Memory Lane

Memory Lane

It was a dusky evening of 1984, when I was in Germany. I went there to receive training in my current speciality. In India I left my three year old daughter and a loving husband. It was a difficult decision to leave a child and also a hubby like Sushil; so caring and amorous. It was Sushil’s decision that I should go and avail such a prestigious award which was received only by two Indians. I still remember how many nights were sleepless for both of us. His decision is still paying me the rewards. Oh the thoughts have taken me somewhere else. So, it was a dusky evening of 1984, I was walking from my house to the post office. This was my daily routine as I had promised Sushil that every day I will post one letter. This walk was part of this pledge which I took before leaving India. During these evening walks I always came across a house and a child, 8-9 years old. This girl was always standing behind the close bars of a window; all the time looking outside as if searching for something. That evening I stopped near the window and smiled, she reciprocated. I did not know German so could not talk to her but now every day a stopover for 5-10 minutes became routine. Both of us started talking to each other in a sign language. I came to know she is the only child with a single parent and her mother used to go for work in those hours of the day. She used to stand near the window to share her loneliness with the people walking on the road side. I always felt sorry for her and the 10-15 minutes turned into hours by the time I left Essen.

 It is strange that the things you pity others for some times become part of your own life. Exactly when my own daughter was of the same age she became the child of a single parent; Sushil left me forever. I do not in which window she stood, who shared her solitude, who talked to her for hours in a sign language but I am proud of her that she courageously faced  that period without making any complaints to me.