stay strong”.
I walked out of the washroom & out of the office. I didn’t know who that girl was & might never know or perhaps its not important to know either. Sometimes you come across strangers in life who give you an amazing or inspirational experience in just a matter of time and you live by the thought of it for many days or may be years!
It was a respite looking at the flocculent clouds swathing the dark grey sky while driving back home. Suddenly, I remembered this old gentleman I had met sometime back on a flight. I looked up on my whatsapp list and dropped him a msg ” Saw someone today repeating your lines”. A smiley popped up from him by the next red light…
Flashback…
I had hurriedly picked up a couple of newspapers while making my way to the gate…it felt awful hearing my name being called out so loud early in the morning. I was settling down happily in my window seat for the middle one was empty when the gentleman on the aisle seat said “Hi..good morning!”
For the grumpy me in early mornings, the hi from a stranger didn’t make any sense or help either. “Hi” I replied back with a sly smile and returned back safely to my newspaper. Perhaps its our general and busy attitude these days which makes us wonder & suspect on a small gesture like a simple hi even if its coming from the most unassuming people around us.
“I knew you would pick up that first…my daughter also used to do the same” …said the guy.
“Excuse me?? ” I gave him a confused look and checked my newspaper. It was the page 3 of Hindustan Times. It took me half a minute to understand the context but it surely fumed me off …”Well if you see, I am also carrying a Business Standard with me…may be its just that I like to start the day with some light news!” I replied back with a stern voice deep with all the feminism suddenly aroused and seemingly hurt.
“Ok ok…please carry on…I just remembered my late daughter when I saw you”…
“Oh I am sorry” I said making a perplexed attempt to cover up. Perhaps this broke the ice and sometime later, we were both talking a bit over breakfast. He was an old gentleman in his mid 60s but quite fit and hearty for his age. A consultant by choice, he was flying to accompany his little grand daughter for her first school interview.
Almost an hour later, I woke up from my slumber & again picked up the paper. I noticed some lines in the “Dil Se” section of that paper highlighted by the old guy with a pen. HT has a section every week by this name where the lovebirds generally speak out their hearts. I wondered who still uses such media in today’s world. The underlined lines read ” I know you are a strong woman and I will not just say take care…anyone can say that but I will say that I will take care of you..I always will” …
I looked at the old guy and asked him with a quirky smile..”What did you find so wonderful in it? These are stupid lovey talks!!” ..
“Well what do you say to your loved ones when you part from them?” he asked me back.
“Umm…May be things like love you….take care etc” I replied.
“I know you young people are always in a hurry but try instead saying …I will take care of it or I will take care of you…trust me it feels wonderful and drives you to live upto it”
I couldn’t’ make much sense of it then but did it when I saw his cute little princess running towards him shouting ..”Nanuu….aap late ho gaye! Chalooo” That sight was a delight to watch. The old gentleman had only his grand daughter in his immediate family. A widower himself, his only daughter died 2 years back and the lil girl had been abandoned by her father for a second marriage! Phew…
Delhi had got the taste of its first monsoons & I had a smile running through the flashback while getting back home. I picked up some hot jalebis on the way. ”Oh you remembered!” were the words of my Mother when she saw them. She had wished for it couple of days back. Feeling glad about my memory, I looked out for my Dad when I saw him coming out of the bedroom after a late nap but he looked sad. Reason found was the malfunctioning Tata Sky box due to rains and FIFA matches were lined up!
Got all my jugadu contacts in place and got the set up serviced well in time for the first match that night. The sparkle in my Dad’s eyes hearing the news was something which was cherishable over the jalebis for that soothing rainy evening. We decided to take a walk in the park nearby before dinner. As my folks sat in the bench with other people after the walk, I stood near a tree behind them. For a strange reason, it felt quite content and powerful overlooking them from the back…as if I was engulfing them & softly saying to myself” I will take care of you…the very best I can..in whatever ways I can”
No matter how strong we are….while we all love to have the feeling of primal reassurance in being cared, in knowing that someone else, someone close to you, cares for you….it is equally wonderful & powerful to be on the other side & provide the bone-deep security to your loved ones that goes with the brush of a human hand, a silent, reflex-level affirmation that someone is near, that someone cares…..
“My chinku got admission in the best Delhi school…Good night” flashed a msg on my whatsapp when I was walking back to my flat. Chinku is the nick name of that old gentleman’s grand daughter!
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