Remember a year back when the lockdown was just implemented and everyone started working from home? How all the ladies went crazy like zombies! I, myself remember grumbling, I don’t have the freedom to sit and have coffee at peace. I don’t have the freedom to even take a peaceful nap… Just when I bend down to sit on the couch, the universe starts conspiring against it. And before my bumps hit the cushion, my son shouts, “ Mumma potty!! Mumma bhook!! mumma…slippers? Mumma…Where are my toys? Where is the charger? Where is my purple teddy (that was discarded a year back)? “ #FacePalm 

After a few days of poking and muttering, my hubby dearest obliged to help. However, his questions were incessant. “Where is the broom kept? Where is the dustpan? Where should I throw the garbage? Where are bin bags?” And even if I answered them explicitly, I had a new set of questions the next day, “ In which direction should the broom be kept? If I mop the floor properly, can I skip brooming? How many times the water needs to be changed while mopping?..blah..blah..blah..”

For a good time, I had forgotten what shanti ke do pal meant! Last year for every special occasion, be it mother’s day, anniversary, or my birthday, I had just one wish to make – Give me shanti ke do pal. Allow me to sleep at peace and I would be the happiest. In totality, it never happened but I was still hopeful. 

Fast forward to May, 2021 – Mother’s day. 

Nobody woke me up. Nobody called my name. I didn’t hear Mumma even once. I could sleep as long as I wanted to.  And when I had the liberty to do whatever I wanted to, I wondered if it was freedom or loneliness? To many of you, this must be a dream… But for me, it was sheer loneliness. 

I was in quarantine fighting my battle with Covid. I was weeping all day long just to be with my son and my husband. I wanted to hug him. I wanted him to call me for all the tiny chores. I stared at my blank phone screen ..waiting for a call to ask me about the whereabouts of my son’s notebooks, dresses, pencils, crayons… anything and everything. But the phone didn’t beep even once. When I complained, my husband exclaimed, “You ladies are so complicated. First, you wanted freedom from us. And when you get it, you want to give it back asap. Urg!! How complicated can you get?!”

I pondered, wondered, scratched my head, and then corrected him, “I don’t want freedom from family. I just want freedom within my family. Support is all I need. I don’t want you to take over my responsibilities, I just want a little assistance. When I am overworked, I don’t want you to carry all the load on your shoulders. I just expect a helping hand to share the load. I want to be around my son, hug him, kiss him, help him with his work…But I also expect you to jump in and support just like that. Without any reason or any special occasion… Just like that because that’s how it ought to be. And that’s what makes life enjoyable and not a burden.

I don’t want sukoon ke 24 ghante on just special occasions… I just want shanti ke do pal every day till the last breath. Because they are enough to rejuvenate me. And all the other chaos around life? Well, that makes life fun and worthwhile! Isn’t it?