Blog # 63 Dated: 06 January 2023: Our Sister Kaki Jee Remembered Part 2

 

Namaskar.

Part 2 of yesterday’s narration continues here.

After dear Sheetu Jee’s birth, life for all of us continued normally. I would visit them at Anantnag on all festivals and auspicious occasions with gifts. That was normal in those days. Baisahib Jee, Kaki Jee, and the baby would also come over to Srinagar frequently. All of us would be delighted. Prabha Jee would do everything to make their stay comfortable. Dear Sheetu Jee would be under her charge. Baigash Jee, our father, still nursed resentment for Kaki Jee. He would repeat that Kaki Jee spends a lot on her clothes.

Now in a few years, it was time for Sonam Jee to be born. It was less tension for our mother at that time. She was wishing that it would be a boy this time. But Sonam jee, a great child, had been earmarked by the Bhagwan Jee to come into our life. Sonam Jee arrived.  Our mother was a little disappointed but all the same, she took it upon herself to take care of the baby. Sonam Jee was a delicate but lovely child. She continues to be lovely and graceful even today. Kaki jee would take excellent care of the two lovely children. In the year 1986, Baisahib Jee was transferred to Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh. They all, including Daddy Jee and Mummy Jee (everyone would call her Rani Jee), shifted to Hamirpur. Probably Sonam jee started her first schooling there.  She would delight everyone with the local language skills picked up at the school. I was also transferred to Delhi in the same year – 1986. Kaki Jee and family would come to Delhi frequently. We all would have a great time together. Sheetu Jee and Sonam Jee would enjoy playing hide and seek with Raju Jee and Rinku Jee in our Government flat in Delhi (777 Laxmi Bai Nagar). They would call the game as “Aakraman”. The whole house would come to life. Prabha Jee would be most delighted. She would be sad when it would be time for them to return back to Hamirpur. On one occasion, Baisahib Jee and Kaki Jee persuaded Prabha Jee to accompany them. She went with them for about a month. From there, they took her to Jwala Jee temple. Prabha jee was very happy and enjoyed the trip.

Kaki Jee was a model daughter-in-law. She did care a lot for her parents-in-law. Rani Jee, her mother-in-law was having serious health problems in the later part of her life. Kaki Jee would nurse her and make her life more comfortable. Despite all the care she got, Rani Jee passed away. Kaki jee took a long time to get normal again. Daddy Jee also was unwell in the later part of his life. He became restless and would not stay inside the house. He would lose his temper if retrained from leaving the house. He developed memory issues and there would be occasions when he would forget his way back home. Attempts to convince him to stay indoors by Kaki Jee, would fail, causing her a lot of stress. But she would silently endure all this and continue to serve him till the last day. Kaki Jee was like a mother to Jiga Jee younger sister of Baisaib Jee. She would always bestow proper care for Raja Jee the husband of Jiga Jee. Kaki Jee was spoken of with respect and affection by all the members of the big family in which she was married to. 

During their stay at Hamirpur, Kashmiri boys studying at Hamirpur Regional Engineering College would regularly visit them. Kaki Jee would always serve them good delicious food. After a few years in Himachal Pradesh, Baisahib Jee was transferred to Jammu. During this time, events in Kashmir had worsened. Their house in Anantnag was looted. They lost most of their precious possessions that had been left in Anantnag. Kaki jee would so many times mention to me the loss of her prized possessions there. She rued the loss of her marriage albums and a digital wristwatch that I had bought for her from Germany immediately after her marriage. I told her many times that I will buy her a new watch but she never agreed.

In early nineties, our dear mother passed away suddenly. It was a shock for everyone. Kaki Jee and Baisahib Jee flew from Jammu to attend the cremation at Delhi. Kaki Jee was devastated like us brothers. She was too young to lose her mother. It took her quite some time to regain her normal poise. After our mother’s disappearance, our father started taking care of our sister. A change came in him. He no longer complained about her spending on clothes. (She was not a spent thrift but somehow our dad had that impression about her.)

Just a couple of years before our mother disappeared, she had once asked me whether I would take care of Kaki Jee after her death. I had promised her that I would. Ever since then, I always remembered the promise that I had made to my mother and followed it up religiously. In fact, all of us brothers along with our spouses and children loved and respected her. Kaki Jee was our sister but we all treated her as our daughter. As years passed on and her wisdom manifested manyfold, she became our mother. In her disappearance, we lost our mother for the second time in life. 

Time moved on. The children were growing up. Sheetu Jee, a good student, got admission in an Engineering course in Mumbai. Sonam Jee, equally a good student, got admitted to the Fashion Technology course at Delhi. Since the institute was located on Badarpur-Mehrauli road in Delhi, she stayed with us at Faridabad in IP Colony. Kaki Jee and Baisahib Jee made a few visits from Jammu to see that Sonam Jee was not feeling homesick. My wife, Veena Jee, took good care of her during that time. Soon after, Baisahib Jee was transferred to Delhi. He started looking up for residential accommodation. I suggested that they stay in the same colony as mine in Faridabad. It was my responsibility to ensure that she remained in my care and in close proximity. I tried my best to be of help to her. I was there whenever there was a crisis – small or big. I would be the first person she would approach whenever she needed help. And on happy occasions too, I was there. They lived in three different flats in the colony on rent basis. When the owner of the third flat gave them a notice for the vacation of the flat at a critical time (Baisahib Jee’s father, Daddy Jee, had passed away and we were amid the mourning period), I impressed upon Baisahib Jee and Kaki Jee to buy a flat in the colony. We started looking for flats but could not strike a deal. Ultimately, they bought the flat the landlord wanted them to vacate. That settled, at least one tension was over for them. Living together in the colony was a support to both of our families. Our other brothers continued to support her and would make frequent visits. Kaki Jee would be extremely pleased to host us all always. 

This concludes Part 2 of the events involving our sister and the family. Part 3 will be sent tomorrow.