The Long Due Baggage

07th Feb 2024

"Chai... Adrak wali chai... Garma garam chai..."
Screamed the chaiwala.
"A chai may make you feel better. Have one cup na?", asked Aman to Deepti.
Mr. Bakshi, who was on a solo trip to Rishikesh, overheard the conversation. After observing them for a good 1.5-2 hours, he dared to ask, "Is it nausea?" "Yes", replied Aman with a smile, "Actually she is pregnant also uncle!" a smile with a tint of cute blush consumed all of his face as he informed Mr. Bakshi about it. Deepti tried hard to hide her face, trying to pinch him on his arm to remind him not to share the early pregnancy!
"I am with you till Rishikesh only! And I am going to be a grandfather soon. Don't worry. All my blessings to 3 of you!" he pauses. "Wait a minute!", he says and bends down to remove something from his bag. A small pouch, pink with golden zari on it, a typical pouch women stitch out of small pieces of cloth. The same blush that the young couple had could be noticed on Mr. Bakshi's face. Aman and Deepti exchanged a raised shoulder like they did not understand what was happening. Mr. Bakshi opens the zip of the pouch to remove a zip lock pouch and takes out green-colored peppermint candies. Giving one to Deepti he said, "Sunita had a habit of carrying this pouch in her handbag always. I used to tease her, her handbag was one jadoo ka pitaara. Anything you want could be found there!", Mr. Bakshi had a hearty laugh while saying this. And the next moment his eyes were watery.
"What happened to Aunty?", asked Aman in a soft tone.
"She was battling cancer. My strong Sunita. In her last days, the pain was so unbearable that I could not see it. As much as I wished to spend a few more years with her, I wanted her to be pain-free as well. She finally left us 2 years back." remembered Mr. Bakshi with an ear-to-ear smile.
"Uncle, if you don't mind, may I ask what else is there in the pouch? You may choose not to answer if it's too personal. I am asking only out of curiosity!", Aman asked, Deepti tried to stop him from asking, but Mr. Bakshi noticed that.



"Oh, absolutely not. I would be very happy to share. Moreover, it will be a walk down memory lane!" said Mr. Bakshi. "There is this wristwatch she used to wear daily. It's broken now, the day she collapsed for the first time and we realized it was cancer, I did not get it repaired. I could not imagine this watch being tied to someone else's wrist. There is a small sindoor dibbi, she did not use those stick bindis you get these days, strictly the traditional sindoor. A heart-shaped locket with her and my passport pictures. A small pocket diary, (he chuckles), Sunita did not trust technology at all! She had this phobia, "What if the phone battery dies and I need to make calls and I don't remember numbers? That's why this diary", she used to say! A few rubber bands. And these peppermint candies, I keep consuming them and refilling them." Mr. Bakshi takes a deep breath, "I am so used to her being around that even today I call out her name many times, only to realize she is not around. Not that we were a lovey-dovey couple, but we did not live without each other for 45 years. So her absence is a hard pill to swallow for me."
"How sweet!", exclaims Deepti and the train of thoughts running in Mr.Bakshi's mind stops.
He smiles and asks, "Are you feeling better beta?"
"Oh yes, uncle! Thanks to Aunty!", she smiles.
"Yes! It's very late now. I will sleep.
The next morning they wake up with the same Chai chant!
"Good morning. Are you better? I suggest you keep some peppermints with you." says Mr. Bakshi.
"Yes, uncle. I take that advice of yours. This is our first time. And we do not have any elder who keeps advising us things like these", says Deepti.
"Oh then save my number. I will keep sharing such tips. I am not a prenatal counselor or a life coach, but I have lived a life worth sharing from experiences," Mr. Bakshi ends it with a hearty laugh. "Uncle, not sure if I should ask you this, but is there anything you think missed doing in your life, as a husband?", asked Aman. I wanted to have one last ice cream with Sunita and ask her for a hug that lasted forever. Her last wish was to click a family picture, which we did fulfill; But as a husband, I would love to steal a few of her last moments and bid her a sweet farewell. It took me 7 months to use past tense in sentences that included her." Mr. Bakshi had his eyes wet again.
"I am sorry uncle. I did not intend to"
"See, I keep telling you to express love timely so that later on there is no regret or guilt", Deepti breaks Aman's statement. "But whenever I try to do that, you assume me to be hopelessly romantic who is highly influenced by Bollywood."
"She is actually right Aman. We men rarely express our love, our feelings, emotions, and stress, but things would be different if we start doing it, trust me," advises Mr. Bakshi.
"Okay. Okay. I get it!", agrees Aman.
And the journey continues...