The dates coincided perfectly. Dheeraj's deputation to Dubai came exactly when Akshika and Sudeep had to leave for Oman on a joint assignment, which meant Shweta would be available to come to Surat to look after Niva in her parents' absence. Niva too was super excited that she would get to stay with her doting grandmother after a long time. Dheeraj's transfer had taken them away from home. Akshika and Sudeep continued to live in the same house that Dheeraj had built hoping he would retire and live with his family but the transfer came with unexpected promotion, an offer too good to refuse so Dheeraj and Shweta had to move to Kolkata for 3 years.
Shweta was pleased to see that Akshika had looked after the house and her garden really well.Shweta had a lot of time to maintain the house, but Akshika was perpetually hard pressed for time balancing the demands of the job and her duties as a wife and a mother to a little girl, and yet she had made efforts to maintain the house the way her mother-in-law used to do.
Shweta could spend time with her son and daughter-in-law before they left for Oman leaving their daughter with Shweta for a fortnight. They left with plenty of instructions to Niva to make sure she gave no trouble to her granny. Shweta smiled inwardly. Her son and daughter-in-law worked as a team and everytime they had an offshore assignment, she would take charge of the little girl. It was only on one or two occasions that Akshika had to operate from home as Shweta was unable to come from Kolkota due to Dheeraj's health.
Shweta made a few phone calls after Sudeep and Akshika left. Niva was not a problem, she was a dadi loyalist, she would not spill the beans. Only thing Shweta had to make sure of was Niva did not make or receive video calls of her parents from a few places in the house. That was easy. Niva was super excited about the secret plan her dadi had shared with her, she managed her calls very well.
If Sudeep and Akshika spent a busy fortnight due to their work, dadi and Niva too spent that time fruitfully. The parents called Niva everyday and were happy to know she was very happy at home, though they could not understand the excitement in her voice. They also could not understand the relevance of a few questions she posed, like mom's favourite colour and dad's favourite music, but they were too busy to give it much thought.
Dadi and Niva were getting busier by the day. The days of Sudeep and Akshika's return were drawing near. Despite too many diversions and distractions, Shweta made sure Niva had her meals in time and did her lessons properly. Rest of the time she did whatever her dadi asked her to. Her playtime had turned into activity time at home as a lot of things were to be completed before her parents returned. She was enjoying her role thoroughly, and the oath of secrecy that she had taken made the mission more interesting.
Sudeep and Akshika returned in the morning, but had to leave for their office immediately. They were happy to notice that their daughter was well looked after, as usual. There was something that seemed different but they couldn't make out what.
It was late at night that they returned. Shweta and Niva were already asleep. Shweta had taken charge of the kitchen and Niva too, so Akshika left early for office the next day but also returned early to spend some time with Niva after being away from her for a fortnight. She also thought of giving some rest and respite to her mother-in-law who looked very happy, but also very tired.
She went numb for a moment when she entered her kitchen. It was as if she had entered a wrong place. It was completely a new place. In such a short time her mother-in-law had transformed the kitchen into a totally different space. Now she realised what was the excitement in Niva's tone all about and why her mother-in-law looked so tired, but happy. She could not thank her enough. There were minor changes, but thoughtful ones, which would hopefully bring alot of change into her life.
The next day was not a very busy day for the couple. Akshika was working from home while Sudeep was to be back home early. Shweta had gone out to meet her friend.
When Sudeep opened the main door with his keys, he was immediately drawn to the kitchen as sounds of his favourite music emanated from that area. He was terribly pleased with what he saw. A new, latest music player was placed at the corner of a cabinet. He sat at the newly arranged coffee-table listening to the mesmerising music. Aroma of his favourite filter coffee filled his senses with joy. He looked at Niva quietly doing her homework. A small space created for her studies ensured Akshika could help her with her lessons while also preparing dinner. They had earlier failed to notice that the living room wall now boasted of a big TV, while the small one was installed in the kitchen. A small books and magazine rack was strategically placed near the coffee-table. The lighting was changed to make the kitchen look bright and welcoming and an indoor plant completed the smart design.
"I noticed that you are unable to spend time together as a family" "The two of you are working together so even when at home, you keep discussing your work, leaving Niva feel left out." Akshika is busy cooking after she returns from office, then she helps Niva with her lessons. She also had umpteen other chores waiting for her, while you sit in the living room waiting for your coffee, flipping through magazines, surfing channels, doing nothing constructive."
"I thought of creating a space where Akshika can combine cooking and teaching and save some time for the family." "I had also hoped that the music and lighting will draw Sudeep to the kitchen, which it did." "He can now do his flipping and surfing in the kitchen instead of the drawing room so that he can also chip in to help Niva with her lessons, and he can also help with umpteen tasks in the kitchen if he sees Akshika doing so many things on her own."
By the time Shweta left for Kolkata after Dheeraj's return, Sudeep had got used to spending time in the warm and cosy kitchen. He also helped Niva with her homework, and of course helped Akshika with her chores, like loading and unloading the dishwasher, and the washing machine, setting up the table etc, till Akshika and Shweta requested him to stop helping after their exquisite crockery started breaking and linen started staining.
A few small changes that Shweta had brought about went a long way in bringing joy back to the small family who had forgotten to spend time together in the busy lives they all led, each engrossed in own routine. Sometimes small measures bring tremendous results because it doesn't take much to create happiness.
