My Grandma - {Silver Sunday Story Writing Competition 2020}

Writer: A Mukherjee, Age: 12 Location: Muscat, Oman;  Older Person: D Ghosh, Age: 75+ Location: Kolkata, India; Interview conducted via video call (WhatsApp)   

My Maternal Grandma, who I fondly call ‘Diya’, is the embodiment of love and affection. I share a strong bond with her as much as I share with my parents because she has played a significant role in my upbringing. I saw her first on my fifth month when my parents took me to Kolkata for my ‘Annaprasan’ (rice-eating ceremony). After the ceremony, she came with us to Muscat to stay for a good six long years. During this period, she helped me achieve my milestones as important as making me fully potty trained when I was barely one year and few months old! She taught me many skills like how to brush my teeth and hair and how to tie a shoelace. All in all, she made me independent at my Early Age. Since my Mum would go to work, my Grandma would always keep me company at home. I remember we would spend hours together in doing painting, watching cartoons, and solving different jigsaw puzzles- sometimes as big as 500 pieces. It was she who introduced me to mouth-watering Bengali dishes and baked me delicious pizzas.     

Diya as a child

My Grandma was born in a Bengali joint family in Northern Kolkata. Her father was a surgeon, and her mother was a housewife. She is the eldest of three siblings. She spent her childhood in a hustle and bustle of twenty-member-family-house where she not only enjoyed being around so many family members but also learned that sharing and caring are sacred virtues of life.        

Anyone who knows my Grandma knows well that she has many artistic talents like painting, sketching, sewing, gardening, singing and playing the guitar. She is also a keen animal lover. Other than keeping dogs and small birds, she also had two peacocks as pets that she had received as a gift from her father.   In school, she was more interested in art and sports than academics. That is why she wanted to be an artist when she grew up. However, her wish remained unfulfilled due to her commitment to family and kids after marriage.   She was fond of travelling and had travelled to many places in India with my Grandpa. Being an animal lover, she had a dream to go for a world-famous African Safari. To fulfil that, my mum had planned a trip for her to Kenya, but sadly for some reason, the trip was called off.        

At present, she is staying in Kolkata as she is not in the best state of health. She can’t travel and be with us. Despite that, her spirit is as positive as we ever wished it to be. She said that the most important lesson she has learned from life is ‘to get the love you must always give love’. I love her, and I pray to God to keep her safe and secure always.