On a cold evening in November, the Air India flight from Pune started its descent. In about forty-five minutes, it was to land at the international airport in Newark. In the flight were Mr and Mrs Joshi who were visiting their son and daughter-in-law. They were tentative and unsure about what to expect during their two months with them.
The seventy-year-old retired government servant and his sixty-five-year-old wife had visited their son. That was a few years back. He had completed his studies and taken up a job then. He was also a bachelor then. But this was their first visit after their son’s wedding two years back in Pune.
Meanwhile, Kiran checked the flight status online. He was keen to receive his parents to his new home.
“Looks like it is on time. Should we start?” Kiran asked his wife.
“Give me 10 minutes. Replying to this email,” Anusha replied.
As they left their home, Kiran realised that they were already a bit late. It was a cold November evening, and he did not expect the traffic to be heavy. So he thought if he took the highway, they would make it on time. But before he turned, Anusha interrupted Kiran’s thoughts.
“Let’s go through Southam city,” she said. “I realized that we need to pick up some groceries. Your parents will need them. They are staying with us for two months.”
Anusha had told her friends and colleagues about the impending visit of her in-laws. She had grumbled how it was going to invade her space and add to all the overhead activities in her life.
But these things are inevitable after marriage, they had concluded. “Thank God we are not in India,” Anusha and her friends had said. Small mercies in life – they said and shared a laugh on their plight.
As she picked up some items from the grocery store, Kiran asked her to hurry up.
“It’s for your parents. Otherwise I will have to answer why there’s nothing in the fridge,” she retorted with a smirk. She was horror-struck at the prospect of facing such potential situations soon.
“By the way, do we have extra blankets? It is quite cold,” asked Kiran.
“There are some old ones in the storeroom,” Anusha responded with nonchalance.
“But are they usable?” Kiran inquired, not quite sure about their condition.
“They should be ok for your parents – it is only for a couple of months,” Anusha told Kiran. “And your father can also use some of your old jackets lying in your wardrobe. You got them while studying and never use them,” she grinned back at her husband.
“Hmm.. Ok cool,” Kiran stopped the conversation. “But let’s pick up a couple more, in any case,” he suggested. Anusha neglected him.
“Hey by the way, we don’t have extra mattresses,” he remembered after a while spent in silence.
“Yes – you will have to rent them out. In any case, they will need those harder ones. The soft fluffy ones we have don’t work for them, isn’t it?” Anusha warned. Kiran sensed a tone of admonition. Anusha worried about all the adjustments she was going to face in the next couple of months.
“Ok – let’s pick them on the way and put them in the car.”
After a while, Anusha remembered one more thing.
“What about the pooja stuff for your father? I hope he is not going to stick to that routine while they are here?”
“Of course, he is going to. Guess we need that too. Good catch. Let’s take it from the Indian store. We can pick up some Indian food too,” Kiran told his wife.
“But I am not going to cook,” Anusha scowled back.
“Ok, chill. My mother will cook,” Kiran chose the path of least resistance to maintain the peace. He then added with a grin “By the way, my parents are coming to see you.”
“No, they are coming to see you,” Anusha reprimanded him.
Meanwhile, the flight had landed. The Joshi’s had finished their immigration formalities. Luckily their baggage also arrived in quick time. Mr Joshi put it on the trolley and started walking to the exit with his wife in tow. They looked around the walkway for the exit.
At the exit, their eyes searched for their son and daughter-in-law, but returned blank. Most of the passengers took a car or a taxi. They left within about half an hour after that.
Mr and Mrs Joshi waited outside on the kerb waiting for Kiran and Anusha. The memory of the crowded night outside the airport in India touched them for a moment. It was to receive their son when he had come on his semester break a few years back. This experience was quite unlike that. Mrs Joshi got a shawl from her handbag and handed over a muffler to Mr Joshi. They held the woollens close to their bodies on the windy evening.
“We are late, the flight has landed,” Kiran said, checking his phone. He pushed the mattresses into his car’s boot. It was almost full because of all the things they had bought on the way. There was no space for anyone to sit.
“But we were buying things for your parents so that they don’t have to adjust,” Anusha said. Then looking at the car, she said “Hope your parents don’t have a lot of luggage. There’s no space. What if we get another cab?”
When they reached the airport, they parked their car and walked to the exit. Kiran saw his parents standing alone with their luggage trolley. He realised that they are going to need a cab for it.
“Hope we are not too late,” he said to his father.
“No, not at all. We just landed,” Mr Joshi replied, with a tired smile, but happy to see Kiran.
Kiran bent to touch his father’s feet and embrace his mother. Both of them flashed a broad grin pleased to see their son and daughter-in-law. As they prepared to leave the airport, Kiran called for a cab, and gave him the address of their home. He put the luggage in the boot and asked his parents to sit in the cab. He saw the confused look on his parents face. “Sorry for that. There is no space in our car. We got a lot of stuff on the way. But don’t worry, the cabbie will follow us,” he explained.
“No problem,” Mr Joshi reassured his son. He and his wife boarded the cab with some hesitation. Anusha had a cordial expression on her face. She had practised it well. Forcing a jolly grin, Anusha said, “Welcome to our home!”
***