Choti Si Duniya - ArShi FF

88. Wrinkles and smiles

This one's for my own wrinkled beauties- my beloved granny and great-granny ❤

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"Careful, Nani! Why are you climbing the stairs alone? You should have called someone." Arnav reprimanded his beloved Nani while helping her climb the stairs, and Devyani Singh Raizada felt her eyes water at his love and care for her. Not many people her age had this luck of living under the same roof as their grandkids AND receiving their love.

Her mind wandered in the past, as it often did these days. The kaleidoscope of her life passed in front of her eyes...

Devyani was 16 years old girl dreaming of a much talked about adolescence when she was married to an enigmatic young man belonging to a wealthy family in Lucknow. She had been a little scared of him at first, he had such an authoritative personality. But with time, she started understanding him, realizing he was not an easy man to understand but once you do, he is the truest man you ever meet. Her husband was almost 8 years older than her, had received his education from England, and had an aura that commanded respect. But beneath that hard exterior personality lay a soft, gentle heart that loved his family, that loved his wife, Devyani. He never spoke much but his love for her was always surrounding her like a warm cover of pashmina... taking care of her, teaching her how to adjust in his family, his family that was hers too now. And she learnt to read his language of love through his unsaid words. Very soon, he became her better half in every sense of the word.

Years later, when she saw her own grandson- her daughter's son, Arnav grow up to have a very similar personality-albeit due to different reasons- she felt as if she was seeing her husband's glimpse in him. Although at one point she had feared if he was going towards a path of darkness, especially after Ratna's death, but thankfully, the good side in him overpowered, and then Khushi bitiya's positive influence helped too...

But truly, life had shown her so much, had given and taken in equal measures from her! It took 60 years of growing up for that 16-year-old innocent Devyani to become today's mature matriarch of the Raizada family. She saw her next 3 generations taking birth, flourishing in life, and gaining their own experiences. Some were good experiences, some too bitter.

"Choti Dadi, kahani sunao na (tell me a story)." Her great granddaughter Piya came to her room that evening bringing a smile on Devyani's face. Piya was her first great-grandchild. And many times, reminded her of her own daughter, Ratna, with her polite nature and sweet voice. But then, again she saw glimpses of her late daughter in all her great grandkids. Kavish's eyes that were Arnav's-in turn like Ratna's, or Shriya(Pari)'s keen liking for plants, or Arohi's chubby cheeks and a dimpled jawline...all of it reminded her of her beloved daughter she had lost too early, untimely.

"Choti dadi, where are you lost? Story!!!" Piya said again and the kids' choti dadi smilingly nodded. This was how they had started calling her after Piya and Kavish grew up a little and started speaking. Manorama was their rama Dadi, and she was choti(younger) Dadi while Subhadra was badi(older) dadi. She herself had suggested this name for her. Because unbeknownst to them, Choti was a name she was called by in her childhood by her parents.

"Kaunsi kahani sunengi aaj aap (which story would you like to listen)?" she asked Piya who often loved to listen to stories from her and she indulged her in it. The stories that held years of experiences, sometimes from her childhood, sometimes from the stories that were told to her by her own grandmother...

.

.

She had realized that age had started catching with her. She couldn't see clearly without wearing her spectacles neither could she hear if someone spoke in a lower voice. Her health problems had become persistent in recent years but what hurt more was the diet restrictions. Belonging to a hometown near Benares and later spending many years in Lucknow and Delhi, her palate had been accustomed to many savory dishes that were a second identity to these places. But these days, spicy and deep-fried food wouldn't suit her, and her daughters in law had ensured she ate accordingly. Yet, sometimes, she couldn't help but sigh looking at those mouthwatering dishes being served to the younger ones.