It was raining heavily. Savitri looked out of the window. She didn’t want him to step out on such a bad weather day, but Jignesh insisted,
“Enough is enough. I have to keep the appointment with the registrar. I’ll be back soon with the good news for both of us. You just wait and watch!”
He kept his promise indeed, came home safe and with the newly drafted Will, folded neatly in a brown envelope.
They read every line of the Will with great intensity.
They were hurt deeply from within. No parent should go through such a situation, they prayed silently and prepared for the new beginning.
Few years ago
It was Bipin and Falguni’s wedding anniversary
Jignesh called his son and daughter-in-law to his room.
He announced with pride,
“Savitri and I have decided to give this house to you.”
Wow! Thanks Pappa! Falguni exclaimed in joy, taking the document from his hands.
“But Pappa, why, you have just retired and..Bipin stopped midway when Falguni glared at him signalling him to keep quiet. He didn’t say a word more. In an impulse, he bent down to touch his father’s feet.
Blessing him, Jignesh said,
“Whatever I have is for you all. I have not done anything special.”
He quoted his favourite line from the ‘Bhagwad Gita’
“You come empty handed and you leave empty handed”
Retirement life was peaceful, initially at least. Jignesh got a lot of time to spend with his wife. Both, believers in simple living, Jignesh and Savitri were made for each other. They would visit the nearby Krishna temple in the evenings and sing bhajans.
But All good things don’t last forever!
Resentment started showing its ugly face.
Firstly, Jignesh and Savitri stopped going to the temple together for someone had to be at home any given point of time to receive the endless parcels from Amazon.
Secondly, Jignesh never thought he would have to give account for every single pie spent.
Almost anything and everything was questioned.
If the son just said to himself,
Why is the electricity bill so much this month?
Both Jignesh and Savitri would be over cautious with the usage.
Do we need newspaper, who reads anyway?
Pappa agreed instantly and stopped the daily newspaper
This maid is not cleaning the vessels properly, said Falguni, one day.
Savitri was about to offer cleaning them, when her husband quietened her.
“Savitri, I feel suffocated, in my own house.”
It’s not our house anymore! reminded Savitri.
“I didn’t see this coming.
I’m really sorry Savitri. Forgive me!”, he broke down.
Tears welled up in her eyes too.
The following days were even more difficult.
Savitri had a bad fall and suffered a hip fracture. She was advised complete bed rest.
Other than basic courtesies, Bipin didn’t contribute much at home. Neither did Falguni. She hated domestic work and with Savitri always available, Falguni never did nor was she asked to do anything at home.
Jignesh would still ask for help, but it looked like more work for them and they would comply disinterestedly.
Invariably Jignesh just handled everything on his own.
First Savitri, the mother was taken for granted and now it was Jignesh, the father’s turn.
It was so overwhelming. But what broke him from inside was his son’s and daughter in law’s indifference.
The last straw was when Jignesh overheard Falguni’s conversation,
“It’s ok Bipin. They can comfortably stay at Shri Krishna.
Pappa has to do all the work alone and they will have good company there, doing bhajans etc.
Tough times are a blessing in disguise. It reveals the true colours of the people around us
Jignesh thought,
Whatever happens happens for the good.
Once Savitri recovered completely, Jignesh and Savitri left home forever to stay at the ashram.
Bipin was too shocked to say anything, yet blurted out, “Am sorry Pappa!”
Falguni, unaffected, shed crocodile tears.
Not once did Jignesh or Savitri look back.
Within a month after they left,
Falguni excitedly told Bipin,
“I’ve researched everything. We just have to take all the necessary documents and once the formalities are done, we can sell this house and move into a bigger house soon.”
She didn’t even wait for his nod.
She took the file from the cupboard and looked for the brown envelope. The Will was very much there in the envelope but to her utter shock, it had been quietly changed by her father-in-law. He had made a fresh Will giving away the property to the ashram and had got the document registered afresh.
The document now read,
After our lives, the rights to this house will go to the Shree Krishna Ashram.
This made the earlier Will null and void
Present day 14.04.2026
“Maaji! Chai”, Priya, the attendant at the ashram came into her room.
“Thank you Beta!”
“Maaji! Listen..Take your tablets and rest. I will come back soon.
Savitri smiled.
She kept a flower at Lord Krishna’s idol, which she had got along with her, her only prized possession.
Savitri was living the last days of her life at the ashram with dignity and peace.
Not a day went without thinking of her husband Jignesh. It was a year since he passed away.
But just like Jignesh would do every single time when happy or sad, she too turned to the ‘Bhagwad Gita’ for better understanding, for peace of mind.
