A Story of LOVE - Mother’s Day – Part 1

May 31, 2015; 11:30am:    Just a usual Sunday with Tirthankar happily chatting with my mom on the phone, catching up with all the news from both sides of the world in details. Yes, my mom and her son-in-law were greatest pals. After an intense 45 mins of chatting, both sides hung up completely satisfied. No, I was just listening-in busy with my housework… I never got on the phone.  I was still cleaning the living room floors, my weekly routine; when the phone call came around 2pm. My sister was calling from Kolkata, India- my mother had a heart attack. After a benumbed 30mins..  another call from my niece .. mom is gone forever..! She had breathed her last in my sister’s arms in front of the shrine of Damodarlal whom she had served so lovingly everyday for almost 40yrs.

            I could leave only on Monday, June8th, 2015 by an early morning flight to participate in the last rites. Everyone was stunned and friends, well-wishers all flocked with their heartfelt condolences.

           On Friday, June 5^th, 2015 around 11am I get a call from Enanga Daisy Fale: “ Hi, How are you? Can I stop by?” I was preparing to receive our guest arriving at 2:30pm that very Friday, for a spiritual retreat that weekend that was arranged months ago (yeah talk about timing!)… So I asked “Sure Enanga, where are you? When would you like to come?” She answered: “ Oh I am close to your neighbourhood..!!!” I was shocked.. and said..” Of course, come on baby, you can come anytime.” Enanga is my CR daughter since our FMS days in RockwellCollins. …. And she zooms right in and gives me “the HUG”.

           Enanga  was working for UT at Rockford,IL which is about 3+hrs drive from Sarada Cottage.  So, I offer her something to eat for she is too polite to ask/inconvenience her mother… and of course I bombard her with questions like: “So, how come you are here in Cedar Rapids on a working day? Are you here for SWE meeting? What’s going on with your life? Etc etc..”..

Enanga just shakes her head and says casually: “ No, I came to see you, to give you a hug before you left for India..”
          In utter disbelief I echo:" You drove 3+hrs to give me a hug before I left for India on a working day?" With a casual shrug while munching away: "umm, anhanh.." was the reply..

          After a stunned silence I asked: “ So where are you going now? Why don’t you stay back like you do?” She again shakes her head : “No, I have to head back to attend another appointment at 9pm in Rockford, tonight.”

          Now people have started to trickle in for the retreat and she gets up ready to leave. The whole week had passed in a haze and food-n-grocery was the last thing we gave importance to. So madly I scramble to find something maybe fruits (apples I think) and I ran after her to put it in the car before she pulled away.. Gratefully she says: “Oh thank you.. this has been the first meal of the day.. I just made the decision to see you before you left and rushed out.. didn’t have time for breakfast or lunch in the hurry..!”

          In the bright blazing afternoon sun I dimly saw the white Lexus pull away from the drive.