She Does It To Get Sympathy

"I am getting older and weaker, so I can't do all the household work," Sudha Ji said calmly. These days she was becoming even weaker and disoriented. It seemed as if the thread of life was slipping away from my hands. She would often repeat this phrase.

"Now, why does anyone care about me, an old lady...? What difference does it make if I fall ill?" And... after hearing all this, her hoarse daughter-in-law started blabbering.

"Don't hesitate too much, old lady, what you are doing is already enough!" She has laddus in both her hands!"

"It's not like that. Mother really gets very tired. She's not used to doing so much work. And she works so much just to help you. Don't think she does it to get sympathy or praise," Suresh explained in a hushed tone.

And here, Shilpa's steps stopped due to the sound coming from her brother and sister-in-law's room. She was getting up early in the morning and making spiced tea for her mother. She felt like going and scolding both of them right now, but she did not want to create any ruckus in the morning. So, very carefully, without making any sound with her slippers, she moved towards Sudha Ji's room.

When Shilpa entered her mother's room, her mother had woken up and freshened up. There had been an earlier opportunity, Sudha Ji would not have even left her room without taking a bath and worshiping Thakur Ji. But now her sick body was becoming so helpless that all the rules, fasts, and worship had to be ignored.

"Here, mother... Hot tea for you!" Mother smiled softly, but looking at her pale face and the bulging veins on her neck, her weakness and condition were apparent. The once healthy Sudha Ji now looked like she had been ill for months.

When her mother started moaning while caressing her waist while drinking tea, Shilpa couldn't help but say, "I already told you not to work too much, otherwise you will fall ill!"

Hearing the scolding words from her beloved daughter, Sudha Ji realized how much her daughter loved her. At the same time, she was also very sad that she was forced to do this work, and her daughter-in-law was not concerned about her condition. But suddenly, Sudha Ji said to Shilpa, "What should I do... If I don't work, then everyone will say that I have become old now. I am no longer of any use. And what difference will it make to anyone if I remain ill?"

"Okay... and who would say such a thing, at least I should listen!"

When Shilpa asked, Sudha Ji remained silent. This was the third time Shilpa had come to her maternal home after marriage, and every time she was seeing her mother becoming weaker than before. On the contrary, she had thought that after her brother's marriage, her mother would get some relief.

The coincidence was such that just a month after Shilpa's marriage, her brother Suresh also got married. Sudha Ji was feeling very light in a way after getting both the children married. Shilpa's marriage was fixed by her father. Yes, Suresh had insisted on marrying Anantha, a girl of his choice who worked in his office. Due to being in the same city, when they started meeting outside more often, Sudha Ji also thought it best to get them married soon. Although Anantha was good, she was very shy about doing household work, and instead of appreciating the work done by her mother-in-law, she took it for granted.

Shilpa's friend Shivika lived near her maternal house. She was the one who told her that, "Your sister-in-law makes your mother do a lot of work. And Sudha Ji often remains ill!" But whenever Shilpa came to her parents' house, she would see Anantha doing most of the work. Then she also felt that what her sister-in-law and brother said was true, that both of them did not allow Sudha Ji to do much work. And her mother kept working as per her own wish to keep herself busy.

But when Shivika repeated the same thing and said, "Aunty has not been seen here for a few days and is not even coming for a walk; it seems she is ill!" Then Shilpa was very worried about her mother.

Firstly, tiredness was clearly visible in her mother's voice on the phone, and secondly, Shivika had again told Shilpa during the conversation that Sudha Ji's work had increased so much that now she was not able to come even for a morning walk. Then Shilpa felt that Shivika was right.

By the way, whenever Shilpa asked Sudha Ji, "Mother, tell me the truth, are brother and sister-in-law behaving kindly with you or not?" At that time, her mother always avoided it. Therefore, this time Shilpa thought it appropriate to come without calling and suddenly on Saturday morning, she came to her parents' house and threatened her.

When she came secretly, she saw that her sister-in-law was still sleeping, and her brother had gone to get milk. That morning, her mother was cleaning the kitchen before preparing tea and breakfast, and she was also suffering from a cold.

Shilpa felt very pity seeing the way her mother was working in the kitchen, wrapped in a shawl, in the bitter cold of December. Shilpa remembered that when her father was alive, he had never allowed her mother to work in the kitchen like this early in the morning. There was always a condition for any maid kept in the house that she would wake up early in the morning and clean the kitchen first. But it seemed that Anantha had the habit of getting up late in the morning, so she had asked the maid to come late as well. And her mother had gotten into the habit of drinking tea in the morning. Shilpa's heart sank this morning after seeing her in the kitchen washing the saucepan and some utensils for tea.

An outburst came out of her mouth, "What are you doing, mother?" Shilpa's voice was so loud that the pot fell from her mother's hand, and she started picking up the utensils with her hands covered in Vimbar. Then she remembered that it was Shilpa's voice. She washed her hands and said, "Hey daughter! How come I haven't even received a call from you so early in the morning!" Saying this, she hugged Shilpa, and her body was completely hot, as if she had a fever.

Shilpa was about to say something, but before she could do so, her sister-in-law came down from above, tying the rope of her captain, and looking at Shilpa, she said with fake happiness, "Hey Shilpa Ji, when did you come? Hey… Amma Ji, why did you come to the kitchen? I was going to make tea in a little while, right?" Then she turned towards Shilpa and said, "What should I tell you, Shilpa Ji! I too try to stop Amma Ji, but she reaches the kitchen early

 in the morning. But... by then Shilpa had understood a lot.

And what she didn't understand was that her mother's tearful eyes and trembling lips told her that she had to do so much work even in such cold weather. Shilpa did not say anything at that time.

Shilpa neither fought with her sister-in-law Anantha nor gossiped with her mother. She found a very practical solution to the problem that no one had any objection to.

For the next two days, she talked to two or three maids, and then one evening, she talked openly with her sister-in-law, brother, and mother. Brother and sister-in-law, I was thinking that... since mother has a habit of getting up early in the morning and drinking tea as soon as she speaks, and now at this age, waking up in the cold and making tea in the morning is not good for her health. Therefore, a maid should be hired who will prepare tea for mother early in the morning and leave. And come again to prepare breakfast, etc. This will not disturb anyone's sleep. And mother will also get hot tea in the morning.

Then Anantha came forward and said, "This is a good thing, Ji! Because I wake up early in the morning, I keep sleeping throughout the day even in the office. Because I work until late at night. My office time is 10:30. So, I usually complete my sleep by sleeping until 7:30 or 8:00. If Amma, a maid, prepares tea for me early in the morning, then my sleep will also be complete, and Amma Ji will also get tea, and she will not have to get up in the morning and make tea for herself and everyone else. Shilpa said, "That's exactly what sister-in-law is saying! There is a maid named Budhani who has agreed to come in the morning. She will clean the kitchen and do other work only after making a cup of tea for mother. She will come again at eight o'clock and do the rest of the household work. She will take a little more money than the current maid, but I kept her under instructions and was clearly told that in this cold, mother is not to be allowed to do any work that involves water. Now you also meet her and talk about her salary, etc. And sister-in-law, don't think that I am intruding into your household by coming forward. It's just that being a daughter, I understand my mother's problem very well. Therefore, considering her health and convenience, I am thinking of making this change. The rest of your opinion also matters a lot. If you have any other solutions in mind, you can tell me openly.

When Shilpa said this, Anantha was realizing her mistake in her mind that she had not considered her mother-in-law equal to her mother at all. Suresh was also feeling comfortable with this step of Shilpa. He was also very troubled by the day by day deterioration in his mother's health. Today, Shilpa had given a very practical solution.

But... one thing was bothering Anantha badly, so she asked Shilpa, "And everything is fine, Shilpa Ji! But why did you say that only you can take care of your mother? Can't I take care of her?"

Shilpa replied, "Sister-in-law, don't take this matter to heart. What I meant to say was that you have just arrived. It will take some time for you to know about your mother's habits. Because I am a daughter, I understand them and their habits very well since childhood. After a few years, you will start knowing your mother better than me. That's why I said so.

The way Shilpa handled the matter intelligently and did not let Anantha suffer is praiseworthy. Shilpa did not even mention what Anantha and Suresh had said that day. She told Anantha in very polite words, "Sister-in-law, if you can't get up in the morning, it doesn't matter. But mother is old, and it is not right to make her work at this age. The maid will do all this. But don't trouble mother.

Shilpa had a point, so how could she avoid the finality? But still, she said in her defense, "We don't ask mother for any work; she only likes to do the household work." Shilpa's voice was soft while speaking.

When she saw the expressions of embarrassment in her sister-in-law's eyes, she lightened the atmosphere and said with a smile, "Whatever is said... should be said in front. At least we will get to see the fight between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. What can be achieved by a cold war like this? Everyone laughed at this statement of Shilpa.

The next day, Shilpa explained very well to the new maid Budhani that she had to prepare tea neatly in the morning and give it to her mother along with two sweet and two salty biscuits, just like Shilpa had been watching her father do. Sudha Ji started feeling very relaxed due to the arrival of the maid in the house in the morning. Due to Shilpa's wisdom, the problem was resolved without any quarrel or escalation. Sudha Ji's health also started improving, and there was happiness in the house.

Now, whoever had something to say in the house, said it openly. This is how relationships flourish. In this way, Shilpa wisely solved her mother's problem and did not let her relationship with her sister-in-law deteriorate. The thread of relationships is very delicate. The closer the relationship between sister-in-law and sister-in-law is, the greater is the possibility of tension between them. Therefore, there is a need to maintain this relationship with great honesty and seriousness. Shilpa did just that. Now, whenever Shilpa comes to her parents' house, she sees that the relationship between her sister-in-law and her mother is normal. And now whenever Sudha Ji fell ill, the whole house would take care of her, and she would recover quickly with the love and affection of her loved ones.

It should happen like this. If there is love, affection, and understanding in relationships, and everyone supports each other, then there will be no rift between mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, and sister-in-law, and no risk of relationships breaking.