Page 13 - Seniorstoday March 2024 Issue

and wanted to get into animation and the and this will never come between us.” My
creative side of advertising and movie
making. The younger son Rajeev wanted to
become a Banker and an Accountant.
The boys had their own rooms and one
day my husband came home unexpectedly
and found Rahul in bed with another
man. That week was very strenuous, my
husband had a blackout and we rushed
him to the hospital. The doctors diagnosed
it as a minor stroke and said we could
be in for more trouble. His heart was
functioning at thirty percent. The tests
were not good, and there was a long way
to go to get his heart and blood pressure
in order. Slowly he got better and was
discharged from the hospital in ten days.
It was then that both of us decided that we
would shift back to India. We had made
preparations for our return, said goodbye
to friends across the US and before Diwali
we were back to our home in Pune.
Coming home was exciting – our own
home! My immediate neighbours were
my brothers-in-law and they made every
effort to make life easy for us. I got the
house ready for the Diwali Pooja, created a
small Temple, Rangoli, Flowers and a very
special dinner – food that my husband and
the kids liked. This was our first Diwali in
our own home. I had a maid who helped
me with the house work and also worked
with me in the kitchen. After we finished
the Pooja and sat down to dinner, I made
kheer and other desserts. Rahul then said
Appa Amma, I have to say something
to you all, I hope you will understand I
am gay. There was complete silence, my
husband said after a minute that it was ok
with us and it was his life, and he should
be confident about himself. He said,
“Your mother and I have no problems
whatsoever. We love you for who you are
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #57 | MARCH 2024
husband and I had discussed this in the US
many times earlier when my husband saw
him in bed with another man, only Rahul
didn’t notice, but we had come to terms
with this, and Rahul was a very loving
child.
Our younger son Rajeev called him
a “Chakka” and said that he would be
ridiculed by his friends because of him.
Suddenly there was a thunderstorm in the
house and the both brothers were shouting
at each other. Rahul was calm and Rajeev
kept on shouting at the top of his voice. I
could never imagine that children who we
had brought up with so much affection
and love could turn out to be so abrasive
and abusive. That evening my husband
couldn’t sleep and took a sleeping pill.
He had lost his appetite and was eating
very little. Rajeev became more and more
abusive in fact I was very ashamed of his
behaviour. He would deliberately come
out naked from his bath to taunt Rahul.
He said and did things that hurt both of us
and would insult Rahul in front of others.
Rahul did not hide the fact that he was
gay. Life became hell. I should have taken
corrective steps just then; but I had hoped
that this would pass and we would become
a happy family once again.
13