Article #48: Tom & Jerry

How many of you watched the famous animated franchise Tom and Jerry? No doubt, it’s one of the beautiful memories for us in our childhood. Now that it is being telecasted again, most of us would have been already happy.  

Tom and Jerry keep fighting with each other, but at the same time, they are very best friends of each other and cannot live without each other. Does this relationship remind you of any special one in your life? Think about it and see if you can discover that special someone in your life, but before that read my story today wherein as part of this article, I am going to narrate you a wonderful story just like Tom and Jerry based out of my personal experience. So, here it goes. 

During my childhood days, there was one lady who used to visit our house frequently and even stay with us for some days. Now, you may be wondering, what is her relation with our family? Is she a friend? Relative? Neighbor? Let me keep that element as a surprise for now, don’t worry I am going to reveal that secret towards the end of the story. 

So, this lady seemed to be bit rude outside, but actually a caring and loving woman by heart. I don’t remember exactly from when it all started, but I always used to end up having a fight with this lady as a kid. Before you come up to some conclusion, let me make it clear for you that those fights were not for any serious things, but for smallest of the small things, which turn out to be very silly now.  

For example, we used to have a sleeping chair in our house which was my favorite. But whenever the lady arrives in my house, she used to occupy that chair. So, we used to compete for the chair, sometimes I used to give up considering the fact that she is elder to me. But the competition used to remain intact. 

I don’t know what seemed to be wrong with me for the lady. She used to give a serious look towards me most of the times, that look and stare used to encourage me in doing many naughty things as a kid like exaggerating myself on how whitish and handsome I was in terms of my looks to which She used to respond angrily in a sarcastic way saying, “Yeah you are so white that we don’t need a light in the house” 

For the first one or two days after she used to arrive in my house, things used to be normal. But from the 3rd or 4th day, the battles used to start. I was always unsure on why she had a problem with me because without me doing anything, I used to get a serious stare from her. When I sneeze, she used to stare seriously. When I watch TV, she used to stare again, of course sometimes even used to say that I wasn’t studying properly and only watching TV from a long time. When I don’t polish my shoes, she again used to come up with her words of anger that you don’t do anything. When I take a newspaper to read, she still used to give an angry look. Lastly, even if there is a headlice found in my hair while I comb it, she used to have a problem with it as well and obviously, an angry look towards me. Common, if it is found in my hair, what is my mistake in it? So, my reactions to all such things were always used to be in a way that irritated her even further like giving a weird smile or imitating her with the same look and so on. 

But along with all these silly fights, there’s another side of our story, the smoother and sensible one. Being born and brought up in a middle-class family, we find our happiness in little things around us. It was this lady again who used to make me happy with those little things like gifting a Cadbury Gems packet which is still my favorite, 50 Rs pocket money that easily used to bring a smile on my face, Occasionally a new dress on any occasion, A movie with a chips packet, An evening walk with a Samosa and so on. Not just that, whenever we meet in any other place or any other house, she used to take my responsibility in ensuring that I feel comfortable at that place. Even I used to help her in bringing the household chores and medicine for her.  

I feel just like Tom and Jerry, we used to fight with each other in a silly way, but again we also used to care for each other when the time comes. 

By this time, you would have got who the lady is or at least gave a guess. So, let me reveal that She is none other than my grandmother with whom I share this special relation. She had her own impact on me always from my childhood. She used to inspire me saying the stories of known people around us and how they became successful in their lives with their hard work. She even used to tell me how she managed in bringing up her 9 children in the family which was always thought-provoking for me. I still remember how she herself went on to buy a new lunchbox as it was getting difficult for me in having lunch when I landed in my college. It was my grandmother who was the happiest out of everyone in our relatives when she got to know that I was selected in an MNC. She even felt proud of me attending my house warming function. Now, when I write these lines, I see the ring in my finger that was gifted to me by my grandmother during my thread marriage. Thank you so much grandma for giving so many memories to me, blessed to have you in my life and love you to the fullest. 

Recently, she turned 90 years old. Unfortunately, she lost all her memory and couldn’t recognize anyone around, she is going to her childhood days and talking about her parents. Grandma, I wish at least for one day you regain your memory and we have our silly fights and also the caring moments for a while. 

Just like me, every one of you would also encounter with that special someone in your lives that make your journey little crazy and little easy. Isn’t it so beautiful to have such people in our lives just like Tom and Jerry? What do you say? Let me know in the comments section below.