“Don’t tell him”

 [Dedicated to all working people]

Four O’clock. Time for tea. He got up. The phone rang. Unknown number. Maybe from a call centre. “Car loan? House loan? Credit cards? …”

“Hello.”

“Hello, son, this is O.P. Sharma, your neighbour.”

Sharmaji! Met a few times. Sometimes a smile, very rarely a “good morning”. That’s all. But that is how it is in the busy city life. Don’t know even your next-door neighbour. But why is he calling?

“Yes, Sharmaji, what happened?”

“Son, come immediately.”

A little panic. “What happened, Sharmaji?”

“Son, your mom is not well. We have taken her to hospital.”

Oh! God! What happened? She doesn’t suffer from any serious illness. Was completely okay in the morning.

“Sharmaji, please tell me what happened? What happened to my mother?”

“You know we old people sit in the park in the sun in the afternoons.”

That is a practice for them in the winter season. Most of the retired, old people in the society sit in small groups in the park and enjoy the sun, chat and play cards.

“Suddenly we heard clattering of utensils from your home. My wife went and called your mom to find out if everything was okay. There was no response, and she went inside. Your mother was lying in the kitchen. Some utensils were strewn around. Since we couldn’t revive her, we took her to hospital.”

“Oh! God! Which hospital?”

“Fast Cure hospital. Come immediately.”

“All right, Sharmaji, I am coming.”

He called his wife Molu and told her to come over to the hospital.

Lot of negative thoughts. A cardiac problem? A stroke? A fall? Mom never had any cardiac problem. … Oh! God! He prayed … and prayed … and prayed.

*******

In the hospital casualty.

“Sharmaji, what really happened? What did the doctor say?”

“She is unconscious. That is all we know.”

Just then the doctor came out.

“Nothing to worry. She is all right. A small cut on her head from the fall, which has been dressed. She has regained consciousness. You can go and see her.”

He turned to go when Molu shouted, “What happened to mom?”

She was just reaching and was panicked.

“Nothing serious. She is okay. Come, let’s us go and see her.”

*****

“Mom … mom …”

Mom opened her eyes and smiled. A weak smile, though.

“Mom, what happened? What happened to you?”

She looked at both of them and said tiredly, “I don’t really know. I was cleaning the utensils and suddenly I felt dizzy and fell down.”

After ten minutes.

“Son, can you get me a cup of tea from the canteen?”

“Yes, mom, right away.”

He left the room.

“Moloo …”

“Yes, mom?”

“I have told him and others that I just felt dizzy and lost consciousness.”

“Yes, that is what you just said.”

“Yes, but you must know the real reason for my losing consciousness.”

“What is it?” Molu was confused.

“Well”, she looked around to make sure there was nobody near.

“Today is Wednesday and the maid was absent.”

“Yes, she is, on every alternate Wednesday.”

“Yes. So I started cleaning the utensils. You had put your tiffin in the sink last evening without opening the lid, right?”

“Mmm. That is what I do every day.”

Mom took a minute as if to gather strength to continue.

She looked in the eyes of Molu, took a deep breath, and continued slowly, “As soon I opened the tiffin, in a split second the unbearable stench threw me into the dirtiest of sewages and I lost consciousness. … A tiffin box tightly closed for nearly two days and in this heat! … That is what happened.”

Molu didn’t utter a word. The blow was deep. Very deep indeed. She looked down. She couldn’t face her mom (in-law). She remembered that mom had told her that she herself used to wash the dish in her office. Once she had said, “Well, if you can’t wash them properly, then at least pour some water in the dishes so that at least major part of the remaining vegetable is cleaned off. Or if you can’t, then at least keep the lid open while putting it in the sink so that it doesn’t smell so badly the next morning when the maid opens it for cleaning.”

She did it for a couple of days and then returned to the old habit. Old habits die hard! Mom didn’t repeat the advice.

And now this …

Molu felt devastated. She slowly got up, went to the feet of the bed, sat down on her knees, clutched mom’s feet tightly and started weeping uncontrollably.

“I am sorry, mom, I am the culprit. Please pardon me. I promise I shall never repeat this.” She failed to control her tears.

“Moloo, come. Sit near me.”

“Silly girl, wipe your tears. I know you didn’t do it deliberately. It just slipped out of your mind, that’s all. I am glad you realize what you have done.”

Molu wiped her tears, tried to smile, awkwardly though.

Mom took Molu’s hands in her own and slowly stroked them.

“Molu, will you do me a favour?”

“Yes, mom, tell me.” She was ready to do anything to atone for her carelessness.

“Will you tell your friends and colleagues not to leave tightly-closed tiffin boxes in the sink from now on? Let no other mom-in-law experience what I did.”

A moment of silence.

They looked at each other. Then laughed. A hearty laugh.

After a few minutes Molu said seriously, “Yes, mom, I shall give this message to all my friends: Please don’t leave your tightly-closed tiffin in the sink. if possible, try to wash it while you clean your hands and mouth after lunch.”

Footsteps … They came closer. Mom told her, “Don’t tell him.”