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3s-spouse, Shawl & Sister-in-law

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Thyagarajan, Apr 3, 2019.

  1. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello: 3S - Spouse, Shawl & Sister-in-law :hello:


    My in laws with their spinster daughter landed with my son of one + year old to help winding up our Delhi establishment on account of my promotion (1978) and posted out to Bombay.

    Very next day of their arrival, spouse & I arranged for their Varnashi- Badrinath - Kedarnath visits. Keeping in view the prevailing winter season, I wrote to them to come prepared to face cold weather.

    It was day six - evening. Transporter called on with helpers. In a couple of hours, they finished packing our personal effects and loaded into truck for onward haul to Bombay. The truck left our premises in Karol Baugh around 5 when dusk already set-in.

    My in laws’ package and bed roll and another set of ours kept in the corner of the drawing hall. The dwelling was almost empty occasionally echoing our voice.
    Fragile J - my SIL - cowering herself though entirely wrapped herself in cardigan over her half-saree with Spouse’s blue CASHMERE Shawl that had bright yellow arabesque motifs.
    (Google says usually known as cashmere, is a fiber obtained from goats. Common usage defines the fiber as wool, but it is finer, stronger, lighter, softer and three times more insulating than sheep wool)
    My in-laws also in their ill-fit clothes, found the winter unbearable. With some inconvenience, in a ramshackled phat-phati, we travelled to a near by Iyer mess - finished dinner.

    Then dropped into a sweet shop.

    The sight of meandering sweet vapour from huge platters of warm kajar halwa - carrot sweet - generously suffused with cream, embedded with split almond, raisins, pistachios and broken cashews was irresistible and mouth watering.
    We ordered for us awaiting being served in large palm leaves. Nearby - a family of five, all clad in riot of rich hues woolen clothings, conversing in Punjabi interspersed in instalment laughs with mouthful halwa.
    When they stood close to us, we felt abominably dwarfed!
    My spouse in her arabesque shawl over her parrot green silk saree under bright incandescent lamp was looking like diva -an angel - though a tad plump.

    I was eyeing her resplendent countenance, eyetexed eyes and perhaps the stylish manner she had worn her red cardigan.
    We returned to dwelling and slept in neighbour’s home to get up at four am . It was time to leave for station. A taxi arranged previous night, had arrived on time.

    Spouse R hurriedly thrusted her robin blue arabesque shawl into the hands of her sister, to cover herself, lest the early morning 8 degrees chill would lead her into cramps and told in soft tone to remember to return it to me after she boarded the train.
    R standing at the foyer with moist eyes seen us off as the taxi moved forward slowly. . Her parents and J were escorted by me to New Delhi Railway Station.

    The train left the platform at 6 a.m.

    Unfolded and wrapped over my shoulder- the shawl - that was handed over to me by J. The train began moving forward. Holding the diagonal corners of the shawl tightly in one hand, my other palm was waving till the last van red light went out of sight.
    Out from platform no.2 via foot-over bridge, exited the station and got into a waiting mini bus that was proceeding to Najafgarh via Pusa road abutting Ajmal Khan road.

    I requested the conductor and the driver too to alert me well in advance before vehicle reaches the desired point of my halt.
    Sleep embraced me.

    I heard faintly, conductor shouting “Pusa Road “ “Pusa Road”. Woken up chaotically from deep slumber. Poor visibility. In tearing hurry, I exited the bus. The bus engine roared puffing out thick black smoke and left me on the lonely ill-lit road and disappeared in a dot into the mist.
    Same moment, fingers tapped my forehead and I realised that with mini bus - gone my spouse’s arabesque Robin blue cashmere shawl .

    It was my present, a year before to spouse, to celebrate our reunion after six months hiatus . She joined me in Delhi after securing her transfer to the branch proximate to my office. The arabesque shawl I bought - by then standards -paying a fortune . I remember her eyes turned moist while receiving my thoughtful gift.

    In chill weather around half past six, trudging on barren Ajmal Khan road to WEA 13 in Karol Baugh , thought of emotional content that weighed heavily on me, in case I told spouse the truth of having lost her Shawl.

    I decided to bluff.

    I entered my neighbour’s residence - “Red Cross” iyengars.
    Spouse standing at entrance with a gentle smile saw me ambling toward her; she softly enquired about train departure etc. then she asked that frightening “where is my shawl”.
    I replied “it’s with J - your sister”.

    Evening at around half past seven, in patchim express, we located our compartment and sat in first class AC coupe. Our Baba in that hooded sweater was going great. He was asleep like a spinning top.
    Sometime in night, in the midst of the echo from steel girders of bridge over river Narmada, baba in profound sleep frightened and cried his heart out; she staggered out and hugged Baba close.

    She made a statement.
    “you should have collected the shawl back from J”. Pent up anger!
    Eight months gone by. We were in Madras for J’s wedding. The couple in wedlock announced their honeymoon to Nainital or and Abhu mountains in Rajasthan.

    My spouse suggested J - “let that robin blue shawl be part of your baggage. It is with you. It will come handy”..

    A nervous me from behind spouse at ear shot...

    (Heartfelt thanks to @iyerviji post “forgettiing”)
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2019
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  2. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Not only shawls, but many many silk sarees and jewels like studs and cute necklaces have gone with the wind.Luckily no more sour discussions.Thanks for 'forgetting'. After all 'forgetting' is for getting some bliss.
    We have many such experiences, but lack the knack of exquisite expressions in exuberant words and luxuriance of cogent thoughts couched in unique style.
    You are gifted with one.
    jayasala 42
     
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  3. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello: Delighted as always and the pleasure is double at the sight of your first pace in words that indeed good to the bottom of my heart. Thanks thanks & thanks to thee I Always In reverence to walking encyclopaedia.
    But I miss the parallel from you this time.
    Regards.
    God made forgetting too green in our memory.
     
  4. satchitananda

    satchitananda IL Hall of Fame

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    That was a lovely narrative. No matter what the cost of a loved article (of clothing or whatever), the pain of losing it is always great. The price has nothing to do with the emotional attachment.
     
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  5. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:Thanks for encouraging words from QUEEN of SNIPPETS.
    Regards.
     
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  6. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:@rgsrinivasan
    @Rihana @shravs3 @messedup @gorgeous23 @Afresh


    Clicking or tapping the LIKE is good but that does necessarily establish that you had read but viewed. Fortunately there is no dislike button yet.
    2. But I thank each of you from bottom of my heart for the kind act of dropping in here.
    3. If & only if it is convenient kindly record your comments and healthy criticisms that I value.
    Regards.
    God Bless all those who click LIKE & blesses more those who choose to comment or throw brickbats and or bouquets.
     
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  7. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Tyagarajan sir,
    Good narration. Some things are of sentimental value.... We do miss.
    But in the end your wife asked her sister to keep the shawl! That is how sisters are!!!!
    Syamala
     
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  8. Greenbay

    Greenbay Gold IL'ite

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    I was waiting for the happy ending of finding 3s- surprise stop by the bus, shawl still in the seat, and satisfied wife but alas first two didn’t happen, and then last didn’t even have chance.

    Great narration sir. Your memory of remembering every detail so vividly even after 31 years instills hope that we all are not going to be victims of memory loss in our second half of our life.
     
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  9. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello: I like the way you put it.
    That is the personal BOND
    Thanks and Regards.
    God Bless every Sister With siblings to bond.
     
  10. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello: That is right to anticipate "they lived happy ever after in CLOUD 9".
    2. But man proposes:God disposes.
    Surprise, shawl & satisfaction - your 3S i mean. But every rose has thorn.
    3. There is no need to have apprehensions about losing memory as more and more about remembering and structure of human brain is being unravelled and in few years or decades over the counter preventive medicines would be easily available to eliminate ALZHEIMERS.
    BUT REGULAR steady consumption of handful of dryfruits including almonds rich in OMEGA3 would naturally vastly improve and retention both long and short memory. Cabbage contains indolin which is believed helps to remember details for long. Sorry for the digression.
    Regards.
    God in his lab busy with miniaturisation of human brain to accommodate more memory as humans did with computer.
     
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