GRAND PARENTS

Sri Ram/Janki Devi, Chapter II-1 (Children 1. Ram Richpal  and 2.Tara Chand Tai ji’s 3, Shiv Narain,my father,4. Gru Govind my Cha Cha Ji,5. Bhagvati Devi Bari Bhooa Ji,6. Mamo Ji, choti bhooa  , , Na NA Ji Dr. Parmeshwari Das/Kailash Dev. Chapter II-2 (Children1. Parkash Bahadur,2,Ramesh B,3 Suresh B. 4. Rajeshwari Devi, 5, Vimla Devi,)- Our First Nani Ji (mother of Radhay Rani my mother) Chapter II-4, and Tao Ji/TaiGi we all called them, (Parents of Bachhu Achey, Bhayaa, and Anno Ma Ma -Grand parents of Alok, Deepak and Bishan Sahai), .

Now I am also grand parent of 12, even great grand parent. I am finding out that most our contribution is taken for granted. We can try and offer unconditional love, and instill pride of family values and encourage better family connections.

Chapter II-2B

BA BA Ji SRI RAM/DADI Ji JANKI DEVI our grand parents had a very positive influence on me sisters. Ba Ba Ji was a very serious and strict person but he instilled pride, self  reliance a habit of pre-planing early in my life. While I was bit spoiled and lazy being the only son, he taught me to get up and go with full energy when need or challenge arises,Dadi ji was gentle sweet, when tough and religious.She tolerated Hot coal spilled on her chest  by accident for an hour till rescued. Went to jail several time defying British rule and met Gandhi Ji as special allowed visitor to his ashram, and Access to Pandit Nehru the fist Prime minister of independent India.

Ba Ba Ji was a very serious and somewhat of a disciplinarian. Not a real artist, he perfected the art of making Lions Heads and Birds out of paper and cotton that looked so real that some visitors tried to scold him about being a cruel hunter.

He was short, about 5 ft. 1 in. and wiry.Only through an incident, I found out that he was also in great shape, and a Judo expert. Once a big, burly man grabbed me by the shoulders and was harassing me as a punishment for hitting him with a hard ball by accident. Commotion brought grandpa out in the street and he ordered the man to leave me alone. Seeing a short man ordering him, the man dared my grandpa to put up or shut-up.

Suddenly to my and the other viewers surprise, the man lay flat on his back on the ground in disbelief by one of grandpa’s judo maneuvers.

As a kid , he become my hero as well. Later I revealed to him that a group of Muslim kids used to hassle me on the way to school, hoping that he will help punish them. Instead he taught me the judo trick and use of surprise. Said I should handle problem myself and asked me to plan my strategy against the hecklers. Next day on the way to school the same group began to hassle me as usual. I carefully spotted the leader, aimed to hit the big boy as hard as could on his nose. He was so surprised that I dared him stood there staring at me until I knocked him staggering using the Judo trick I had learned. Watching the leader down, the group all dispersed away meekly and the problem was solved.

JANKI DEVI

Da Di Ji was a very kind lady who instilled the same spirit in all of us. She was very religious, but had very strong political views against British Raj. Insisted upon wearing strictly Indian made cotton clothing and went to jail often attending after protest rallies. She instilled pride and self respect in all my sisters to stand ground when they are in the right. Her strong will and toleration was tested during an accident when a coal burning heater fell on her and she was discovered after an hour under it with hot coal burning her skin. In her recovery she taught us that mind is much stronger than physical body if you learn to concentrate (i. e. the value of deep meditation). On the other hand all our grand parents by tradition were serious and considered children to be seen and not heard.

Chapter II-3

NA NA Ji DR PARMESHWARI DAS/NANI KAILASH DEVI

Out of all our family members, I was the most connected with my maternal grand parents. Na Na Ji a famous medical surgeon was a veteran of the first world war  in Iraq. On his return he was well rewarded by the British Government to head up Major hospitals with rotation in many assigned cities(Rohtak,Bhivani etc in Punjab and later three key government hospitals in New Delhi. He had the benefit of all the amenities provided to him. It was always a place for fun we would spend our vacation with them.

During my collage days I did not stay in collage housing instead rotated. Stay with Uncle and Na Na Ji and sometimes at other Mathur relatives. So I spend part of may collage life in at Na Na Ji house. I had much closer relation with my aunts Rajjay and Birila Mausi, and Suresh Ma Ma, who was younger but much smarter them me.

Na Na Ji was also authoritative, but liked me without showing any affection. Every time I would arrive he would greet me with a cuss word, but we both knew he it was his way of expressing happiness upon my arrival.

NA NA JI KALASH DEVI

She was a very devoted wife and took great care of his every need and comfort when at home. There was plenty of everything in the house, and we all enyoyed life as a big friendly family. Na NA Ji would be little aloof with me but took good gare of all my needs.

While I would stay there my main job was to do emergency shopping from nearby market. Durin that period I recall, Viria was the first baby girl in the family and everybody adored her. I would take her to stors on my bicycle handle. Now I wonder why I was allowed to take her through dificult traffic environment.

Chapter II-4

OUR FIRST NANI JI

Very little is know about her, except she was a very simple beautiful lady who died shortly after my mother was born. My mother kept the secret about her to avoid loase talks, as in those days, second marriages were a taboo and we had good relationship with the second Na Ni Ji.

I recall visiting Patyala Stat her parents home with my mother as a child without know the exact relation. Mother’s Na Na Ji was a executive in the Maha Raja’s Court.

Only few years ago, I received a rare photo of our first Na Ni Ji, a si mple beauty. Her gene is passed on to my mother and similar good looks to my sisters and all nieces.

I am taking the writers privilege to describe an episode leading to marriage with my Na Ni Ji but again is based on connecting some know facts and my imagination.

Episode: In some social affair the old MahaRaja of Patyall State caught a eye on her as she offered her respect to him. Soon her father found out Raja’s intentions who already   had two older wives So the very night they took her out of state to Delhi in a horse carrage with the boy servant standing board imaged of rich people going shopping. In those day the Rajas of the State had full authority over the life and death over their population with friendly relations with British Government. Word again got out, Raj tried to extradite. Her but by then she was engaged to Na Na Ji. This was the time of world war 1 at its peak and British were having heavy casualties in Iraq. Na Na Ji was a young surgeon who was offered a commission for going to Iraq. As military had priorities in war times, Raja’s extradition efforts were derailed.

Chapter II-5

TAO JI/TAI JI

Na Na Ji had good relation with his older brother. We all visited them Tao Ji often or occasions. They lived in an old Delhi in a huge house complex in in anar ki gali shared with several other cousins in partitioned areas. Often during get together my mother. While a young kids we did not have much interaction with older members. I use to have good fun together with the grand son Bishan and youngest son Anno MaMa. Over the years Anno Mama also become one of my favorite. Bishan and I together acted as roudy kids, pillow fights with fathers all over, neighbors complaining we squirted them with water from second story lodge.