The Ebb and Flow of Life

“What are you up to? Don’t you have any schoolwork to do?” Amritraj screamed at me, his granddaughter.

I stepped back but was not alarmed. A strict disciplinarian by nature, grandpa maintained the trait through his seventies. Was it only that?

I admit that it was a little confusing and annoying for my elder brother Shyam and me as we expected some warm love, perhaps pampering when we visited our ancestral home Unaati village in Jalandhar.

Holidays there for us meant we could sleep late, have sumptuous ‘parathas’ for breakfast, roam the fields amongst the sun-kissed array of mustard flowers, and even play all sorts of ‘crazy’ games with our friends, Shanno and Deep. But grandfather spoilt it all! Nowadays, we think Delhi is better. At least, Mom and Dad took us to the movies or parties sometimes.

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Amritraj Sodhi had been a Mathematics professor in Lucknow till he retired from service at sixty. He worked hard, taking extra tuition beyond his regular teaching schedule.

My father once said, “He struggled to save money for the routine expenses. There’s so much he has done for me and our extended family. He always wanted to go back to his roots after retirement. He wanted to live there, even after your grandma’s death as he wanted us to come there often.”

And so, here he was. But why is he so irritated? Maybe he is missing his busy lifestyle in the city. My nine-year-old brain couldn’t think beyond this, nor was I inclined to.

Years passed.

Shyam went on to study Commerce and Economics at Delhi University. I was in my twelfth grade. One day, the four of us took a hurried flight to Jalandhar. As we drove down to our ancestral home, for the first time I expressed my displeasure in visiting the village.

“Grandpa will be back to his old ways again,” I smirked.

“Avni, your grandpa is on his deathbed. The least you can do is cooperate,” My tearful Mom whispered to me.

Now, this was something I couldn’t accept. My tall, well-built, active grandpa might leave us forever. I had hardly seen him take an afternoon nap. Unimaginable!

The yellowish fields blurred in front of me. I stopped the car and got out. A mixture of spicy and sweet scents emanating from the surroundings tingled my nostrils. The multicoloured butterflies attempted to distract me but not this time. Dad stood near me silently, but finally broke down himself.

“Avni, your grandpa suffered from Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that causes blindness. It is a progressive disease that worsens with age. After he came here, he complained of blurred vision, especially in the dark. Later, he started losing his sight. He wanted to take care of his fields and even thought of setting up a small school here. But a few people took advantage of his condition and he lost money in his ventures. That’s why he remained irritated. But he never inconvenienced any of us. He believed in himself and fought back with determination. He succeeded in educating several men, women and children in the village. The village owes it to him for so many positive changes that have taken place in the last fifteen years.”

I could only nod. As we started our journey, I thought proudly, Amritraj Sodhi had lived with the ebb and flow of life.!

Srividya Subramanian