Biji Da Bioscope - II

Continued from the previous post...

Biji is a lil' bewildered these days even sad. She desperately wants to go back to her native Jamshedpur. But she can't go right now; she has to wait till my cousin arrives in India from Holland. So a few days back Biji somehow recalled that her daughter (my aunt) from Amritsar was here and while leaving she asked Biji to come stay for a few days with her. Now Biji wants to go to Amritsar. But still the problem stays - who will take Biji to Amritsar? I asked her the same question. By the way, for the past 10 days or so Biji has occupied by bed (and room) while I sleep in another. And while I sit in front of my computer she keeps talking to me, keep asking me questions. The other day she woke up 6 in the morning (while I was still on my computer) and in a fit started to walk out of the bed. "I must tie up the calves or they may escape", she shouted, perhaps recalling an distant past when they used to rare cattle’s in their house’s veranda. So since Biji's long term memory is as solid as ever she clearly remembers she used to have calves and if not tied might go out looking for fodder. She still remembers the river in her native village in Punjab, the fields, some names from the village and her brother (whom she calls bhaa). But she has trouble with the number and names of her kids.

From what my mother tells me, Biji was not the most kindest mothers. She would make her daughters do most of the work. And the lazy ones needed to get used to the music if the work's not done according to her. And well to be frank her attitude hasn't changed even till today. She wants things done her way or they don't happen. She frequently curses her body for not being fit as she would have liked it to be so she doesn’t have to be dependent on others for moving. She is also a bold woman. Modesty is not in her character. If offered something new most of the time she shows a pretending disinterest - "Angoor da ki khanaa?" (what to eat of grapes?) she says whenever I bring her a bowl full of grapes. But then if you leave the bowl, you'll find it empty in no time. She wants her pills all at the right time and any delay is not met with any outer courtsey. The other day she asked mom this - "Apne aadmi nu keh ki mainnu 60 Rs deve, mainu ticket khareedni hai" (Tell you man to give me 60 Rupees, I need to a buy a ticket).
She is also apparently searching for her money, which her brother (???)(he’s no more) gave her at a wedding but has been confiscated by her son (where she was staying earlier). Also the other day I asked her if she can stay alone for a while while I needed to take my mother to the hospital. “Yes”, she said. After a few minutes we dropped the plan. An hour later, while Mum was in the kitchen she walked up to her and asks “Tennu hospital nahi janna apne deor de naal?” (Aren’t you going to go to the hospital with your brother-in-law (??? WTF mate).