When I had to seclude myself from kiddos to cushion their future

Our life was smoothly sailing through the usual ups and downs. Content, though Abbas and I were at the family front, professionally we were both disturbed due to reasons, better left unmentioned in public. We were quite well off to manage a family of 4 adults and 2 infants efficiently. But in today’s competitive world, one can’t afford to be stagnant. If you don’t move with the pace, it will be quite late when it’ll strike you that you have been left behind. I want us to be able to provide good education to Mannu and Tammu, also to secure our retired life. While being able to do this, I want us to lead a comfortable life too. With the kind of insatiable ambitions I possess, I began looking for new oppurtunities. Abbas, as usual is very resistant to change. (I’ve told him several times to read “Who Moved My Cheese!” But where does the busy chap find time?) Initially he was reluctant to leave Kolkata and had arrived to a conclusion that we would look for opputunities ONLY in Kolkata. While we both stuck to this decision for a while, we became enlightened of the scarcity of oppurtunities for our profiles in our Sonar Bangla. Even then he was determined to be uncompromising. Anyways, what am I his wife for after all? Kept on pestering, thrusting, urging… I began getting interview calls and I knew where they were leading me to. One fine day I told him “Boss! If I get a good oppurtunity, I’m going. If you think you can manage the kids without me, you stay back in Kol with them. If you think you can’t, then I’ll take them along. You have two options to choose from.” It was like flipping a coin for a toss coz you have thrown it and the outcome is out of your control. It’d either be in your favour or against it. Had he said “Neither am I choosing any of the options nor am I leaving you with any options!!!” it would have been a googly. But fortunately most decisions that we have taken so far has been with mutual consent only. He would politely put his point forward when in disapproval of something that I’m saying and possesses the uncanny knack of convincing me when he is right and vice versa. Looks like I’m drifting from the topic.

We finally decided to go on with an offer that I received. We had to relocate to Chennai. We decided that I would go to Chennai first and find a rented house and then he would come along with in-laws and kids, stay for a few days with us and then go back to Kol, keep looking for an opprutunity in Chennai. Easier said than done it was for me to detach myself from my ‘Tan’ and ‘Man’, comforted myslef by thinking of the ‘Dhan’ which would secure all our future. But the strong genes that I have inherited from dad help me repulse even the temptation to look back, the moment I decide and set a foot forward. I’m getting in to too much of “I, me, myself”, ain’t I?

Locating a house in Chennai was an experience of its kind. As I was working in the second shift, first half of the day I would go house hunting. The “Lotus Facial” that I got done just before leaving Kolkata seems to be having a reverse effect on my skin with Chennai Sun being the catalyst. I must’ve visited around 40-45 houses in and around Thiruvanmiyur and just 1 house in Thoraipakkam (which I reluctantly went to see when the broker insisted a lot) which I ultimately finalized. Like they say, some things are simply meant to happen…

Tomorrow my family is going to arrive and I am absolutely looking forward to it…

A special note of thank you to Srinath Bappa and Vatsala Pachchi for being by my side during these days and helping me in all ways possible. Thank you for bringing back to me, the feeling of having parental guidance, advice, support and protection. Thank you Bittu aunty and Shankar uncle not for all the stuff that you gave me, but for the kind affection you bestowed on me. Not to forget Ramnath Uncle for giving me lots of work while saying Sorry. (By the way, this weekend I might have to say sorry to you for my speed of replies would degrade) and Devika Aunty who is too fun to be with, I’m very happy for you.

Last but not the least is Tanvi who helped me a lot in setting up my house. Like an elderly lady, she kept giving me her precious words of wisdom free of cost. She is my Tamil teacher-cum-interpreter. Love you Tannu…