Some things don't change

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE

Please come home aunty, please don’t say no,” saying this I used to pull her hand and drag her to my apartment. I am narrating a series of events that occurred when I was just a four-year-old.

Aunty, a school teacher by profession, used to give me a cute smile and tried to convince me that coming to my home was not possible as she was returning from school and was dead tired but would try to make it up to me some other day. I remember, I would hear nothing of her words and would somehow manage to bring her to my abode.

My mother, though a little embarrassed by my behaviour, would give her a warm welcome. I had somehow sensed that she liked being invited home. This happened almost every day. She tried to dodge me once or twice but in vain. You see, I could always spot her bright blue saree, which was her school uniform, and would convince her. Thus developed a beautiful bond between the two of us.

One time, my mother had gone to my grandma’s place for a few days, leaving me in the care of my father. I had felt a little lonely then and would often slip into a sombre mood. Aunty sensed my sorrow as I had stopped going to the gate to invite her for almost a week. One day, she dropped by uninvited just to check on me and gave me a beautiful present. I cherished not only this gift but also the memory of it.

After my father’s job transfer, we had to move to another city. Time flew by, and the thoughts about my dear aunty soon faded away.

I was in college then when one day, I heard the doorbell ring. I was busy and did not bother to even check who the visitor was. My mother called out to me to see who the guest was. To my utter surprise, it was my dear old aunty. Oh! What a transformation time had on her. It seems that she had a spinal injury on her neck and her head was involuntarily shaking. Yet, she still stood there with the same sweet smile and with a beautiful present for me. Even with all her problems she had taken time off just to pay a visit to us and to see me after all these long years. She recollected all my childhood pranks with a sparkle in her eyes. Though time can change everything it can never erase the bond between two friendly souls.