Memoirs Of A Family

Pa (panting) : Be hot on the heels of the porter jostling his way around the swelling crowds of the Chennai Central and hopefully we will make it to our coach in time.

Ma (relieved) : Thank God, we have managed to land onto our berths in this nondescript coach of the TN Express. I will now secure the bags with that chain and the lock.

Pa (taking a look around) : We are bound for Delhi, how about you?

Gentleman (smiling) : Ditto!

Pa (excited) : I am happy to learn that we are to share this compartment with your family. Arey bitiya rani, you look very sweet, what's your good name?

The sweet little girl smiles and hides behind her mother's translucent dupatta.

Lady (patronizing) : Beta, Uncle wants to know your sweet name, don't be shy!

The little girl jumps onto her mother's lap and keeps smiling.

Lady : Her name is Mrinal. You will be introduced to her true self within five minutes.

I : Mrinal, beautifully delicate name, suits her completely. Mrinal, (offering a handshake), friends?

Mrinal (Returning the handshake timidly) : Yes didi, we will be friends, but on one condition; I will be your only best friend, agreed? 

I (happily) : Yes, yes, yes, Mrinal! You are my only best friend. Thank you sweetie! How old are you, are you in school already?

Mrinal (jumping with joy on my lap) : Am three old. My school is LKG.

Lady (smiling) : Now she will be your headache till Delhi, I am sure she won't come over to her parents now. 

I (grinning) : I will be grateful for her company till Delhi. And I will miss her after that! Are you returning from a trip to Chennai or going on a trip to Delhi?

Lady (a little upset) : Yeah, it was a medical trip to Chennai.

I (with a start, gulping) : Oh, were you on a visit to Shankar Nethryalaya?

Lady : Yes.

Pa (perturbed) : Even we were on a visit to Shankar Nethryalaya!

Tentacles of the saga of pain and suffering, hope and wait, weave an instant web of camaraderie between the two families.

Pa (grimly) : I had almost lost the vision in an eye to steroid overdose at the hands of a negligent doctor in a distant town. May we hear your tragedy?

Gentleman (smiling) : It is long tale of fate, you might be bored to hear.
Pa (hurt) : No Sir, please don't think so, I see you as a brother in agony.
Gentleman (nostalgic) : I was a CA meticulously auditing the dirty accounts of the jazzy firms in Delhi. Mrinal had just completed her six months. We three were a contented family. Then one day I was admitted to a nursing home with a stomach infection. I recovered in a couple of days and was discharged. A week after, itchy rashes started appearing on my skin covering me from head to toe in a matter of a few hours and I was left blinded and gasping for breath. It was discovered I was allergic to the antibiotics administered for the stomach infection. I was recuperating  in an ICU for a fortnight. I was told that every inch of my skin will heel back to normal except for the cornea and retina of the eyes. Specialists at AIIMS advised me to pray and learn Braille. My wife broke down. As soon as I was declared out of danger, she composed herself and took me to the consecrated thresholds of the Shankar Nethralaya.
         After a treatment for five months, on Mrinal's first birthday, doctors declared that there was hope for me and after a couple of surgeries I would be able to see Mrinal's cherubic face by her second birthday.

I used to think that ours was the most tragic tale, but his words made me realize that it is easy to find someone who is in a worse situation. I was grateful for being better fated than this family.

Pa (in a teary voice) : How is your vision now, Sir?
Gentleman (happily) : I can walk inside my house and complete routine activities without any help now. I am happy I don't need to use my walking stick anymore.

I clearly notice that his voice does not ask for sympathy, does not sound complaining, instead it sounds inspiring. The train is crossing vast green wavy paddy fields.  Mrinal is excited at the surreal sight.

Mrinal (clapping and dancing) :  Oh these green waves look so similar to the blue waves at the Marina beach! We are sailing through a green sea, it is rising, it is falling, Mrinal is enjoying. (After some time) Didi, the sea is vast, let's play something. Let's play Mummy and Baby. Who will be the mummy, you want to be the mummy or the baby?
I (thoroughly pleased) : I don't know how to play mummy, Shall I be the baby?
Mrinal (nodding) : Yes, that will be good. I am a very good mummy. I will call you my Babu. Ok Babu, go to sleep now. Mummy will wake you up in the morning.

Mrinal wakes up her Babu, brushes her teeth, bathes her, dresses her, serves her breakfast and then drops her to school. In the meanwhile she goes out for shopping and buys a new frock. Then she picks up her Babu from school, gifts her the new frock, helps her with homework, prepares dinner for her and again puts her to sleep with a very very sweet cradlesong, 'tujhme rab dikhta hai, babu mai kya karoon, sajde sir jhukta hai, babu mai karoon'.

I (talking to myself) : I am delighted at the innocent pampering. I am looking forward to being woken up by Mrinal again after five minutes.
Pa (concerned) : Sir, how are your finances being taken care of these days, I mean is your company helping you?
Gentleman (determined) : Two and half years is too a long time for any company to support. We have started an opticals business which my wife runs and I assist. God is graceful, business is good.

The train stops at Nagpur and I get down to buy ice cream.

Mrinal (innocently) : Babu, get chocolate flavor for your small mummy!
I return with two ice creams and give Mrinal hers.
Gentleman (disapprovingly) :  Mrinal, Babu ki pocket pe chunna laga diya na!
Mrinal (lovingly) : Oh where?

And she dusts the imaginary lime powder off my trousers' pockets with her small pink hands. I can't help hugging her for her innocence.

Pa (admiring) : Sir, Mrinal is a cheerful girl and kudos to you both for not letting the tragedy affect her childhood. I can see that she is being brought up in the best manner a child should be. She could not have played a doting mother to a girl twenty years older than her otherwise.
Gentleman (agreeing) : In fact, we get to spend a lot more time together now. It was a mad rush earlier. I would have missed on her growing years if I were a CA still.

I am delightfully amazed by his fighter spirit. I also notice that unless asked for, he does not talk about his illness. He does talk a lot, he talks on politics, weather, cricket, people, like everyone else. Delhi door nahi hai and we are preparing to get down and go on our separate ways.

Mrinal (waving off) : We are going to Bhagalpur next Friday for my aunt's wedding. Babu, we would meet in the train again next week!

All of us burst into a hearty laugh at her innocent comment.