My Nepenthe

Chapter 20

"Come Gauri," Taadaka smiled at her when she hesitated to enter her room.

"Did you want anything? Is Omkara settled in his room?"

"I just came to have a look around the house daadi ji. Omkara ji is busy with a phone call."

"Ye dekho, I didn't show you your sasuraal. I guess age is getting onto me, I keep forgetting things," she said getting up from her chair when Gauri stopped her.

"It is okay daadi ji, you rest. Seems like I disturbed you," she said looking at the books scattered on the desk.

"Naah," the older woman shook her head smiling and asked her to sit on the chair in front of her.

"What more can a lonely old woman do at this age except finding comfort in reading books."

"Are you interested in numbers Gauri?" she asked as she noted the interest in the girl's face.

"I... am not educated," she said embarrassed.

"I know Gauri, Kalyani told me about you but my question has nothing to do with it. I saw the interest on your face looking at my books, so I thought you like calculations."

"I used to maintain my father's shop in my town. I have an idea," she smiled.

"Good, I can teach you some new tricks then."

"You will?" she asked, her smile growing bigger at the idea of learning something.

"Why not? Other than morning prayers and taking care of this estate, I hardly have anything to do. Ahh!! Earlier I used to teach at the local school but I quit it as I get tired soon."

"Oh."

"The institute was set up by my husband but it was funded by Prithviraaj bhaisab. He was a noble soul," she said with a smile.

"You live alone daadi ji? Do your children live abroad?"

"Hmm. Shankarji has not blessed me with children Gauri. I was married at twelve and widowed at twenty five. I couldn't mother a child by then," she said with a smile.

Gauri who saw the hint of tears in her eyes, felt sorry for the woman.

"Since the death of Haridas ji, this estate and the children of the school have been my everything. He put up the school for families who cannot afford costly private education. At that time, I was the first girl to pass metric in my entire village. He gave me the responsibility to care of his precious property," she proudly said.

How did her husband say that she is not sweet?

As if she understood her question, she heard Taadaka explain, "I have always been the strict teacher to maintain discipline. As years passed, I learnt that you could bring change only with love and not by imposing rules."

She chuckled and said, "Omkara must be thinking that I am the same woman who used to run behind his brothers with a stick in hand for not answering their math's sums properly."

Gauri laughed imagining the scenario with her grown up brother in laws.

"Was Omkaraji good at studies? Did you not hit him?" she asked.

Taadaka smiled, "I always had a soft corner for your husband. He wasn't that good at studies but he was always disciplined. Not a shirt dirtied and not a single hair strand out of place. He never used to talk back or complain. Even Prinku used to be a naughty kid but not Omie. Accha bacha tha tera pati."

"I wasn't lying when I said he resembles his grand-father Gauri. Shivaay surely inherited the man's mind but his heart is passed on to your husband."