A Hundred Flukes

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Home Is Where The Heart Is - Chapter 30

A page in Payal's Diary

August 24, 2012

In wake of the world where all dreams were suspended with the weak strings of the small swing that Babuji had hung for us over the Neem tree in the courtyard, when Khushi and I fought fervently on who will get to swing first, and threatened to break the string while the other sat over its cushiony seat. When our giggles echoed from all the walls of our home, when bliss meant to feel the gentle breeze hit my face and ruffle my hair when I traveled to one extreme of its oscillation.

Such was life when the only decision to be made was to choose between Jalebi and Sohan Halwa, when the only thing that saddened was Khushi getting scolded by Amma for a small mistake, when the only thing that angered was Babuji feeding her with my share of Jalebis to make up for Amma's scorn.

That was home where we both hid behind the single thin curtain of the bedroom window fearing Buaji's wrath when Khushi had hid her spectacles. That was home, the only world I knew when I first crawled out of my cradle. 

Oh Devi Maiyya tell me now, how can you take them away from us? The walls that we painted every Diwali with our very own hands, the walls that witnessed my entire childhood, where dwells the spirit my little sister's blitheness, the tease of my childhood petulance, Babuji's reverent sweat of hard work, Amma's teachings for life, her relentless perseverance that had build what I called home. My home. Our Home. Our Lucknow. Our Gomti Sadan. Our Satvik Mishthan Bhandar. Our life. My life. My heart. My soul.

Will one unlucky stroke of fate take that all away? There our parents are suffering alone, here we are so helpless. So helpless. What must they be going through? Here I am scribbling my helplessness over these lifeless pages, there at the window is Khushi, my very own chatter box, her blank eyes staring at the life outside, not a single word has escaped her mouth since Babuji's last phone call. She calls her as your greatest devotee Devi Maiyya, will you let her lose her home like that? What have you been doing with our lives in the past month? Just what? Have we ever done anything wrong? Ever hurt anyone?

^^^^   

"How many days did he say?" at last she spoke after two hours of unnatural silence.

"Five." replied Payal.

"Did he sound unwell jiji?" she asked softly. "Did you tell him that we would be coming tomorrow?"

"I did not. The whole news was so depressing, it slipped from my mind to inform him and he... did not sound good Khushi."

Khushi ran to her sister and hugged her tightly, "What would we do now jiji? Amma told me once that the shop wasn't doing well and it would anyway be gone with the house now. Where will we go? A rented house? Where?"

Payal sighed and lifted herself up from the chair. "I need to do my packing."

Khushi sat in front of her idol. Her thoughts wailing in her head like caged wild beasts. There had to be some solution, she couldn't even think of making jalebis to calm her brain now. Everything was scarce. House gone. Shop gone. Fathers health gone. Aunt's pension never came. The last of the money that came from selling the land Madhumati held was now down to a few measly thousands. Not enough to last her Aunt another month. Could they leave their Aunt in that state? With no home to call their own, Lucknow was as foreign as Delhi for the family. At least in Delhi there was a shade over their heads. Was it at all a good idea then to go to Lucknow now. Could Amma and Babuji be convinced about moving to Delhi? Even if they did, would their troubles end? They didn't have enough to start afresh. It was sickening to think how the answer to all problems was money and money was what they did not have. She thought of getting them enrolled as 'Below Poverty Line' citizens, at least they would get cheap ration then. Hell, absurd thoughts. What about the four days she worked for AR Designs? The company did owe her the remuneration, didn't it? And you owe that monster One Lakh, don't you Khushi Kumari Gupta? The nasty fingers of the memories of a goddamned contract prodded. No way don't even think of anything to do with Raizadas, she warned herself. "Then what Devi Maiyya." she cried out loud. "Please Devi Maiyya, at least drop one hint. Whom should I go and ask help from? Shyamji? No. No. What is he, poor man living on scholarship. Show me the way Devi Maiyya, show me the way. Please. Drop a hint and let me see it."