The doors of the cupboard were open. This was one of those cupboards which wasn’t opened much and was mostly used for storage. Something kept on the upper compartment fell and Mr Shastri stepped back rubbing his head, while the box itself fell down on the floor.
Mrs Shastri came to look at what had happened. She picked the box and kept it back from where it had fallen.
“It would be better if you just tell me what you are looking for, I can help you look for it,” said Mrs Shastri
Mr Shastri kept quiet and walked away. After retiring from his job at the bank Mr Shastri was experiencing all forms of emotions. He had led a life with strictness, not speaking more than needed and not speaking at all more often, always carrying this expression of slight anger, not showing much care or kindness. He was always busy with one work or another.
Everyone had eventually accepted the silence. Mrs Shastri made sure her husband remained undisturbed, sometimes wondering if things were falling apart. But that is how things have always been, the always serious and a bit short tempered Mr Shastri, no time for smiles and jokes and all those other talks of emotions and happiness.
Mr Shastri had been planning his after-retirement life for quite some time. He was quite sure he had figured it all out. It involved a lot of reading the books that had accumulated in the house over the years. Then there was exercising, eating, watching some good old classic movies, maybe planning a trip or two. There were a few others as well, but none of it kept his mind busy as days of his working life did.
Mr Shahstri was experiencing a change. Finally, he had the time and his mind was thinking more about what he might have unintentionally ignored over the working years, his family. But how all of a sudden should he express it after not being that person forever.
Mrs Shastri would find him eating slowly at table, surely wanting to spend more time with her there and with time maybe a few words would emerge. Sometimes he would simply come into the room she was in and sit down, doing one thing or the else. If he would just speak, Mrs Shastri was still in doubt if that is what he wanted.
Mrs Shastri closed the cupboard and found that her husband had returned.
“The photo album having photos of when our children were small, I can’t find it,” said Mr Shastri
“It is in the other room. I will get it,” said Mrs Shastri
“We can go through it together,” said Mr Shastri like the boy who was asked to recite poem in front of a classroom for the first time in his life
Mrs Shastri smiled, “Of course”
Written by Anuran Chatterji
When the Smile Returned
Early Morning Memories 