Free A Bend in the River of Life by Budh Aditya Roy Page A

to Nandini, Rana did not have an iota of doubt that she was an extra-ordinary woman. In the midst of storm she could be an embodiment of calm. Surrounded by many she would be a solitary soul, saying her prayers drowning in the depth of her mind. Rana did not recollect her raising voice against anyone; never heard her saying an unsavory word to anyone or about anyone. There was no wonder, he thought, why even in death her face was radiating.
    Rana was submerged in his thoughts when Sumit came in and asked for his help. Lots had to be done to give the departed soul a respectful farewell. Friends and family had to be informed. Funeral arrangements had to be made. The River of Life does not stand still; it keeps flowing uninterruptedly with the abandon of the autumn winds. As it ushers in the new with all its bells and whistles, so too does it bid goodbye to the old in all its solemnities and sanctities when they leave their worn out bodies. For the new and old are the two planks of the River of Life. When one is in the glare of the center stage, the other cannot be far behind.

MONIKA’S HOMECOMING
    T he only predictable characteristic of the River of Life is its unpredictability. When the world is in bliss the specter of storm raises its head in the distant horizon. News came that Amit was very sick at his place of business. The ailment was so grave that he was unable to go to work though his work was just a stone’s throw away from his residence. He was bed-ridden. Arrangements were made to bring him to Calcutta by air under the close supervision of a Doctor. Considering the gravity of the situation, Sumit, Sudip and Rana, all the three men of the family went to the airport to receive him. The airlines delivered him in a wheelchair, a skeleton of his usual stocky self. The immediate cause of illness was severe bronchitis along with a serious attack of sinusitis.
    The treatment began in right earnest. Initially, he did not respond to the treatment very well. He remained frail and needed constant nursing. Considering the seriousness of the situation, Rajani’s sharp mind rose to the occasion once again. She was in a battle of attrition with Amit with regard to bringing Monika to Garden Lakes house, the actual home of the family. Rajani told him that she was already seventy and was busy running the household. Nursing itself was a full-time work. She argued that it was well-nigh impossible for her to nurse him at her age. Therefore, it was imperative that Monika was brought to that house immediately. It was the most logical and compelling argument. There was no way a person in his senses could disagree with Rajani’s contention. Naturally, Amit had no answer. He remained silent. Silence is golden! It means acceptance eventhough with a grain of salt! Rajani took this opportunity to pin him down. She simply converted his silence into an assumed consent. By that time Sumit and his family already moved into Rajani’s expanded country house. She asked Sumit to bring Monika as quickly as possible. There was no time or inclination for foot dragging. Sumit obliged promptly. Monika arrived at the Garden Lakes house the same evening. There was no firework from any side. Thus Rajani’s will prevailed once again. She won the second battle of attrition also against her son Amit. Thus Monika’s entry into the main household of the Roy family brought to an end her sixteen long years of exile of her own making. By a quirk of fate, what was considered impossible even the day before, became a reality by the power of a few shrewd but irrefutable words of Rajani. The twists and turns in the River of Life defy the most prolific imagination.
    Notwithstanding that hastily imposed semblance of reconciliation, not all was well with the relationship. It was not meant to be with immediate effect. How could any two sparring individuals who had decided to stay away from each other’s shadows for about a quarter of their life