We came out of the house, past the building gate,walked
along the main road, passed the by lane. A few steps ahead, we met our old
housemaid. Seeing us, she felt so happy that she laughed. Her laughter was so
yellow, I don’t want to describe it any further and I leave to you to
understand that we felt suffocated and couldn’t help answering her questions,
like how we are, who is working now? Could she come for giving my mother some
massage and all.
Ma gave her little money and we proceeded further. Reached a
baker’s shop and ordered some savouries and told him that while going back
home, we will collect it. We proceeded further to the next by lane for walking
and met our old school bus driver.
He smiled and he had
long and sharp teeth. Recognized me and asked what I was doing now. He told my
mother –“Your son was very peaceful. He never quarrelled in the bus”.
After passing him, Ma looked at me and asked-“Is it a
denture day?” We were walking and came the panipuriwala. We stopped for it and
had panipuris when a small girl brought a pitcher full of good water. The panipuri
seller, made the tamarind water.
The girl is very fluent in Marathi and she asked her father would
she bring some more. To this her father said-“No, now you sit here.”
As we were gulping down the panipuri very faster, the girl
started laughing without any control. Both of us also laughed. This time, her
denture and laughter was from her heart and joyful. That we forgot the laughter
of the old acquaintances
Came back and collected the bakery product and both of us checked in the mirror, that how do we look when we laugh and it was okay. Relief.
Adios!