An unusual story of life

Sunita Chopra, is a 42 year old widow who lost her husband over a year back. She has two children, a daughter who’s doing her second year Honours in Commerce and a son, who’s going to class VIII. For some reason, the children blame the mother for their father’s death and have made life miserable for her – they do not go regularly to their college/school, find fault in the food that she prepares, do not take medicines when they're ill and it’s almost like a mutinous situation at her home. Consequently, Sunita is in a shambles and is quietly losing her confidence and even, the will to live. Her husband’s extended family stay not too far away, but are not very close with the family and hence, help from them is not forthcoming. She’s scared to take help from her mother or other siblings, as the children abhor them and taunt her that she’s only interested in enjoying life with her folks, when she spends time with them.

The open hostility of the children against their mother has a backdrop. The family was staying at Paschim Vihar in Delhi, close to Mr. Chopra’s siblings and relatives. About four years back, on Sunita’s insistence, they shifted lock, stock and barrel to a flat of their own in Rani Bagh. Mr. Chopra, however, was not very happy with the new surroundings and used to broach the topic often when they'd their quarrels. Soon, as if on cue, he started having his medical problems and protracted illness eventually cost him his job. It was this run up that unfortunately ended up in his untimely demise.

The hapless lady had come for counseling and one did not have a clue as to how one could proceed in providing her help. Groping in the dark, she was asked to go on a short break, alongwith her children, to her cousin’s place in Nasik. On return, she is to take up a flat on rent, back in Paschim Vihar, while giving her present dwelling place on rent. Paradoxical though, she agrees that this is workable and hence the green signal! The arrangement could be for a period of two years, over which it’s fondly hoped that the children would come to terms with reality and understand their mother better and allow her to live in peace!