A Woman’s Will

Rachna Vinod
Santi was product of a family where birth and marriage were a routine affair. She was born because she was to be born. She was married because that was the norm in the society where she was born. She had looked forward to a better life after her marriage. She did enjoy better life with her husband who had filled her world with everything needed to make her life wonderfully blessed. This wonder didn’t last much longer. Her husband’s sudden death left her with a five-year-old son. Her world, although filled with materialistic bliss, was shattered. She collected together the shattered pieces of her life and bring up her son with both parental affection and care. Eventually, he got into a good job and got married also to a girl Santi chose. Soon after his marriage, both of them, Santi’s son and daughter-in-law left for USA where he had got job with better prospects. Her son had assured her to call her there as soon as he felt settled there.
Santi was again left alone. This time, she didn’t let loneliness shatter her. With plenty of time in her hands, she started some social service working for destitute. Then one day, she got a call from her son asking her to come. Both Abinas and Bimmi were working. Bimmi was in sixth month of pregnancy. Domestic help being very expensive, they had called Santi to take care of them as well as their house. Thriving on her vulnerability as a mother, her unpaid services were taken for granted. As a young widow with a small child, Santi had faced many ups and downs in her life. This was just one more added experience for which she had no option than to accept it as one more for challenge for survival. It was useless to expect better treatment than what she was getting in terms of food and shelter besides occasional outings which were more for crushing their guilt feelings if any, than Santi’s pleasure.
Santi was overjoyed when Bimmi delivered healthy son and she held her grandchild in her lap. A formal thanks given to her as an acknowledgement to her services was enough to show respect to her. She had come there with hopes of enjoying family life with her son and family but here she was treated like a much-needed domestic help only. The only genuine warmth she felt whenever she looked at her grandson whom she showered with all her love and care. Oblivious of any turmoil going on within her grandmother, he always craved for her attention. Both of them had developed very intimate and close bonding with each other. She, although somewhat sad at leaving her grandson, was relieved to come back to her own home before her permissible stay in USA could expire. Her visit to her son had crashed all her hopes and expectations whatever were left in her life. She felt total detachment. She got back to her routine life where she had left it. Then one day, Abinas called her to say that he along with his wife and son, were coming to stay with her for a few weeks. She okayed without getting excited. The family came. Santi was again happy to see her grandson running around the house. His joyful chirping melted her indifferent attitude towards the family.
Sensing her good mood, Abinas told her about his plans to buy a bigger house in San Francisco. Santi patted and encouraged him to go ahead with his plan. Excitedly, Abinas hugged his mother lovingly. Tears swelled up in mother’s eyes. Forgetting and forgiving him for whatever treatment was given to her, she also reciprocated with much affection and warmth. The family warmth had been restored. One day, Abinas brought certain papers for Santi to sign to handover the property to Abinas who would have exclusive rights to the usage of property. Overwhelmed with love and respect given to her, Santi immediately signed the papers and in return, got big warm hugs from her son and daughter-in-law. Her grandson ignorant of any such development, remained happy in cosy lap of his grandmother. Santi started dreaming happily about some meaning to her future life. Then one day, unintentionally, she overheard Bimmi asking Abinas, “How much will you have to pay for the room?”. Abinas satisfying Bimmi’s queries, was elaborating, ” Not much. I have already got good offer. I’ll sell the property, give some donation to the old home where they have agreed to give her good room. I’ll keep sending the donation periodically so that she could be taken care decently.” Both Bimmi and Abinas smiled sheepishly.
Shocked, Santi took a few minutes to compose herself and entered the room looking into drawers and almirahs as if searching for something. On asking, she said, ” I forgot to sign on other paper for another property. I don’t know how I forgot about that property and where I kept those papers. Sooner you take over the responsibility, better it is. I want to get rid of it because I need some rest now.” Bimmi and Abinas gave each other surprised look. Assuring his mother of his full support for her relaxed life, Abinas started searching for those papers in every possible nook and corner of the house. After a few hours of search, Santi said, “I think that it’s there in the already signed papers with you. My intuition tells me that I have overlooked signing that part. Just let me see them whenever you have time. I don’t want any loose ends. I’ll just go through those papers to make sure that every loophole is plugged.” In anticipation of acquiring more property, Abinas didn’t lose much time and brought all the property papers for his mother to scrutinize again. Santi also didn’t lose much time to grab and tearing off all the papers, she burnt them nonchalantly. Bimmi and Abinas kept watching helplessly, their dream turned into ash. Seeing through each other’s intentions, both the sides had understood each other thoroughly.
No coaxing and pampering could make Santi change her attitude. The pretentious warmth had slipped away and the reality had emerged. Santi had contacted the lawyer and revised her will, donating the whole property after her to the same old home where Abinas had booked a room for her. Now, she had booked herself within invisible solid walls where no shouting could pierce them and make her vulnerable once again to fall for falsehood of relations.

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