- Post By kehinde Arishemola
- 1 year ago
My grandfather is 81 & my grandmother is 78. They got married when he was 14 & she was 11 in an arranged marriage in 1950. At that time, child marriage was extremely common in Haryana, where I hail from. They are visiting us now.
So, Mumbai is completely alien to their native place. The language is different, the culture is different and there are no companions to talk with. They could just complain about boredom but no.
They go for walks together.
My grandfather gets my grandmother candies since she likes them. Not for us, just for her.
They play Ludo together. Often, the Ludo board is hurled upside down due to unfair tactics and my grandmother’s I-can-never-lose attitude. They soon make up.
They sit in the balcony together and watch the sunset.
My grandmother is illiterate. So, he reads out the newspaper and his Diary entries to her. Sometimes, stories too!
They watch television together and complain about the Vamp’s unfair treatment towards the lead.
They listen to Regional Music and sing together.
They spend the night talking to each other in fast Haryanvi which I do not understand but because of the occasional giggling, I suppose it is something nice.
My grandfather speaks while he sleeps. My grandmother wakes him up and tells him to shut up.
My grandfather is also very stubborn. So, the only person he listens to is my grandmother. Nobody else. Not even his overqualified sons with shiny degrees.
Recently, my grandfather, who is extremely healthy got diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. (Don't worry, he is healthy!). One of the things he told my parents was;
If I depart before her, all I expect from you is to take care of her. I hope I leave her in safe hands.
His companion of 67 years. This, for me, is true love
