The Turning Hands

by: Saurabh Jayant   

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Ram Prasad also had to take care of his father, mother, and his younger brother, Jay who were living in the village still. With whatever he got from his salary, he distributed it among his immediate family and the family in village. However, he wasn’t getting paid a lot. This caused more problems because neither family was getting sufficient monetary help. To help her husband, Jyoti started working at a local clothing factory. The children would attend the school at which Ram Prasad was the teacher.

Ram wanted to bring his brother into the city, so he can also get education and prosper. However, Ram couldn’t afford his younger brother’s college education. Hence, he took loans to help his family, his brother, and his parents back in village. Soon Jay came to the city and began his college career.

All the loan and not being able to provide for the family started piling up on Ram mind and gave reason to go into depression.

The year was 1965, the situation had gotten worse. Although Jay had finished his college, he was not able to get any job. Ram was burdened by the loans and family tension. He couldn’t handle it anymore. He started getting quieter. He would go to work and would come back with something in his mind that he won’t reveal to anyone.

It was December of 1965. Everyone was getting new clothes and sweets in the town because of the New Year. Ram’s children also demanded some treat from their father. Ram became very angry. He punished all three of his children. Later, he went on a walk to calm himself down. Jyoti insisted that he should take the children with him. However, he didn’t listen. He went out alone.

That evening, when children in the neighborhood were lightening up the fireworks, a fellow teacher of Ram came running to Ram’s house. Jyoti opens the door, while the children were playing and Jay was reading some literature. Everyone stops and watches Jyoti as she falls on ground after finding out her husband was killed in a hit and run accident near the market, where Ram was found with new clothes and sweets.

All the dreams came to a shattering end. Everything that was planned out was ruined. Everyone was shocked by this sudden loss of the family. The family was now trapped in the middle of their journey to success. The leader of the family ship was gone forever. No one was there to guide the little ones.

The children suffered the most because now they didn’t have a father to guide them through their lives. Jyoti tried to recuperate her family before they would go into wrong directions. She tried not to show how much support she had lost. Instead, she tried to make everyday better for her children.

Three months later, to add to Jyoti’s troublesome life, she receives a notice to vacate the house in which the family was residing. The apartment was given only because Ram Prasad was working at the school. Now that Ram Prasad was gone, the apartment had to be vacated too.

Jay tries to find another apartment and succeeds. Jay also ends up getting a job, when Ram’s colleagues help him find that job. Jyoti didn’t have much education because she was raised in the village. Hence, Jyoti paid her share of the rent by working at a school as a gatekeeper in addition to working at the factory. She made enough money to pay for the school tuitions for her children.

Soon Jay’s parents sell the property in the village and move to the city with Jay, Jyoti and the children. They buy a small house with the money from the village property. Now the family was starting to settle down.

Jay’s father finds a bride for him. In a small ceremony, Jay gets married to Leela. Now Jay had a family of his own. He had more responsibilities.

The year was 1967, Jay had been married for 2 years. He had one son at this time. Leela was always complaining about having less people and paying half of the share. Since, Leela also didn’t get much of Jay’s income. However, Her father in law always toned her down. He would yell at her and tell her to deal with the situation. Leela would yell back and insult him in front of the whole family.

Jay’s parents died in one year. The cause of their death was a little bit of harassment from Leela and also their age. Now Leela had full power to scold at Jyoti and children. From having to share the whole house, Leela separated them and gave them only one room and one bathroom. The kitchen was one corner of that room. Jay couldn’t say anything or else she would leave him.

Jyoti suffered a lot in her life. She didn’t fight back and asked for her rights in the house. Since the house didn’t belong to Jay. Half of the property was rightfully Jyoti’s. However, Jyoti sacrificed and lived in very bad conditions with her children in a small room.

As years went on, the house was permanently separated into two parts. The right belonged to Leela, while the left was Jyoti’s. The right side was upgraded so that there was a big wall between both sides of the house. Leela had three children in the years to follow. Jyoti continued working at the locations. Jay didn’t help Jyoti even a bit after the separation.

In year 1970, there was a flue in the city spreading faster than bacteria. Since the children were alone most of the time. Two of the three, Rani and Dev end up getting the life-threatening flue. It was the most devastating situation for Jyoti, she couldn’t stay with them and take care of them because of her job. Raj took care of his brother and sister while Jyoti was out working. Dev survived but Rani lost the fight with that flue. She passed away at the age of thirteen. Jyoti was stabbed in her heart the second time when she lost her only daughter. However, Jyoti kept on thinking, there will be a better day someday. She knew she would come out of her misery one day.

The year is 1984. Raj was now in college, while working part time. He was sponsored by the employers to attend the college. He was now the helping hand of Jyoti. Dev had also just finished school and began his medical doctor career. Like his father, Raj had sworn to help his brother out. He had the values and the nature of his father.

Jyoti had gotten old. She was older than a normal 54-year-old woman. She was tired of her life. She was tired of the continuous tension from the right side of the house. Leela bothered Jyoti occasionally. Sometimes it would be her mischievous children who would bother Jyoti and her children for not paying bills on time, since both had same bill. Jay was made to be quiet by his children and wife.

After few years, Raj finally got his credentials and got a better paying full time job. Dev was on his way to completing his doctorate degree. Jyoti was finally allowed to stop working because now Raj could handle everything from paying bills, to help pay for his brother’s college tuition.

Jyoti was finally allowed to rest, when she was about 57. She recollects all the moments of her life. She couldn’t remember anything between the death of her husband to the present day. She never lived those years. It seemed like someone took away those years out of her life. From being young she became old in an instant for her.

In a year, Raj was promoted. Raj buys a new house away from the old one. Jyoti was so happy to see her husband’s dream come true. He named that house, Jyoti, in the name of the hard work and sacrifices made by his mother.

Another tragedy hits this family. Jyoti had complained about pain in her bones. Raj thought it was just because she was getting old. However, it turns out the factory where Jyoti was working had material that could cause cancer. She had been working there for a long time and now she was infected with it. She had cancer.

Raj couldn’t believe how could the god be so cruel to someone as noble as Jyoti. He stopped believing in God when he heard this news. Dev came back from college to be with his mother during the last time. The doctor had given Jyoti for most, three months to live.

Raj started taking care of his mother while Dev helped him out. He wanted to give her life in the last three months that she was seeking for last 57 years. In the first month, Raj took Jyoti on tour on a wheel chair around India. The family really got closer on this trip. Raj got to know more about his mother and his father. Dev realized all the sacrificed made by his mother and father. They learned the value of their present life from their mother. If it wasn’t for her, they would have lost everything and came to streets long time ago.

Jyoti tired to live her life. Enjoy every moment with her children. She would think about all the bad times and then appreciate the good times. She was proud of herself for raising such decent children who took care of their parents. All her hard work and finally paid off.

One month later, Jyoti’s condition had gotten worse. After the tour, she was stuck to the bed. She was taken to the hospital. She was on the bed. She had no power in her hands. She would cry of pain. Raj would sit next to her helplessly with tears in his eyes. Dev would try to calm everyone down. It was the December again. It was a cold night when Jyoti had stopped responding to the calls. Raj would call her but she wouldn’t answer. Dev would shake her arms but she would move her arms. She was still alive because her mouth was open for air intake and her heart was still beating. Leela shows up with Jay, after Jay forced Leela to come. Dev and Raj get really angry with Leela for her behavior with their mother.

Dev tells Leela that if it wasn’t for their father, Jay would still be living and farming somewhere in the village. Raj tells Dev to not disrespect Leela but Dev didn’t stop. He tells Leela how she cheated at the first place by not equally dividing the property and then regularly badmouthing his mother. Leela was insulted and then she left the hospital. Dev felt better and so did Raj. Jay also felt that nothing wrong was done.

Jyoti eyes were getting wet. Raj dried her eyes. Dev comes closer to his mother. Jay watches them over. He tells Jyoti not to worry about Raj and Dev. He assures her that he will take care of them. Jyoti tries to say something but couldn’t. Her fingers move a bit, her eyes lashes move a bit, and then she takes one last look at her sons. She takes one last deep breath and she was gone. She had passed away leaving Raj and Dev crying for their mother. Then Raj tells Dev that their mother had suffered all her life, now she will rest in peace.

One month later, Dev goes into court and appeals for having the old house divided equally. The court agrees with Dev and gives order to divide the house equally. However, Leela had upgraded her part of the house. Hence, it had to be broken apart so it could be divided equally. Dev gets his part of the house. Raj and Dev hoped that this would give peace to their mother and their father for all their suffering.