Worth of grandparents...

We are very busy in making our lives better, to become successful in life, to achieve something what we cannot even define properly...we are running blindly with time...sometime trying to even beat the time. But, at the end of this eve on 31st of December 2009, when I sit down to count what I have gained in this year...only one thing comes in my mind...I have lost my loving grandfather (dadu) this year on December 2009.

My grandfather Amarendra Nath Choudhury was born on 1st September 1933 and he was raised by his uncle Abhaya Charan Nath Choudhury till he became teenager as he had no child. Although they had lots of farming land and they were renowned in the village, he could not study after class VIII. He had to help his father in his farming work. So, leaving studies he became a farmer, who dreamt to catch an aeroplane by throwing plastic playing balls. As he grew up he ran a rice mill of his own and thus developed the habit of smoking while working in the mill. Tea and paan also accompanied, he enetered another world of responsibilities as he got married and became father of 5 children, my mother being the eldest.

Time passed, the joint family of my grandpa separated and he started his own agricultural work. Now, he is a happy man after finishing the task of marrying all his five children. I used to live with my grandparents till I was of 10 years old. So, I have some unforgettable sweet memories attached with them. Being their first grandchild and the only child in the whole family, I was pampered a lot. My all little wishes were fulfilled by them. In the morning I used to sit at one side of the table and my dadu on the other side with our respective books. I used to study repeatedly one page of my book till I get a yummy breakfast from my mashi. Dadu's books used to be either a Panjika or a book on Ayurveda...he was a huge fan of Ayurveda. His rest of life passed either studying on Ayurveda or preparing medicines of Ayurveda. He was an avid learner and loved to travel various new places. My mam was in defence so it was a boon for dadu. He travelled various places like Amritsar, Delhi, Mathura, Tejpur, Shillong, Kolkata, Haridwar, Brindavan etc. Luckily, he has travelled thrice to Haridwar. Each time, he travelled to a new place he used to buy a new book on Ayurveda. Not only this, he used to bring the plants, leaves, flowers and seeds used in Ayurveda at his home in village and prepare medicine with them. Once while in Mathura, he cured a lady suffering from TB through his medicines but did not take even a single rupee from him. He was so happy and proud to cure the lady that he used to qoute this example to my grandma whenever she neglected his medicines.

To be continued.....