Page 32 - Seniors Today - Oct 2019

back to Daughter 2 in Delhi. he was hearing, and was in a total state of shock.
From the station Pitaji sent a postcard to Rama
“My dear Rama, I want to come home to you and
spend the rest of my life with you in Bombay.
Bihari Lal.” All through these months Pitaji
hardly spoke to Inder and Rama, once a month
there was a call to say that he was well. On
receiving this postcard Rama decided that she
would go to Delhi and bring Pitaji back.
Surprise visit
Without informing Daughter 2 Rama landed
up at her house. Found Pitaji lying on the bed
looking very frail, having lost a lot of weight,
his voice and hands trembling, the room
smelling of urine and all his soiled clothes in
one corner unwashed for the last two days. Just
then Daughter 2’s husband entered the room
and started shouting at Rama and had a show
down with her. Asked her to leave his house
immediately and that Pitaji was not going back
to Bombay. While leaving Daughter 2’s house,
her son Montu met Rama on the ground floor
and she showed him Pitaji’s postcard.
Rama decided that Inder would have to come to
Delhi and bring Pitaji back to Bombay. Two days
after reaching Bombay she got a calling that
Pitaji had got pneumonia and was admitted to
the hospital. Montu was on the line and wanted
to know how to pay the hospital expenses. Rama
was shocked and blurted out that she would ask
her sister to deposit the money for the hospital.
The next morning Montu called up again and
said Pitaji passed away last night a little after
midnight.
Rama called her husband’s shipping company
who informed Inder and arrangements were
made to bring Inder back to India. Inder’s
program was conveyed to Daughter 2 and
the body was shifted to Nigambodh Ghat the
cremation ground. Inder broke down on seeing
his dad and completed the rituals of cremation
after which it was announced to the gathering
that the Chautha would be the next day at the
Aryasamaj mandir. Inder asked his sisters why
don’t we do it at home and clean up the place
when Daughter 3 sheepishly told him that Pitaji
had sold the Daryaganj property in May. Inder
was totally devastated, unable to believe what
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At the chautha, Daughter 3 the youngest sister
handed over an envelope that contained Pitaji’s
will.
Inder took a late night flight and returned to
Bombay totally shattered, having lost his father
and the family property at the same time.
After a month Rama went back to Delhi and
with her sister’s help who worked in the same
bank, branch where Pitaji’s bank accounts were,
got the copy of his bank statements.
Rs. 32 lakh was deposited in Pitaji’s account and
the next day Rs. 10 lakh was transferred to each
of his daughters, Rs 20,000 to his sister and the
balance Rs 2.5 lakh was withdrawn by Daughter
2 towards Pitaji’s expenses and also his pension
was used by her towards his upkeep.
Secret sale
The next day Rama went to visit Chachiji,
Sardari Lal’s wife who told her that this entire
transaction was done in May in utmost secrecy
and she too was informed only on the morning
of the sale, Pitaji had sunstroke which made him
weak, but his health did not deter his daughters
from wanting to complete the sale immediately.
They did not want Inder and Rama to know
because Inder would not have sold the property
and neither did they want to give Inder a share
in the sale proceeds. Chachiji also told Rama
that Pitaji had lost his mind; so much so that he
took time to recognise Chachiji and her son.
From April till February Pitaji had moved six
times from one house to the other.
There is a saying in rustic Punjabi
“Behen ke ghar, bhai kutta;
Saas ke ghar, jawai kutta;
Naane ke ghar, dotta kutta;
Magar in sabse bada kutta;
Ik baap jo jeete-jee apni saari jaaidaad bacchon
de naam likh deta”
(A brother is a dog in his sister’s house; a son-in-
law is a dog in his mother-in-laws house; and a
grandson is a dog in his maternal grandfather’s
house, but of all these the biggest dog is the
father who in his lifetime gives away all his
wealth to his children.)
(Names changed to protect identities.)