How is mom?

Visiting her house was like visiting a crime scene. I could see she is dead. No trace of a ‘self’ and nouns that usually follow the word ‘SELF’ like ‘respect’, ‘love’, ‘confidence’, and ‘pity’. A dead doesn’t have hope. Dead is not happy or sad. A dead don’t know what it is to have a life. So was Kavya.

She greeted me with a big smile as I arrived at her doorstep. As an elder sister, she was always there for me. Since childhood, I knew her as a person who is full of life, confidence, and aspiration to achieve something. Now I don’t know whose house I was.

“Did you call mom?”

“Yes, as soon as I came out of the bus’’

“What will you eat?”

“Anything that you can make less bad.”

Usually, my roasts evoked laughter in her and sometimes she could come after me with a bat. Sometimes she would give me an epic savage reply and roast me harder. But today I met with a silence. That silence was troubling. I always knew she had a troubled marriage. I knew it was bad but did not know the specifics. I could see red marks on her hand and neck. Her voice was dimmer than usual. It was not hard for me to guess the physical and mental abuse she was going through.

“Where is

Jiju

(Brother-in-law)?”

“He is at the office”

“On a Sunday?”

“Extra work”

She had her head down while she was talking. I took a deep breath and asked her

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! Everything is fine”

“It doesn’t seem like it is”

“How is Mom?”

“

Didi

(sister), don’t try to change the topic”

“Is there anyone else in the house?”

“No. The neighbors are noisy”

Kavya got busy with her Kitchen work. So, I decided to sneak into the top floor. As I climb up the stairs the giggling voice got much clearer. I knew there was someone else in the house. I said my prayers hoping it was not a ghost or worse my ex. I saw a lady’s sandals. Now I would hear a man’s voice. I knew that voice. I came close to the door enough to listen clearly.

“Don’t do that it makes me ticklish”

“Stop! No!”

“Oh fuck, NO!”

I would tell it was Jiju, but I wouldn’t tell who was another person who I was sure was a female. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I was scared out of my wits thinking I encountered a ghost, but it was just my sister.

“What are you doing here?”

“I heard this noise so I came to check”

“I told you the neighbors are noisy”

“Didi, I know it is Jiju and some other person who is inside”

“I told you he went to the office early morning. Why you can’t believe what I am saying?”

She held my hand and took me downstairs.

“Tell me, how is Mom?”