Biji...

Biji is what we used to call our grandmother (my father's mum). She passed away this morning. Cant honestly say that I am sad. She'd been having a hard time lately. Hats off to my parents& my aunt for patiently taking care of her.

Hers had been a chequered life. She was born into a rich family of contractors from Mandi Ahmedgarh. Married to my grandfather at the age of 11. My gradfather's family were also contractors and land owners in the British cantonement of Ferozepur. Back in those days, people were married off in childhood and the girl went to her in-law's house after reaching puberty. When my great grandmother passed away, she was called to my grandfather's house. There she took care of her a household full of men (her grand father-in-law, father-in-law, husband, two brothers-in-law) and one rather shrewish woman - my grandfather's sister. She brought up & got her husband's siblings married.

In the meantime, she had my father, uncle & aunt. By some quirk of fate both my father & uncle joined the army & my aunt married an army officer.

All in all, what with differences in opinion & her giving mum a hard time, our relationship was neither here nor there, but I must admire her for her confidence, pride and her love for us grandkids.

That's her with the veil (I used to teaseher because she had to cover her face in the prescence of older men) at my parent's wedding. My dad is the one with the garlands and my grandfather is the only cleanshaven person here who is wearing a turban.

With biji's passing away, the last of my kids' great grand parents has gone.