What's her mistake ? - 30

“Can you throw some light upon what are those ‘daily 15 minutes’ asked Dammu the moment we were out of earshot of the others.

Nammu Aunty smiled. But there was a sad look in her eyes.

“Dammu!” she said holding Dammu’s hands and looking at her, “You are too good. I won’t deny it. But, I have a desire to stay in my house here”

Dammu shook away Nammu Aunty’s hands and stood at a distance and sulked.

Nammu Aunty walked to her and touched her arm. Dammu walked some distance and stood. Nammu Aunty followed her.

Dammu now turned towards Nammu Aunty and said, “Ok, can you tell me why you want to stay in that house? Don’t tell me that you are too indebted to us and want to be independent!”

Nammu Aunty shook her head and told in a small voice, “I want to stay in the house where I stayed with my husband during my happy days and reminisce those golden moments. Can you please pardon me?” and tears swelled in her eyes.

I could see Dammu being melted by this. “Hey! What is this? I was only worried about you being alone here” she said wiping the tears of Nammu Aunty.

Nammu Aunty smiled. She was looking very different with a smile on her lips and tears in her eyes. Like the rains with bright sunshine.

“Will you not be with me Dammu?” asked Nammu Aunty with such a request in her voice that Dammu just went forward and hugged Nammu Aunty.

“No Nammu, I can’t! You know very well that I have my own things to do. But you have to promise me one thing. Every weekend, you should come to my home” Dammu said in a demanding voice.

We were nearing the car. The middle aged man came running and asked, “Madam, when are you coming and occupying your house?”

Nammu Aunty looked at Dammu.

“Today is Saturday. She will come to stay on Monday evening” said Dammu. Nammu Aunty nodded her head.

During the car journey Dammu and Nammu Aunty were discussing about the paraphernalia of Nammu Aunty’s stay in Jaaji.

“Young man! Now you have to do your duty in two places. I hate to send Nammu to Jaaji alone. So, your job will be to be with Nammu at the village. When you come back here with Nammu on Friday evening, your duty in my house starts. That is till you reach the village on Monday morning” said Dammu after the program was finalised.

The enthusiasm of going back to the village and living there gave Nammu Aunty such an energy that I wondered from where she got it.

Dammu also noticed it and could not help commenting, “Nammu, I can’t believe that just the thought of staying in the village has given you so much extra strength!”

Nammu Aunty laughed loudly. Suddenly she had a spasm of cough which sounded very horrible. Nammu Aunty rushed to her room. We could hear her cough. We could not go in as she had bolted the door from inside even in that hurry.

Both I and Dammu stood in front of the room helplessly.

But we need not have worried. She came out wiping her mouth with her sari.

Dammu caught hold of her hand and took her to the sofa in the main Hall.

We settled on the sofas. The servant brought us hot badam milk. We started sipping it when Nammu Aunty opened the subject which was droning in my mind from quite a long time.

“Dammu! It is high time that you complete your story which you started quite long ago” said Nammu Aunty. Dammu looked at her.

“Yes, Dammu! Now, the time will be restricted to the weekends. So, why don’t you start telling your story from the point you left last time”

“Now, where had I left the story?” asked Dammu. But the twinkle in her eyes said that she knew where she had left the story.

“Yes, my husband’s younger brother said, ‘my people may not allow you to live after the birth of the baby. So, if you want to stay alive, we have to leave from here before the baby is born. Are you comfortable to leave with me from here? He asked seriously. As I told you earlier, I had nothing to lose by leaving with him. So, I left with him. But the way it ended is so horrible even to think” Dammu shuddered.