Revisiting (A quick read short story)

By Suryalaxmi R.

Lata, Satyan and their daughter, Namita were visiting their ancestral home. The house had been locked up for close to four years now after the Grandmother passed away.

Lata sent a message to the maid and she reached on time to tidy up the place. Even as the cleaning was going on in the other rooms, Satyan and Lata sat down for tea in the Verandah. Later, Namita too joined them in the chit-chat.

“Seems like the tamarind tree was cut down and the bushes around have been cleared off,” observed Satyan.

Lata said thoughtfully, “Yes, the place is much different from what we saw on our last visit four years for Onam celebrations.”

The Onam celebration Lata remembered was the last time Satyan’s entire family of five brothers came together under one roof. “It was the best get togethers I saw in our family,” said Namita.

Satyan and Lata nodded as they sipped their tea. After sometime, the maid called Lata. She could not find the keys to a room and had called Lata to help.

Lata fumbled for the key in the bunch and then tried one out. It was indeed the right one. Lata turned it and the room opened. It was her mother-in-law, the deceased grandmother’s room. Although the trio was flooded with memories as soon as they entered the house, this room took Lata back in time. Satyan and Namita also joined her. Namita pointed out to a photoframe of the grandmother.

Satyan was teary eyed and said, “Remember how she enjoyed the Onam that year?”

“Yes. And little did we know that that was her last Onam. She passed away suddenly only after three days,” added Lata dusting the table.

Namita looked at the photo for a moment and said, “Look at the smile. Still so fresh. Just the same smile she would welcome us with every time we returned home.”

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