The Momma Clan

Mr. Harish Pandey, a Sanskrit school teacher, and his family of four including himself led a contented life in Mathura. Hailing from a rural background, he was lucky to get a job at a government school in the township of Mathura. He also provided admission for his (twin children) son Yash and daughter Yami in the same school, instead of the usual trend of getting kids admitted to a private school.

Time gradually passed, and Mr. Pandey’s children not just passed their schools, but also their respective colleges with flying colors. Yash finished his engineering (B.E), and Yami did a master’s in commerce (M.Com). After two years, both of them got jobs in Delhi, through one of their uncle’s references. The same year, Mr. Pande retired from his school and finally got an opportunity to relax at his village home.

But now only Harish realized that all his life he and his family lived in a rented home, and he never found time to buy or build a house of his own, despite his wife’s one or two reminders. So now he disclosed his wish to her to build a modest home in Mathura itself. His wife felt overjoyed to learn that and told this plan on the phone to their children. Yash and Yami were also pleased to hear that. 

Soon Harish and his wife started living in the same rented house to oversee the construction of their new home, in the suburbs at a discounted land price. He was ready to spend half of his earnings for this new home, and the rest of the amount for his children’s marriage. It took about one and a half years for his two-storeyed four-bedroom home to be erected, as per his conditions. Soon came the time for the housewarming function of the new home.

During the two-year stint in Delhi, Yash, while working for a private real estate firm, and Yami, while doing a job at a finance company, had earned enough money to buy a new car for their loving family. When they learned about the construction of their new home in Mathura, both siblings had decided at the start to save sufficient money to purchase a modest car and surprise their parents. This sweet gesture brought tears to the eyes of their parents.

At the small housewarming ceremony of Mr. Pandey and his family’s new home, all of his friends and relatives were twofold delighted to witness a brand new car along with a simple yet beautifully built house.

-Shashi Thakur