College Days - 1
I have got admission to my B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering. I was trying for the IITs, but unfortunately wasn't good enough to get the required rank. It was not too bad though. I could get a placement in NIT Raipur. NITs are good. "Not everybody gets selected in IITs"…my parents and friends were consoling me.
One other aspect which made my parents satisfied was that my mother's cousin brother lived in Raipur. He had gone there quite some years back, possibly 20 years or so, for some job. He ended up starting a business there. He had done well.. made a decent house. They eat and live well. My uncle and aunty had one regret though…they didn't have any children. They tried a lot .. Doctors and Babas …nothing worked. They used to come to our house earlier, whenever they came to our city. Almost all their relatives on both sides .. uncle's and aunty's live in our city only. They had requested us so many times to go to their Raipur home, but it didn't happen eventually.
So, when I got this admission letter confirmation from NIT Raipur, Ma was the first to call my Mama (maternal uncle) to give him the news. My mother requested him to search for a good hostel near NIT college campus, so that it would be easier for me to commute to college. My uncle on the contrary got very angry at Ma. He said, "What are you saying Didi (elder sister) ? When we are here, how can you say that I'll look for a hostel for your son to stay in ? I've enough room in my house. Besides, NIT is very close to our house. The main bus or auto route plus the walking distance to the bus and auto stand will take around 30 minutes. But there's a shortcut through narrow lanes from our house towards NIT, which takes only 12-15 mins by bicycle. It's that close. So, you needn't worry. Ask Sumit to let me know by which train he will be reaching here and the date. From the station, he's my responsibility. You forget about your tensions about your son."
From that day onwards there were quite a few telephone conversations between the two families. My aunty ( I call her 'Mami') told my mother one day, "Don't worry Didi, you know we don't have any children. Sumit is our son also. He won't have any problems in our house. Besides, in a hostel, he would have to do his own washing, cleaning and sometimes some cooking also. In our house, I have a cook and another washing, cleaning maid. Plus I have brought one of my distant relative's daughters from my village to live with us. She gives me company throughout the day. You know na Didi, your brother is away all day from morning till late night in his shop. How much TV can I watch ? I need somebody to talk to. It will be good for me now that I'll have Sumit also for company. He can take me to the movies and Malls. You know, there are 4 malls in our city now. And after all these years, you and Jija ji might finally decide to come and visit us, now that your son will be here. So, I am actually to gain with your son getting admitted in NIT. I'm very happy."
So that settled, I landed in Raipur station after a few days. I had 2 big suitcases with me. Ma told me to also take my winter clothes along. Plus I was carrying some books, which obviously makes the suitcase heavy.
My uncle is a plump middle aged man about 45 years of age. He had somehow ended up buying a Sweets shop here in this city some 20 years back. He had developed that shop and added snacks and fast food in the course of all these years. With time he had also converted it into a small restaurant, which has gained quite a popularity and prosperity because of its quality and service. He is also starting to venture into Catering business. My uncle ensured that he gave his personal attention to his business. He had a manager but still personally supervised and monitored all the daily management activities himself.
My uncle gave me all this story of his business during the car ride from the station to his house. He said that he will have to go back to his shop now and will chat with me further during dinner late at night.
He had called up my aunty while we were in the car. So, when I alighted from the car at their house, I saw my aunty waiting for me at the gate. It was a big three storeyed house, not a bungalow, but an old fashioned house, which my uncle had also bought when his business started flourishing. The driver brought down my heavy suitcases from the car dicky and kept them on the porch. My uncle waved bye and left.
I am seeing my aunty after 5 years. They had not visited our city for a long time, since my uncle could not leave town due to his business pressures. I was in class 8 at that time when they last came to our house. I had obviously changed a lot since my 13 years of age when aunty last saw me. But she hasn't changed much. I remember her as a buxom lady; moderately fair complexioned; round face; a tight, solid figure and with an above average height for an Indian woman at 5 feet 7 inches. I remember overhearing one of her discussions with my mother during her last visit, when she had mentioned she was 35 years old then.
We were 2 brothers and 1 sister; I was the eldest. We used to love it when this Mami (aunty) visited us. That time they used to visit us at least once a year, sometimes twice. She used to always bring nice toys for us. Unlike other relatives who only gave either chocolates or at best a Ten rupees note.
During that last visit, I remember, I had returned from school and found aunty chatting with my mother. I had a football match at school that day, after school hours. I used to play for my school team. There were 2 different competitions then. 4-10 and 5-3. Do you know the meaning of this ? It was the height classification of the students in the football team. Under 4 feet 10 inches and under 5 feet 3 inches. Even in class 8, that is when I was 13 years, I played under 4'10" category. Yes, you guessed it right, I was small for my age. As soon as I came home that day, my younger brother and sister ran up to me to announce that Mami had come and brought toys for us. They had already received their gifts which they were showing me quite enthusiastically. They pulled me and brought me to Aunty, so that I could get my gift too. Aunty was very happy to see me. She loved me a lot. She rose from the sofa to get her bag. She opened her bag and brought out my gift - a red coloured table tennis racquet and a ball. She was standing in front of me, smiling down sweetly at me. Since I was just 4'10" and she was 5'7", she was actually 9", that is about a head taller than me.
She asked me, "Do you like your gift ?"
I gave a big smile and nodded a 'Yes'.
She laughed and said, "Then give your aunty a hug and show me how much you liked it." She extended her long hands to embrace me. I walked into her embrace, with the gifts held in both my hands. She smiled and bent down to bring her head down to my level. Then wrapped her long, thick arms under my buttocks and straightened up. And up I went with her. I was now also 5'7" tall like her. My face was right in front of hers. She gave me a kiss on my cheek. I was used to all this show of affection. In fact all three of us, brothers and sister had to go through this routine every time aunty gave us our gifts.
This time it got prolonged. Aunty turned to my mother, still carrying me in her arms. She put pressure under my thighs and jerked me up, so instinctively my arms went around her neck. Since my face was coming in front of her face, she shifted my body to her left hip. I was out of balance being moved hanging in mid air on her hip, so I had to wrap my legs around her waist to give myself better support on her body. My mother was sitting on the sofa. Aunty faced her with me straddled on her hip. She said, "Didi, your son is so cute. I had been requesting you to give him to me. You are not giving me. You have three, give me this one. Let me take him with me this time."
My mother just laughed, "Aarey Sudha, he is your son also. My son means your son."
But aunty insisted, "No, didi, not that way. I want him as my own. I'll adopt him. See your brother is doing so well in business. Who will look after all that? He has already bought land over here in this city. He has also bought another flat in Naya Raipur, just for investment. We don't have any children of our own. Who will look after all this once your brother gets old. I've also checked up on a very good school there, the best school. Your brother has contacts there. He will get Sumit admitted in class 9 over there. Please didi, maan jaao na, please."
Imagine all this was being discussed about me, with me being held on Aunty's hip. My mother just smiled, "You put him down, Sudha. He has just come from school. Let him go and change and have his food. You come and sit with me. Let's talk." Aunty put me down, gave me another kiss, patted my back and off I went.
I don't know what happened after that. I think Aunty got the message that Ma won't relent. But that was my Aunty's last visit to our house. She never visited us in the last 5 years. When we enquired, Ma told us that they do not come to our city now, as my uncle cannot get time off from his business. I don't know the truth. But since then we have missed Aunty's gifts.
All that was five years back. When I saw Aunty today, that last day's incident five years back, came flashing back in my head.
Aunty stood there at the doorway, smiling at me, a wide happy smile. Beside Aunty I saw a girl standing. A tall, moderately fair complexioned girl. Couldn't guess her age, near to mine possibly. But I wasn't sure, because of her height. She seemed taller than aunty by definitely a good two inches. I had never seen or heard about her earlier. Aunty came forward to meet me. She held me by my shoulders and looked down smiling at me. "Aarey my little boy is a grown up young man now. Let me see how tall you have grown. Ohh you still have a lot to catch up with your aunt. What is your height now sweetie ?"
I meekly said, "5 feet 3 inches." I knew my aunty was still 4 inches taller than me.
My aunty laughed, "Ohh you are still so cute, like I had last seen you."
Aunty looked sideways at the girl standing next to her and extended her hand. The girl passed a packet to her. Aunty had a big smile on her face. "How can I meet my son empty handed ?" Aunty extended the packet towards me. A gift for me ! Aunty has remained the same. I was so happy like I used to be when I was a young boy. I looked at the packet. It was a box containing a new Tab. I didn't have a Tab, I always longed to have one. How did Aunty know? I looked up at her smiling face. She asked like she used to earlier, "Do you like your gift ?"
I couldn't contain my happiness, "Very much! Thank you so much Mami. I always wanted to have a Tab."
I saw Aunty had her hands extended towards me... "And now my gift?" Aunty had a big wide smile on her face. I walked into her extended hands. She bent down to bring her head down to my level, wrapped her long thick arms around my back and straightened up. I was back in my childhood…up in the arms of my big tall aunty. Like earlier she jerked me up on her body. My arms went around her neck. She lovingly tightened her grip on my buttocks. As if remembering my childhood, my legs wrapped around her waist. My face was now right in front of hers. My arms wrapped around her thick neck. She kissed me long and hard on my cheek. First on one cheek and then on the other. Then looked back at me lovingly and said, "It's good that you have not grown taller. I like you this way only, small and cute in my arms".
I was suddenly in my senses. It was as if I was in a trance, reliving my childhood. What is this ? I'm not a class 8 school boy anymore. I'm a grown up young man of 18…going to be 19 in two months. And I'm being carried in the arms of my 40 year old aunty like a small boy.
I looked around. That new tall girl was still standing beside Aunty, now with a wide smile on her face, looking at me. I whispered to Aunty, "Mami, what have you done ? I'm not a school boy anymore. I'm almost 19 now. Please put me down."
Aunty looked at the girl, then back at me. "Beta (son)! You don't have to feel shy because of her. She's your cousin, Maya. She knows everything about you. I've told all your stories to her. She knows that this is the way you say thank you to me when I give you a gift."
I was still whispering, lest Maya hears me. "But that was when I was 13, now I'm 18 plus, almost 19, and will be going to College. You cannot carry me like this now."
Aunty turned back towards the house and started walking holding me in her arms. "What if you are 19 now ? Our age difference is still the same. You are still my little boy. Your Ma is not here. I'm your mother now. Come let's go inside. I'll show you your room."
I protested, "Aunty, please put me down, my suitcases are lying outside. They are very heavy."
Aunty stopped. Turned back to see what's happening. Sitting on Aunty's stomach, held in her strong arms, I saw Maya bringing in my two suitcases, one bag in each of her hands. I was stunned. I had to lift one bag at a time and that too, one suitcase with both my hands. I had those older suitcases without the wheels. These were my father's suitcases.
Aunty looked at me in her arms. "Your cousin sister Maya is very strong. As strong as your aunty. Now let's go to your room." She was walking towards the stairs.
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( To be continued soon.….)
