Simmi
likes to mimic everyone and while we were waiting for langar to
be served she started telling me about this conversation she had with her mom
on Saturday.
Simmi:“Neet,
Yesterday I was trying to help Mom out and listen what happened"
Shanivaar,9:30
am:
Simmi: Hello Paapa.
Paapa: Hanji Betaji. Sab thik
thak?
Simmi: Hanji Paapa. Everything
is good. You doing good? Where is Mom?
Paapa: I am ironing my 1000
rupee notes – thanks to your Mom. She is dealing with the maids. Let me call
her.
Background:
"Sukhhhhhiiii, Sukhhhhhhiiiii.....Chheti aa. Simmi is on the phone.
Whenever there is need for you to be around you are always away. Come soon.
"
“I have
to wash clothes, cook, clean the house - I have 100 other things to look
into."
"For
everything you have maids and helpers and still you complain you have to do
work. My money is wasted on maids and still you are not happy. Let them go
then. At least it will save me money"
"Gardner
has come, he is asking for money to put some new plants, go talk to him."
Mommy: Hellooooo
Simmi: Hello Mommy, Ki haal
chaal?
Mommy: Everything is fine here
Puttarji. You woke up? Had tea?
Simmi: Hanji Mommy, sab thik
thak.
Mommy: Maid came? Is she working
properly, saaf safai naal, coming on time?
Simmi: Hanji Mommy. Tusi
Hor Sunao ? What were you doing?
Mommy: Is there a single day in
my life where your Baapu will let me live comfortably. No !!
He won’t help me in anything , to top it will bring five other friends home for
Lunch and keeps ordering aa banalo, oo banalo.
Today
when I was putting clothes to dry, I saw a 1000 rupee note lurching out of the
back pocket and then 4 more were inside. I asked him how this came here.
Mainu kende "Teri galti aa, you should have checked pockets before
washing".
Simmi go
ask him what is there in his pockets that I will have to check ? Every time I
go to the mall with him he will say I have only 500 rupees, can’t shop more,
when I buy some extra veggies he will say “Spending money is your hobby”. What
is there to check in the pockets?
I
have spent whole of my life begging him for money. I do all the household work,
so what if there are maids, they don’t do it on their own, one has to run after
them. All my life working for his house I got back problem, blood pressure and
now don't know what else is yet to come my way.
If the
story ended here I would have still told myself "Sukhi - It is ok. Rabb
da naam lela" but it doesn’t end here. Yesterday Pammi bhua called and
said we are coming to visit you and your Baapu happily said “You will be
staying with us no matter what.” She is coming with her husband, kids, in laws
- there will be 10 people in the house. Who will do the arrangement for
their khatirdaari? Sukhi obviously, 37 years back this is what he
married me for. Simmi I am telling you, in my father's house your Jasbir Maami
(Mom's sister in law) doesn’t pour a drop of water in the glass to drink. In
that house there is nothing that happens without her permission. And here look
at me I am ........tuuuuu tuuuuu tuuuuu (phone disconnects - network problem)
Shanivaar,
9:50 a.m.
Simmi: Hello Papa
Paapa: Hanji Betaji.
Phone got disconnected. Mummy is saying that she will call you after sometime.
She is on another line talking to Pammi Bhua.
Simmi: Papa, are they coming to
visit us? They are gonna stay with us for some time?
Paapa: Yes yes, I insisted they
stay with us. She is coming with her family.
Simmi: Papa, I think you should
be more considerate towards mom. It is difficult for her to handle it all on
her own. I hope you are not taking her for granted.
Paapa: Achaaaaa, Okkkkkkk, I
will talk to her.
Shanivaar,
11:00 a.m.
Mommy: Hellooooo
Simmi: Hanji Mommy. Hogi
gall Pammi Bhua naal? All ok?
Mommy: Yea yea, she is fine. O
sab chhad. What did you tell Paapa?
Simmi: About what?
Mommy: About what? You told
your father that he has to take care of me. Now you will teach your Baapu how
to handle things.
Simmi: No Mom, I was just…
Mommy: You kids, staying away from
home , earning little money , become very smart. Now you can say anything to
parents. You know how much your father loves you. Every day he will ask me
“Simmi da phone aaya”, If you don’t call in evening, he will ask “Is Simmi
fine. Aaj phone nahi aaya “ and you lecture him? This is how you speak to your
Dad? Durr Fitte Moo
Simmi: I thought you were….
Mommy: Don’t speak now. Bahut
zubaan aagi moo vich. Your father has made so many FDs in bank so that
children will use it later and enjoy life. He has brought another flat in
Ludhiana, he said "We will gift this to Simmi". All this he is doing to hear
lecture from you ? Yesterday I made Alu Gobhi – and Paapa was missing his kids
because Alu Gobhi is your favorite. When you were kid , we made special
arrangement for milkman to give cream-rich milk delivered to house early
morning and paid him 100 rupees extra in those days. You know in those days
what was the value of 100 rupees.
Simmi: Mom I thought you were
upset with Pammi Bhua co…….
Mommy: What Pammi Bhua? Hain?
What Pammi Bhua? Last time when we went to Patiala you know she took me to the
famous market where I bought 6 punjabi juttis. She didn’t let me pay a single
penny. She said “Penji, you are like my sister”. When you were born
she gave 500 rupees and gold earrings for you as shagan, and for
your brother’s Lohri she gave him a gold chain. Pammi and I were dancing Giddha
on your brother’s Lohri and everyone in the locality was so jealous seeing our
clothes – I was wearing the fulkari Pammi brought from
Patiala. What wrong has Pammi done to you?
Simmi: I was just trying to help
you. I thought…
Mommy: Very good puttar ji.
Giving lecture to your Dad is very good help. Haina? Enough.
Simmi: Ok. M Sorry.
Mommy: Hun Sorry yaad aagi ?
Breakfast kar leya?
Simmi: I just had tea. Will have
something now.
Mommy: You only know how to give
lecture on time. Why don’t you eat and sleep on time. Now go eat. We will talk
in evening. “
I wish I
could capture her expressions in the blog which added to the jocosity. By the
time Simmi finished we were served with garam garam pooriyaann , chhole and
kheer. Despite all the daily bickering that her parents go through Simmi had
immovable faith in their relationship and said “Neet, I pray to babaij that
when I get married I have a partnership with my husband just like the one
between my parents – so honest, faithful and spicingly loving that even their
children cannot come in between”. Relishing the kheer she sang :
“Chitteh chawl jina ne punn kite
Rabb ne banayeeyan jodian “
