Chapter 39: chapter 39

She checked her messages and attended to urgent calls to get her work done at the earliest time possible. She was always a problem creator when she didn't get things the way she wanted. The officers must have subdued her demands looking at her ripening age and stubborn attitude. After a lot of hassle and bustle, she applied for the visa and stayed restless until the day it came into her hands.My mother-in-law used to get irritated occasionally due to her insane behaviour. It was a natural symptom for a human being to tolerate so much discomfort. Anybody may seem indignant in her place.Nani used to come and sympathise with me. Sometimes she showed silly actions, to walk alone on sunny afternoons to meet her friends.  She would also loiter around the shops for purchases and talk about her grievances to people unknown just to gather their sympathy or attention. She talked highly of her son and underrated the activities of her daughters. She didn't appear grateful to her daughter for giving her shelter. Old age makes a woman do unwanted deeds!Her last day on Earth was a very pathetic one. She lived alone occupying the full apartment set on the first floor of our stores, which were located on the ground floor. My in-laws remained there in the shop from 8.00 am till 7.00 pm every day after which Nani was left all alone. She often grumbled that she heard the noise of harmonium and the jingling of anklets far into the night which scared her and didn't let her sleep. We laughed out her inhibitions and fears but my father-in-law found out that there was a Bengali family in the vicinity who resumed their song and dance practices at night.I used to send her three meals a day packed inside a tiffin from our house. She loved to eat whatever l made. Nani was a generous lady, she didn't want to trouble her son-in-law to carry all three meals for her. She had remained independent all her life and she wanted to stay like that till her death. She managed to prepare her breakfast by herself and ate bread and butter to fill her stomach at times. My father-in-law used to carry the lunch box to his wife every day to the shop. Since the arrival of Nani, I began to pack two lunch boxes for them. Later she committed to making her dinner as she preferred hot food. That fateful day, Nani made her morning tea and waited desperately for her daughter to unlock the shop. No sooner did she arrive than Nani ran downstairs with her saree half-open,  and uncombed hair and  groaned,"Daughter l am not feeling well, tomorrow l will travel to Jamshedpur on a bus for a health check-up."My mother-in-law nodded her head and ignored her further dialogue. This way thrice she climbed up and down the stairs for something or the other with one end of her saree trailing on the stairs. My mother-in-law gave a call to my husband making him aware of her doings and added,"It's hard to believe whether she is uttering the truth as she has come and disturbed me three times since morning."My husband replied, "As soon as l finish my work. l will attend to her".The day passed swiftly and it was 7.00 pm when the boy goes up to lock all the doors and bid her a final goodbye asking her to lock the door from inside. The other renters occupied the adjoining rooms, they took care of granny at night. He noticed that Nani was in deep slumber yet murmuring something, soon the murmur was loud. The boy guessed something was wrong and called my father-in-law at once.