Dazed Dewdrop Nikita Jain   � Copyright 2018 by Nikita Jain

My mom�s dad, that is, my grandfather could never build a home for himself. He always lived in a rented house. Though he was an engineer but his sheer honesty came in between to earn a single penny extra that he didn�t deserve with his work. My grandmother used to curse him a lot, I have witnessed it because I have lived with them. My grandmother was one very emotional woman. She used to think about everything from her heart. She had terribly suffered in her life as she lost her two sons out of bitter diseases and her only son left was doomed to live with a sterile woman.

My uncle, that is, my mom�s younger brother had to face divorce and my grandparents had to pay alimony which took almost all of their life�s savings. I don�t know much about the story of divorce, I was quite young at that time, however I have listened in rumours that the girl ran after getting fed up with my grandmother�s harassments. On a contrary, I have heard that she had a boyfriend and so she could not accept my uncle and asked for a divorce. I am oblivious of what a truth is and what a mere story is.

I had gone to my grandparents� house in high school. There I got to know the desperate wishes of my grandmother. It included that my uncle should get a son and a home of his own. To my surprise, one day I returned from school to find a baby boy in the hands of my aunt. I needed not any proofs to confirm that he had been adopted, more like bought from some poor family.

Anyway, I loved him instantly. He was so small and pretty that I could not get my eyes off him.

The baby boy used to live with us (me and my grandparents), uncle used to drop him to my grandparents house in morning and picked him up in the evening.

When the baby boy turned one month old, an event was planned to celebrate his arrival and to secure his future. In that event, I observed and noticed so many things that I think, I shouldn�t have.

I came to know that my mom�s sister and apparently the most loved daughter of my grandmother is actually one mean and selfish lady. The fact that she had kept me with herself when I was just the toddler don�t warm my heart after I heard her saying that my grandmother gave a gold chain to that baby boy who is not even our own blood so where is her and her children�s part in the property?

As far as I have seen and understood, I am pretty sure that my grandparents can be anything but rich. They don�t have anything like property, whatsoever. It hurt me to have heard such words from my aunt�s mouth but that was just the beginning. Afterwards, I heard her husband saying abusive words to my grandparents. I noticed my grandmother used to push money in his hands and still he said bad words for her and my grandfather. How can anyone be so stupid?

Generally, I used to live in a dining room. There, it might be vibes or something else but I used to think a lot. I remember that one day, I retrieved a memory which said that my mom�s sister and her husband had insulted my parents in past. Also, my mom�s sister thinks that my mom�s daughters are less attractive than her daughters.

Sometimes I literally curse the timings on which I heard or discovered these harsh truths about already a broken home of my grandfather.

Thankfully, I was rescued after two years in which I witnessed fights, silent sarcasms, and conspiracies of my mom�s sister, of my uncle�s wife and of my grandmother too.

According to my opinion, I truly hated the husband of my mom�s sister and I truly loved my grandfather. He taught me so many lessons via his stories (some real and some virtual), I almost think that he is a genius.

I took science and got busy with school and friends and stuff. I didn�t forget entirely but my conscious front brain got filled with different things.

Then again, when my parents held a celebration party followed by a prayer to welcome ourselves into our new and own home, I consciously observe every one member from my maternal family. I saw a clear desperation of hate in the eyes of my mom�s sister family. All of them even my cousins, looked like they hate me, my parents and the very fact that we already own a home of our own.

I decided that I would stop respecting them and that would simply be my little silent revenge.

I took admission in a private engineering college. No one said it on my face but I heard that my mom�s sister tried to bring me down by saying that even the most foolish ones are able to enter into a private engineering college. Unfortunately, my marks were very less and because I was discovering my writing talent, I couldn�t focus on my academics.

Honestly, I didn�t even feel bad, because I truly believe that people who don�t know me would say anything about me and I cannot really control that.

Time was passing, me and my younger sister used to discuss that when my uncle would return our money, we would buy a tablet of it. Yes, my uncle used to come to our house to ask for money and my mom always gave it to him. Even I and my sister gave him our pocket money and omen money collection.

I was in second year of college when the news came that my uncle had bought a house. We all went to a celebration and I just saw the bright face of my grandfather. I loved that baby boy who had grown up but still I considered him as a baby. We all ate and danced and we all were happy except my mom�s sister and her family. I don�t understand whether she hates everyone or she was just born mean.

I was still in second year, when the news came that my aunt (my uncle�s wife) had expelled my grandparents out of the home. Moreover, they had beaten them. I heard that my grandmother had said something offensive to her daughter-in-law and she totally defended herself by beating her badly. I was shocked that even uncle didn�t take his parents side, instead he found his solace in his wife�s arms.

My parents told me that when man does nothing and is forced to live on his wife� money, he actually loses his say in decisions. He just becomes a follower, a mere follower of his wife. That was too much and I was only worried about my grandfather, that man had seen and suffered so much in his old age. I came to know that uncle left my grandparents on railway station waiting. They waited for over an hour but uncle never reached and they had to come on their own.

My parents arranged them a home and meanwhile my grandparents lived with us.

After some months, news came that the home that had been bought by uncle was sold as they were unable to pay the due instalments.

One very weird thing is that even when uncle doesn�t earn much and the whole responsibility is on aunt�s head, they always carry the branded clothes, branded mobiles, branded cars and even that baby boy is always found wrapped up in big brands. How come?

As a matter of fact, I am not aware about the profession of my mom�s sister husband. I am sure, he too does nothing.

I started for part time job in my second year of college so I don�t get it when I hear that these guys don�t work for a living then how do they live? Aren�t they ashamed or something that their wives are spoon feeding them?

Uncle and aunt said things to my parents also when they asked for their money back. My mom loved his younger brother, she helped him a lot since childhood. My uncle betrayed us, he literally betrayed us all, even me and my younger sibling.

Time passed and storm settled. My parents didn�t react, didn�t say anything to anyone. But whatever rumours came from anywhere, they all were pointed to my mom that she was being a bad woman who broke her parents� home. I wanted to shout that the home was already broken from starting, that my mom�s sister used to quarrel with my grandparents from the starting, that she and my aunt always struggled conspiracies against each other, that aunt is one very selfish and short-tempered lady, that everyone has forgotten their etiquettes, that my mom�s siblings are only interested in money and nothing else, that no one cares about my grandparents except my parents.

In reality, I didn�t say anything to anyone. I just tried to console my parents, especially my mom.

Later, my parents bought a home and asked my grandparents to live there until there death. I and my sister were against this decision, we were scared that my mom�s siblings and their partners would come to create some scene. I was sure that they will hate us all the more, if they came to know that we own two homes now.

My mom loves her parents a lot and I respect that. So, I stopped saying anything regarding her decision of keeping her parents in our new home.

Everything was settled but it just looked settled. My grandmother still went dramatic on the mention of my mom�s sister and she never stopped calling uncle even when he never picked up or picked up late.

My grandmother became weak, physically as well as mentally. She was almost losing her voice and her strength to barely move.

My parents used to go to see my grandparents, help them if they needed. Sometimes I and my sister accompanied and sometimes not.

I came in my final year of college. Only my family used to care enough to visit my grandparents on occasions of festivals, birthdays, anniversaries and alike. Everyone one else was too busy to even pick up their call.

I was enjoying my get together party in college when I got a call that my grandmother died. I didn�t understand and I hate myself for this but I thought about my grandfather first.

I ran and when they were taking her to cremation, I reached there. I couldn�t even see her last face.

I went upstairs and hugged my mom.

All the arrangements of funeral and things were done by my parents. They took care of everything and for some days, just to follow a ritual, everyone act decent like they are one happy family, I know, that is not true.

Next day of funeral, my mom�s sister asked about the money that my grandfather could have.

I was shocked and completely hated her like she is some gross virus.

My father was in tension that if uncle and aunt got over our home, what would he do, what would we do? My mom was upset that she is a part of such a family. My younger sibling cried a lot, she loved my grandmother.

Here, I am in dilemma, is it a punishable offense to love everyone unconditionally and be honest. I am only worried about my grandfather, he didn�t cry a single tear, only his face has become dull and his eyes have lost their eternal sparkle.

I have decided that I will live alone, I will try to not to attach myself with anyone, not to bond. I have witnessed the unwanted consequences that I surely cannot handle and don�t want to handle.