Meanwhile, another complication arose with Ammaji's condition deteriorating because of old age and several kinds of diseases finding a vulnerable prey. She began complaining about the lack of company or indifference of people around her. There were a lot of complaints, physical as well as mental. She was not being neglected but she lacked the loving attention of her sons. She lived at Raipur with her elder son Roop Narayan. One evening she arrived with my sister Asha in a car which stopped in front of Shri Jagdish Lodge. I helped her alighting from the car, got her luggage taken out and made her rest for a while. After some time she declared, "Bhaiya, I will reside in the lodge now and won't stay in anyone's home."
She made one of the rooms, her residence. Staff and attendants began taking care of her needs from morning till evening. In the morning I used to take her to the bathroom, supporting her and after taking a bath, she would lie down. Two managers of the lodge, Hema and Manju would take care of breakfast and meals. They would, from time to time, administer her doses of medicine and when necessary would massage her body. They became permanent listeners to her reminiscences of past. In the evening, she would sit near the reception counter for an hour or two in an easy chair. She enjoyed the crowd at bazar because she had spent 85 years of her life in seclusion within the four walls of a home. Some of my friends and customers would come and seek her blessings after touching feet. Every evening she would ask me to order an ice cream.
However, after a few days, her health began failing and deteriorated fast. She became restless. Meanwhile, Kuntal had come to Bilaspur. He would spend hours in his grandmother’s company. He asked his mother one day, "Mummy is old age so distressing and painful? I am shocked to see Ammaji's condition?"
"Yes, it is so." Replied Madhuri.
"Then start living in calmness. It would be very difficult to have peace in old age," suggested Kuntal.
All of sudden she began showing signs of a nervous breakdown, shouting, talking irrelevant, keeping herself awake during nights. She would doze for same time during the day. In the morning of 30th June 2004. She asked me to take her to the hospital, "I won't survive Bhaiya."
I called the doctor who examined her and suggested to get her admitted to the hospital making it plainly clear that her condition won't improve and would further deteriorate.
While returning from her room to the reception counter I was in a dilemma wondering what would happen in the hospital! Probably, a slight improvement and then worsening again, prolonging her suffering. So I decided not to move her from the room. The same evening I went to Apollo Hospital to see an ailing relative, along with my elder brother Roop Narayan when we returned I was told that her condition further deteriorated I rushed to her room and saw her struggling, the last phase of her life. I kept rubbing her head with my palms and within a few minutes, she breathed her last. 84 years old Sundarbai, a mother of six daughters, three sons with spouses, breathed her last in room no. 401 of Shri Jagdish Lodge.
Thirteen-day long farewell program after the funeral with rituals came to end amidst relatives. Guests would discuss, in brief, a few incidents about Ammaji and would soon divert their discussions about Kuntal. It would prolong without an end. Ammaji expired after Kuntal's departure hence everyone wanted to find the ‘truth’ behind his decision. We were grilled with volleys of questions. On the third day, while I left for Allahabad for immersion of Ammaji's ashes, Madhuri was left to face the folly of questions about her son's renunciation. She would find it difficult to explain so many people and herself began wondering what went wrong. Not only she became sadder day by day but also began restless unable to sleep. In order to avail the torrent of questions, she began confining herself to her room avoiding visitors the Gole Bazar Home. When I returned from Allahabad she burst into tears over my shoulder, "Now tell me what should I say them?" How could I suggest her a plausible reply? I myself was dumbfounded. We tried to console each other after through tears. We felt as if we had become rudderless, wishing Kammu to return and set things right.
Ammaji's Terahavi. rites and rituals were completed on 13th July 2004 followed by a feast. We returned home totally exhausted and went to bed. Madhuri became unwell but she did not wake me up. Next morning I saw her in deep slumber. She got up at 7 A.M. and moved towards the bathroom. Feeling giddy, she sat down and then lay down on the floor motionless. I was reading newspaper in the verandah. On hearing a sound I entered in to find Madhuri perspiring profusely. I called her by name but she did not respond, she had become unconscious and had turned cold. I became highly upset. My own condition became worsening drenched in sweat. I was calling her, Madhuri.....Madhuri. She did not reply, eyes closed and body cold. I felt some mishap was likely to happen. I ran to my neighbor Dr.Ashok Dixit and described her condition. He said, "Reach home I'll follow you in a while." Returning from there I phoned Madhuri's friend Sonu Sihare urging her to rush immediately. Meanwhile, Dr.Dikshit had arrived. He examined her and said, "She is sinking. Her Blood-pressure, as well as heartbeats, are abnormal, rush her immediately to a hospital. We can't do anything here."
Sonu and her husband Dr.Pradeep Sihare arrived. Dr.Sihare had brought glucose pouches with him. Searching her vain he pierced the needle and began injecting glucose by pressing the pouch. I watched my life partner sinking breathless.
It took about fifteen minutes when Madhuri began stirring a little. Dr.Sihare got her admitted to the hospital and kept observing her till she became normal. Since Dr.Sihare is a child specialist patients and their relatives were surprised to see a ‘Baby’ of Madhuri's age and size, began smiling. Our breakfast, lunch, tea, milk was under Sonu Sihare's control and supervision. She looked after us very well. Our relatives began pouring in and after spending a few minutes with Madhuri, dispersed. Sonu and Dr.Pradeep become Madhuri's saviors and kept our family life intact. Thanks a lot, Sihares, May God bless both of you a long married life together.
Madhuri returned home but remained highly upset. She suffered a mental shock and remained silent. I too was highly depressed trying to find some way or other to call Kuntal back.
She made one of the rooms, her residence. Staff and attendants began taking care of her needs from morning till evening. In the morning I used to take her to the bathroom, supporting her and after taking a bath, she would lie down. Two managers of the lodge, Hema and Manju would take care of breakfast and meals. They would, from time to time, administer her doses of medicine and when necessary would massage her body. They became permanent listeners to her reminiscences of past. In the evening, she would sit near the reception counter for an hour or two in an easy chair. She enjoyed the crowd at bazar because she had spent 85 years of her life in seclusion within the four walls of a home. Some of my friends and customers would come and seek her blessings after touching feet. Every evening she would ask me to order an ice cream.
However, after a few days, her health began failing and deteriorated fast. She became restless. Meanwhile, Kuntal had come to Bilaspur. He would spend hours in his grandmother’s company. He asked his mother one day, "Mummy is old age so distressing and painful? I am shocked to see Ammaji's condition?"
"Yes, it is so." Replied Madhuri.
"Then start living in calmness. It would be very difficult to have peace in old age," suggested Kuntal.
All of sudden she began showing signs of a nervous breakdown, shouting, talking irrelevant, keeping herself awake during nights. She would doze for same time during the day. In the morning of 30th June 2004. She asked me to take her to the hospital, "I won't survive Bhaiya."
I called the doctor who examined her and suggested to get her admitted to the hospital making it plainly clear that her condition won't improve and would further deteriorate.
While returning from her room to the reception counter I was in a dilemma wondering what would happen in the hospital! Probably, a slight improvement and then worsening again, prolonging her suffering. So I decided not to move her from the room. The same evening I went to Apollo Hospital to see an ailing relative, along with my elder brother Roop Narayan when we returned I was told that her condition further deteriorated I rushed to her room and saw her struggling, the last phase of her life. I kept rubbing her head with my palms and within a few minutes, she breathed her last. 84 years old Sundarbai, a mother of six daughters, three sons with spouses, breathed her last in room no. 401 of Shri Jagdish Lodge.
Thirteen-day long farewell program after the funeral with rituals came to end amidst relatives. Guests would discuss, in brief, a few incidents about Ammaji and would soon divert their discussions about Kuntal. It would prolong without an end. Ammaji expired after Kuntal's departure hence everyone wanted to find the ‘truth’ behind his decision. We were grilled with volleys of questions. On the third day, while I left for Allahabad for immersion of Ammaji's ashes, Madhuri was left to face the folly of questions about her son's renunciation. She would find it difficult to explain so many people and herself began wondering what went wrong. Not only she became sadder day by day but also began restless unable to sleep. In order to avail the torrent of questions, she began confining herself to her room avoiding visitors the Gole Bazar Home. When I returned from Allahabad she burst into tears over my shoulder, "Now tell me what should I say them?" How could I suggest her a plausible reply? I myself was dumbfounded. We tried to console each other after through tears. We felt as if we had become rudderless, wishing Kammu to return and set things right.
Ammaji's Terahavi. rites and rituals were completed on 13th July 2004 followed by a feast. We returned home totally exhausted and went to bed. Madhuri became unwell but she did not wake me up. Next morning I saw her in deep slumber. She got up at 7 A.M. and moved towards the bathroom. Feeling giddy, she sat down and then lay down on the floor motionless. I was reading newspaper in the verandah. On hearing a sound I entered in to find Madhuri perspiring profusely. I called her by name but she did not respond, she had become unconscious and had turned cold. I became highly upset. My own condition became worsening drenched in sweat. I was calling her, Madhuri.....Madhuri. She did not reply, eyes closed and body cold. I felt some mishap was likely to happen. I ran to my neighbor Dr.Ashok Dixit and described her condition. He said, "Reach home I'll follow you in a while." Returning from there I phoned Madhuri's friend Sonu Sihare urging her to rush immediately. Meanwhile, Dr.Dikshit had arrived. He examined her and said, "She is sinking. Her Blood-pressure, as well as heartbeats, are abnormal, rush her immediately to a hospital. We can't do anything here."
Sonu and her husband Dr.Pradeep Sihare arrived. Dr.Sihare had brought glucose pouches with him. Searching her vain he pierced the needle and began injecting glucose by pressing the pouch. I watched my life partner sinking breathless.
It took about fifteen minutes when Madhuri began stirring a little. Dr.Sihare got her admitted to the hospital and kept observing her till she became normal. Since Dr.Sihare is a child specialist patients and their relatives were surprised to see a ‘Baby’ of Madhuri's age and size, began smiling. Our breakfast, lunch, tea, milk was under Sonu Sihare's control and supervision. She looked after us very well. Our relatives began pouring in and after spending a few minutes with Madhuri, dispersed. Sonu and Dr.Pradeep become Madhuri's saviors and kept our family life intact. Thanks a lot, Sihares, May God bless both of you a long married life together.
Madhuri returned home but remained highly upset. She suffered a mental shock and remained silent. I too was highly depressed trying to find some way or other to call Kuntal back.
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