About 50 years ago I started work in Rajasthan State Electricity Board, Jodhpur as Junior Engineer. At that time, when my wife used to visit the village to meet me and my parents, I used to go to a hotel to have dinner. While eating food, there used to be gossip with the owner of the hotel, Agarwal Saheb. Later on, he became a friend of mine and family relations were established. This process continued till his death.
His three sons, three daughters-in-law and grandchildren lived together in a two block house. He taught his children business and gradually the three children started different businesses. In the same house my friend lived with his wife on the ground floor and three sons lived with their family on the rear and first floor respectively. The kitchen in their house was separate for the three sons. The three daughters-in-law would arrange food for my friend Agrawal and his wife month-wise, and in the same month, if a friend or guest would come to meet Aggarwal Saab, the daughter-in-law, whose turn it was, would immediately arrange tea and breakfast. In this way the time of friend and Mrs. was spent comfortably in the room.
In the course of time, the friend’s wife died from illness, then Agarwal alone used to meditate in his room and the daughter-in-law would make arrangements for tea, breakfast and food from time to time according to their turn, the friend would never have any problem of any kind.
One day I went to meet him in his room, he had just come to the room after taking a bath. There was a trouser and a shirt lying on the sofa, which he wanted to wear. Meanwhile, a daughter-in-law (who is a doctor’s daughter) came into the room and started carrying the dress lying on the sofa. My friend said he wore this dress only for two hours yesterday. The daughter-in-law said, Papaji, it looks dirty to me, so I am going to wash it.
Similarly, after a few days I went to meet him and found that two of his daughters-in-law were standing in the room with two new clothes and asking him to get new clothes stitched. My friend said, I have a lot of old clothes. The daughter-in-law said, after mother’s death, instead of wearing the old dress, you will now have to wear the dress of our choice. You give any of your old proper fitting dress, right now, Taylor is going to get the new dress sewn. Similarly, the life journey of about 80 years passed smoothly.
After that, diseases started engulfing him, so the sons took their father to the doctor from time to time. Bringing medicines and getting him admitted to the hospital in need and providing medical treatment. When living in the house, one boy in his room used to sleep alternately at night. During the day, the daughters-in-law did their best to give medicines according to the doctor’s prescription from time to time. After the age of 85, after becoming more ill, he was admitted to the hospital, where a son stayed overnight and during the day the daughters-in-law used to stay in the hospital and serve Papaji diligently.
About five days before his death, one of his sons called me from the hospital saying that his father was unwell and that his father had called to meet me immediately.
I immediately went to the same hospital and consoled the sons. Then Aggarwal, my friend, called me and said, my sons and daughters-in-law have served me a lot and I am completely satisfied. My blessings for sons and daughters-in-laws is that they stay together and progress. I hope your love remains with the kids. God’s blessing is that even after ten years of the death of Agrawal Mitra, his sons and daughters-in-law are still treating me like an uncle. Now you must have been convinced of how much family happiness my Aggarwal friend got in old age.
One day, when I told this incident to my friend, Mr. Kanhaiyalal, he said, “A Jain sahib lives in the house next to me, his three sons and three daughters-in-law and grandsons and granddaughters used to live together.” The door on the side of his house opens in front of the door on the side of my house. Because of which his house activities are visible from our house.
My neighbor Jain sahib passed away three years ago due to illness. The sons and daughters-in-law had served their father with whole heart and wealth. You will be glad to know that the family has been living in our neighborhood for about 10 years, but during this time Jain sahib and his wife, sons and daughters-in-law never saw any quarrel among themselves. There is a kitchen in the house where everyone’s food is cooked. The three sons had divided the responsibility of running their father’s shop among themselves. The daughters-in-law have divided the work of cleaning the house, cooking, washing clothes, giving water in pots, giving medicines to the mother etc. The daughter-in-law treats each other like sisters and treat mother-in-law like her mother. Daughter-in-law and son show mother to doctor at the time of illness, give medicines on time, provide breakfast, food on time and mother-in-law is completely satisfied with their behavior. Companion Kanhaiyalal also told such a reality of his neighbor, I guess you must have felt good while reading this story like me.
Have you seen how Jain Saheb’s wife is getting family happiness in old age.
Dear Reader! In your family, sons and daughters-in-law have made such arrangements, so congratulations from my side and blessings to your sons and daughters-in-law. If there is no such arrangement in any joint family, then it is not too late, read this article to the sons and daughters-in-law in your joint family and express my wish that they should also create a home environment like the above mentioned Aggarwal and Jain families so that they may all be happy, you and your wife will not face any problem of being sad in old age, nor will you find it difficult to find an old age home. Your home will become heaven.
-Er. Tarachand
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