THE HOMECOMING DR KIRTI PARIKH, VADODARA, INDIA Suchitra was returning to her own home after six long years. With such great fondness she had decorated the interiors of the house! She was all alone when she had left the house but today she had the full support of Swami Purnananda. Perhaps Salil and Kanan were waiting eagerly for her arrival. She increased her pace. Her thoughts were also marching apace. Some twelve years ago it was that she had first met Salil. Both were in the same college. Suchitra was then a beautiful teenager from an affluent family, well versed in sports and music. She was, however, only mediocre in studies, whereas her classmate Salil was extra ordinary in studies and sportsman par excellence. But he was from a financially weak family and therefore he was very simple. That way, Salil and Suchitra were opposite poles in life. But then opposite poles attract, don’t they? They married a year after passing out, after they both had got good jobs. For two years after marriage they were like birds flying in distant sky. So full of life, so full of pleasure! Salil was busy in his job but Suchitra was active in several fields beside the job. She attended parties, musical evenings, cricket and football matches. However the time for Sucitra to curtail those activities had arrived now. She was blessed with a daughter in the third year of her marriage. A great tragedy struck the couple at the birth of their daughter. Doctors told them that their daughter Kanan had Down’s syndrome, a genetic disorder resulting in retarded growth. She would not be able to study like others of her age, nor look after herself. Salil consulted several doctors but their verdict was the same. Salil and Suchitra busied themselves in her care as any crisis must be faced squarely. Gradually the baby girl’s deficits became obvious. At age two years, Kanan was taking up a lot of Suchitra’s time though she had domestic help from maids. Salil was busy in his professional career but Suchitra felt her wings had been clipped. She could tolerate it somehow but when Kanan was four years old her stress Upahaar 2020
15 Publizr Home