Grandparent’s Interest

It is heartening to see the exponential amount of love that grand parents have for their grand children. On my recent visit to my grandparents, who have beautifully crossed 74 years of their nuptial relationship, now aging 94 and 90, some things dawned on me.

My nanaji can’t remember most of the stuff told to him and kept asking innocuous questions which were of paramount importance to him. He asked me what sort of work you do- I could not explain my scope of work clearly to him and just answered that I handle queries and see that employees are happy at my organization. His answer to this was that you have been given an important responsibility just maintain your countenance and deal with them correctly. Second question was that - How is the atmosphere at work and how are people around? Is their conduct good? Do I undergo any insinuations at office? All he wanted to know was whether the people I am working with are learned. When I ponder over, this feeling comes from a fact that he has fathered a woman who started working at the tender age of 21 in 1960’s- which was not an era when women folks worked in office in not so developed cities. The concern was genuine and my safety was his only interest.  In midst of these questions he also kept telling me that he lost all his vitality and the desire to live- the fact which hit me hard and can be a premonition of something in the offing. I have seen his desire for food melting down- I have seen him fighting the perils of old age. His desire to read and travel continues but is not happening due to old age. He still wishes to wake us up at 4 am- take us to the temple and morning walk post that. Even I long of playing cards with him like I did in yesteryears, eat guavas with him and discuss spirituality with him. I miss all the stories of his BHU life and being given a chance to visit Russia on government sponsorship in 1958. I also think about endless descriptions of his learning’s during travel and the palmistry sessions with him.

Such gratification is diminishing and I am preparing myself for the worst. My nani is also on her way out- she can’t walk and see properly but what she does on my visit is one of the most precious thing. She will always stroke and caress my head and back and ask “When are you coming back?”

I have come back with heavy heart this time because on leaving they said “Don’t know if we will meet again but God Bless You for your life” And they bid me goodbye. Just hoping that God gives the best of health to them............