Vrinda - Our Smiling Neighbour

Debi Mukherjee (India, 22/07/06)

 

It is very rightly said, “A good neighbor is a found treasure!” This is especially true where morning and evening you come across your neighbour opening the front door or standing in the balcony facing that of the neighbour.

 

From the day of inception of possessing our flat in Bhopal from the year 2000, the next door flat used to be locked all the time. It was a bachelors’ den. Three or four boys having specialisation in computer field used to share this dwelling place on rent. Early morning they were to be out and returning late at night. Occasionally they were on tour. On Sundays or holidays either they had relaxing time or partying with friends. They had hardly any time to have a chit chat with their neighbours except to say “hello” when confronted face to face on the stairs or otherwise. Our attempts to make friendship with them by inviting them for lunch or dinner on holidays had lukewarm response as they used to be too engrossed with themselves in leading a carefree life rather than spending time with oldies like us.

 

Whenever one of them used to bind him in matrimony, he used to shift to an independent flat. Someone else will come in his place to fill up the quota.

 

This has been going on since last six years changing the faces of the occupants from time to time. We had no other alternative but to face the locked door or deserted balcony.

 

One fine morning a sweet cute girl with a smiling grin and soft voice came and addressed me as “Aunt”. She introduced herself as “Vrinda”, better-half of one of the newly married occupants of our next door. For a change this boy has decided to continue to stay in this flat rather than relocating. Obviously other roommates have to shift to a new place.

 

Vrinda is still a student completing her final year in MBA from Indore staying in a hostel. Brought up under the affectionate umbrella of dotting parents and mostly being occupied with her studies, this is for the first time she has been confronting with the full responsibilities of managing household scores all by herself including cooking. Off and on she will experiment preparing new dishes a portion of which she will be serving us. We are expected to play the role of tasters to certify. Most of the times the dishes have been mouthwatering!

 

She has brought a new lease of life not only to us but also to other adjoining neighbours.

 

Now a day opening the front door or occasional standing in the balcony is often met with sweet pleasantries from her.

 

Whenever she proceeds to Indore in connection with her studies she would inform us as if we are her local guardians. She would also request us to keep an eye on her husband’s welfare in her absence.

 

As “Tulsi (Basil plant)” is identified as Vishnu’s Vrinda or Krishna’s Radha revered by almost all households in the morning and evening, Vrinda has also become dear to all in the neighbourhood within a short span of time with the spell of her lovable attributes.

 

In fact her arrival at this neighbourhood justifies the Chinese proverb: “To have a good neighbor is to find something precious.”