Urmila Shetty
I was thirty-nine when I delivered a tiny, weak, fragile girl baby weighing just 2.2 kilograms. The initial five days were the easiest and best days of my delivery because of the hospital stay. There were nurses, helpers, and a few oldies too, who would enter the room, even if we hadn’t called for help. The very thought of getting tips, kept the staff on their toes. Deep within, I wished I could continue staying in that private AC room for months, provided I wasn’t asked to shell out Rs. 6,000 per day. 🤣🤣🤣
Thankfully, on day five, I was discharged. We came home, only to witness darkness. There was a power failure due to heavy rains and there was not a single candle at home either…… I thought, “OMG, what a welcome.☹☹☹☹ Andheri Rath din mein
Amma (my MIL) was there along with me. She was sixty-five then. I couldn’t ask her to go and fetch the candles from the market. My husband kept searching for the candles, but didn’t realise to go and bring them until I asked him to go and fetch it. 🙃 😐
“Presence of mind yaar……..”
Every time I say this, he has only one answer.
“Probably I was delivered in the eighth month. I didn’t complete the nine-month tenure, like you. ”
😂😂😂😂
No comments on this, could be possible 😕
A couple of days passed, with a few blame games in their regular phase. At times, we fought for mental peace and at times for physical therapy. Parenthood after a gap of ten years brings you into the same crease but as new comers.😅😅😅
To get rid of all the unwanted tussle, my husband suggested keeping a nanny for Nila, so that I could give sufficient time to my older daughter, who was entering the most important phase of her life: THE SO CALLED TEENAGE.🙄🙄🙄 A phase, which didn’t exist, neither for us nor to our parents. But today, it has become an important phase.😅😅😅
Let’s move on to the Nanny hunt.
I put a word to my other two helping hands to search for a nanny. Within a day or two, we got one. Her name was Nanda, aged 41, a very simple and down-to-earth human. When I got to know she was a widow, I decided to go with her and the hunt came to an end.
Nandu Mavshi entered our home as a nanny to Nila. On day one itself, I felt so relaxed and relieved. She took all the responsibilities into her own hands. Right from giving a massage, a hot water bath, dressing, cleaning, singing lullabies, almost everything she handled as if she was an angel sent by God, especially for me and my family.
v
I was on cloud nine, before I could enjoy some mesquite moments, the very next day, I fell thud on the ground.
Reason: Amma, the lady who has always showered unconditional love on me.
“Urmila! Just look how she is massaging? Her style of massaging isn’t good for the baby.🙄🙄🙄🙄 Can’t she be a little soft.”
Saying these words, Amma pulled a neelkamal plastic chair, into the bathroom.
I replied. “Amma don’t worry. Yesterday Nila slept for two hours after the massage. If she was uncomfortable, you think your granddaughter will take it silently?”
Amma’s face turned pale.
Next day, Amma sat in the living room looking at the clock and giving me vague expressions.
” Urmila! We are paying a good salary to that lady. She should come in time. It is already 9.30 am. She hasn’t yet come.”
I checked the time. It was 9.37 am. Till then, I heard the knock on the main door. I saw at Amma, smiled and opened the door for Nandu mavshi.
Amma was 🤬🤬🤬🤬 and I was 😂😂😂
This continued every single day. From a grandmother, Amma unknowingly had transformed to a spy. A spy in her very own son’s home that too after a Nanny. She was less into Nila’s growth, and more into Nandu mavshi’s actions. And I was simply getting sandwiched in between.
Such was Amma’s spying qualities, her observations would go like bouncers on me.
Take this one now.
“Urmila! She uses the indian toilet more than twice. Ask her to clean that toilet by herself. And haan, make sure Khushi doesn’t use that toilet accidentally. By the way, is she using it for one or two?”🤔🤔🤔
“Ammmaaaaaaaa! Please stop it. Whether she does one or two, how does it matter to us. Will ask her to clean Maa…. ” I was 😱😱😱😱going crazy.
” No urmila its not like that. Ask her to wash her hands with soap, before she touches the baby.”
I was like🥶🥶🥶🥶
Thankfully, Nandu mavshi never minded to any of Amma’s words nor her unfavourable facial expressions. Once in a while, when I tried to apologize, Nandu mavshi was kind enough to give all respect to Amma’s age. She kept doing her work, without paying much heeds to Amma’s words nor my apologies.
When I discussed all these things with my husband, he found everything hilarious.
“Dear! Amma is just holding insecurities from within. She must be feeling, the baby is getting accustomed to Nandu mavshi’s touch, than hers. Whatever Amma did for so many years for all her grandchildren, today she isn’t able to do it for Nila due to age factor. All this must be brewing her into a spy. Anyways, make sure no one is hurt.”
I knew what he was trying to tell me. Amma continued with her spying qualities as long as she stayed with us. Nandu mavshi continued doing her work.
I continued to balance the fire 🔥 and 🧊.
Even today, when Amma gives a call, her talks won’t end without two questions.
“Did she come today?
What time did she come?”🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Even if Nandu mavshi is on leave, yet for Amma, she has punched her card sharp at 9.30 am.
This is how, I am running this show.
Thank you friends for stopping by. No fictional take, true episode of spying. Today I am laughing, but when it was actually happening, I felt like pulling off my hair 😅 😂 🤣 🙃
Thank you momspresso for this wonderful prompt. Each one of us here, have one or the other experience to share. All I have is one word ” ACCEPTANCE “.
You don’t need a village to raise a child, all you need is a heart to accept helping hands, when in need.
Love & Regards
Urmila G Shetty
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Momspresso.com. Any omissions or errors are the author’s and Momspresso does not assume any liability or responsibility for them.