Visiting the United States after a couple of months has become a routine for my wife. Our daughters and their families are always eager to welcome her there. Nowadays, she is back in the US, and I’m left alone to manage back home.
My morning starts with a walking and exercise session at the nearby university grounds, and I return energized to take on the day’s challenges. The daily chores of cleaning the house and managing the kitchen are well taken care of by the house help, who winds up her work after preparing brunch for me. Thereafter, begins the journey in loneliness.
I try to keep busy by reading the newspaper and watching the TV and scrolling through videos on social media. They help for a while but there is a limit to watching reels. There is no one to instruct, advise and sometimes scold me for spending too much time on the cell phone. There is no topic for discussion, no argument. No relative or friend to criticize. There is no one to caution about the changing weather or chide me to take care of things in the household. No one asks me to do the grocery or visit the nearby market. No one insists I see the doctor.
The perception at home and among relatives and friends is that I’m a non-religious person who is least interested in listening to kirtan or katha; in contrast to my wife, who is fond of such gatherings. But now, in her absence, I put on the TV to watch Gurbani recitation from the Golden Temple, Amritsar.
In the evening, with a cup of tea in my hands, I sit on the couch, the way I would in her company and try to create the same sort of ambiance as if she was around, talking and walking. I water the plants and don’t miss pouring fresh water in the earthen pot for birds, following her strict instructions.
By the time she appears on video call, there’s a list of instructions to follow apart from giving the action taken report on the previous day’s advisory. This is probably the best part of the day and helps me plan for another day full of hope and happiness.
Before calling it a day, I sit and think of those in the evening of their life without partners. How difficult it would be for them to face each new day, alone. The very thought freezes my nerves. I’m grateful for we will again be together after a few months to enjoy marital bliss.
Someone has rightly said you need your companion more in old age than while you are younger. But it’s the law of nature, we didn’t come to this world together and won’t leave it together. So, let us live in the present, enjoying every moment to its fullest and staying connected.
gursharansinghpau@gmail.com
,The writer is a retired professor from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.,
