Sudha...

It was a regular working day when A texted me, Colonel Uncle will be reaching tonight. He plans to stay with us for 2 nights. Well, okay, I said. A guest… on a working day.

What’s A thinking? Kids will go to school, us to work and what about Col uncle. Maybe A will work from home. I rushed to get some fresh vegetables and cook and make his room ready. A retired colonel… God, I was all cranky. To me a colonel was somebody you salute before you say hi to. What did he like.. I had no clue. All I knew was A& his parents had met Col uncle when he went to file his parents army insurance card and was occasionally in touch. He had family in US , that much I knew.

As I finished up cooking, A and Col Uncle reached home. I found Col Uncle,a very placid, calm greyed man lovingly reaching out for my kids and smiling gently at me. He is an army guy??I wondered.. He didn’t look like one, neither he behaved liked the one I had imagined. He freshened up and got ready for dinner. I was so relieved. As I served dinner, he spoke about Sudha the first time. Sudha also cooked similar dinners. I smiled. Everybody seemed to know Sudha and I didn’t want to show my ignorance. He spoke about his world tours, how Sudha loved NY... how his family loved travelling and much more.

Sudha and I connected immediately. As I sipped a cup of black coffee early next morning , Col uncle came by.. Is that a black coffee? I smiled and told him I was also preparing tea.
I heard him tell A as he left the kitchen about how Sudha was fond of black coffee .Sudha… I wondered ; Was sudha the daughter, wife , mother? Evidently A knew Sudha and I wanted to ask him secretly but never got a chance. It would be offending to ask uncle as he had blended like family with us.

But I knew I liked Sudha. Sudha was a beautiful person already in my mind, I felt like she complimented me and everything uncle spoke about had a touch of ‘Sudha’.

Everytime I would ask him, what his food taste is, he would smile and say, nothing.. Whatever you make is fine for me and I wondered if behind those silent eyes there ever was a stronger, louder army man.

As I got kids ready for the evening prayers, uncle said, Sudha would be proud to see you teach young kids faith, she is also a very pious woman.
I was happy. I told him I couldn’t wait to meet Sudha.

Sudha continued to be in our conversation.. I knew her tastes, her personality, her interests, her favorite deity and so much more. I knew her… a wonderful loving pious woman. I assumed it to be his wife in India. His eyes spoke about how much he loved her.
I was happy to see him talk about his wife with so much love and affection and realized how he missed his wife and wondered why some kids got one parent on a foreign travel.

2 days flew by and Col uncle was ready to go travel back to his kids. As we bid goodbyes, I asked him, do you have a pic of Sudha? He smilingly said,”Anyone who has known Sudha will not forget her” and walked away with his friend

The next day his son called and thanked us for giving Uncle a very comforting stay. And as we spoke, he told us how Sudha Amma had died of cancer few years ago and how uncle kept her alive in his own little world…

It was beyond belief and then A told me why he never mentioned about Sudha while uncle was here, as the once strong army man would break down and sob like a child even after so many years…

Sudha… I know of no other person ever so loved, so treasured… so so much..

Oh Sudha…

 

Thanks for stopping by everyone.
Some people leave a mark even if you've never met them. Such is Sudha.