After two days, the wife notices some unusual changes in her husband. During the lockdown, the husband used to sleep late at night and used to get up at nine o’clock. At first, the spotted man enjoyed the time. Don’t go to work, don’t go out. No fuss and no fuss. Come to eat regularly. After that, the rest of the time was spent with the children playing donkey, tic tok and ludo. The excitement that was there at the beginning decreased a bit when the reality that the covid baby is not going to go away and things will be normal like you think.
But, it has been only two days since such obvious changes have started to be seen. The person who used to get up at nine o’clock would get up at six o’clock and after bathing, he would come to the stable from outside the temple. Before the two sisters get up, hot water for bathing and tea to drink quickly after bathing will be ready. Before that, the pills to be taken on an empty stomach will be given separately to his own mother and his wife’s mother. Until then it was his wife who did all that. With that, they got half of their work. Even though there was no help in the kitchen, the wife put her finger to her nose and thought when she saw that her husband was carrying out his mother’s affairs better than her. When this was not enough, when Mother’s Day came, I went to FB and saw both of them together, wishing them good health and getting well wishes from their friends and feeling fulfilled.
If you have lunch in the afternoon, the two sisters will be well fed. After that, he will be forced to take a nap. Tea and snacks immediately after sleep. Walking along the road leading to the field before dusk. Then bath in warm water. Oatmeal dinner for two at seven thirty. Then the regular tablets are given very carefully and carefully. Watching serials for a while, till 8:30. At that time, the wishes of the wife and children became worthless. Seeing the change in their father in two days, the children looked at their mother. Mom held out her hand.
When she was certain that this was not going to end as easily as with Covid, one day, the wife blocked her husband’s way and asked:
‘I saw it a few days ago and thought I should ask. It is good to love mothers. I will not say no. But doubt that this is not increasing?’
Without answering immediately, the husband took his wife to the bedroom. When he was sure no one would listen, he said:
‘Not at all. There is only doubt that it is decreasing. Do you know how much things have changed in a month, especially if I don’t tell you…?’
The wife looked at her husband as if she didn’t understand the whole thing. The husband began to talk about the post-Covid reconstruction of their lives in a very easy-to-understand manner:
‘You know, my fieldwork won’t go on for long in this state. Either the company dissolves if the kachodam is gone. Otherwise salary will not be given. Now if the company is closed, there is no point in holding grudges. The Prime Minister and the Chief Minister have said what is the need for self-reliance… Now there is only this to do in front of us. It takes at least 10 years to grow a baby. So we have to pay close attention for ten years. Cost should be reduced. In the same way, my mother and your mother should be looked after like gold, without any harm…’
‘I understand that you have to work and cut costs. But what do mothers have to do with it?’
‘From now on, neither you nor I, but our mothers are the light, the bed and the pillars of this house. What is it.. My mother gets my father’s pension every month exactly. Similarly, your mother has two pensions, your mother’s work pension and your father’s pension. If we get all three pensions, we can live without much injury. do you understand In this way, the two sisters should be alive for ten years without any calamity. Only by buying these pensions can we lead our future life…’
The wife was shaking her head as if her husband was right.
‘Apo, what is there after the mothers in this house? Me, you and even the children…’ he finished before his wife could raise any more doubts or questions.
At the time of going to sleep, the wife said: ‘Poor, our mothers, even at this age, don’t they look at us without even knowing it…’
The husband turned on the light without answering. At the same moment darkness flew away.
P. Raghunath