The Vision That Gave Sight

‘Mondays are particularly not enjoyable in the morning’ thought Prashanthi.

‘Oh, why amma?’ Asked Gopi moushi.

Gopi moushi has been their household helper, for two generations at least.

She is at home most of the time, what with the hot Summers and flooding rains or cold winters, Moushi quickly does her chores, and keeps a nicely made paan, and keeps watching TV, spreading her spare saree in the corner and stretches her feet and toes as she watches the geetmaala songs show in the evening.

‘ I think, it is so because, you pamper us over the weekend , Moushi’ , said Arjun, Prashanti’s husband.

‘Oh, quiet. Arjun, I am not that pampered, not when you know how we were extra pampered in our hometown, back home’.

Oh, you are treated as Maha Rani even today, well that I a your mother’s home. You are now, only a guest there!’ Reminded Arjun.

‘Achcha, achcha, you both, allow me to watch TV Sahib, said Gopi moushi.

Gopi moushi does her work meticulously and enjoys life, since she is not too greedy, to work in every neighboring home.

Even though it was a single bedroom studio-apartment, it was kept quite neat

That evening, everything was going on as usual. However, Gopi moushi was not really present. She prepared roti, alu pallia, and raita for dinner. She did not join them since she said she had some ‘ghabrahat or premonition.

Arjun asked her, if she cared to visit anyone in the city or take a break. She simply said, ‘nahi Sahib, dil nahi maanta.’

Prashanthi came home with lot of papers to correct, but picked up some fruits and milk, for Gopi moushi. It is Gopi moushi’s vrat day as it was a Monday, she goes fasting. That morning as Gopi moushi was watering Tulasi mata, holy Basil plant, she said she was going to have a visitor.

It looks like the visitor brought some news from their village, the distant neice has a son, who developed some eye problems recently. Gopi said, that she had some sort of vision that all was not well back home. Now that the cousin’s grandson needed eye care, she told the visitor to let the parents bring the kid and have the eye test done. The boy and his parents came within a week, and meanwhile Arjun and Prashanthi made sure they keep the eye doctor’s appointment within a day. It was the Sarojini Devi Eye hospital, and the doctor was well known eye surgeon. There some complications developing as some sinusitis was pressing optic nerve.

Jayanti, moushi’s niece, was weeping as she saw her son suffer so much. Fortunately, the eye doctor told them to visit the ENT hospital and, in few minutes, the doctor levitated the seed that was in the nasal passage, it got pushed out with thin jet water flow.

One time during the winter, there were red ripe jujube fruit and Hari had plenty not only to eat, but something else too. It was during Sankranthi at that time of the year, and the ladies did the evil eye removal ritual for little children, they pour small seeds, rice granules, sweets, pennies, jujube fruit, grapes, etc. and pour them on the heads of the children and they are collected and thrown away to feed birds, these days.

At one such time the jujube seed got deposited in the nose. No one imagined it or saw that.  

Jayanti was weeping and narrating the story to Gopi moushi, and meanwhile the boy was released.

After removing the growth due to inserting a jujube seed in his nose during play, that got settled in the nasal passage and no one knew why it was put there:  they said it was lodged in that passage for over six months.

Gopi moushi asked if they did Bhogi pallu, the ritual of removing evil eye for kids, Jayanti said they did.

Almost after Sankranthi the kid was unwell, she said.

Arjun was mumbling, ‘that was insane!’

Gopi moushi said, ‘we don’t say that. You just need to say that we got to be careful’.

For now a big burden is gone away from weighing my heart, said Gopi moushi.

Long after the kid returned to the village with parents, it was time for him to start another phase.

‘Hari , you have exam results today, wake up, quick!’  Jayanti, Gopi moushi’s niece was waking up her son. Sure mom, I am glad my eye sight is restored, Hari said, this time I do not need to go to hospital for eye exam or to visit ENT doctor.

‘No, you will still have to attend hospital for your clinical rounds.’ Hemanth, Hari’s dad, said.

Arjun made sure the parents would save money for Hari’s studies. He said he will be matching it as they keep saving each month.

Gopi moushi wanted her salary to be saved, since she was earning nourishing food, accommodation and decent clothes, just as any member of the family would. She kept them with Arjun, and both Prashanthi and Arjun saved by matching it three times.

Gopi moushi said, one may never know how things may change, in her conversations. Arjun and Prashanthi raised their children too who were grown, with their own little ones to take care. They were living in USA, raising their families with good values and decent education.

 

 

“Grand-pa Arjun, why would you help our dad, for his studies?’ asked Pyari, Hari’s daughter.

Well I was always first in my games in the neighborhood,  playing Badminton,  Shuttle, Cricket, Basketball and Tennis. Our college had good sports department and my professors made sure we are competitive and win at national level. I even was expert in cross country races and hurdles. However, I could not do one thing. When I took my entrance exam to medical school in my second year, I had to wait and meanwhile my second-year college fees had to be paid. My mom said I continue with my studies. For a want of just a ₹980.00, I was unable to secure my seat in medical college, that I was selected in wait list.

I did not want that to happen, to moushi’s grand nephew, that is your dad!” Arjun said.

It was couple of years since he moved into Hari's bigger home. A decade or two passed away, since both Gopi moushi and Prashanthi left.

He spent some time with his grand children, but the call to get back was very much, he had to return, so he may visit places he visited with kids and family, to see Ganges to Godavari rivers, Kashmir to Kanya Kumari rock, and western ghats to Himachal hills.

Hari is treating villagers, with bringing in medical community, with modern facilities

Arjun’s own children and family are there in different parts of the world, but breathing the fresh air in the motherland is more soothing than the air-conditioned apartments, abroad.

It was a surprise for Hari, that morning to see his grand children. Hari’s daughter was married to her classmate in Stanford, after a year or two years, going steady. That was a blessing or miracle, they had no idea, since he was Arjun, grandpa Arjun's grandson!

Grandpa Arjun’s picture is smiling on the wall, as the team of doctors from Stanford are visiting Hari’s village as their external clinical training as well as study abroad in cool atmosphere without pollution. Ananthapur sanatorium was shining in the bright day, and river Muchikunda water is flowing purely and pristine.