Sketchstory no. 23 - 'Green' by Archana Shivmani Rao

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Kadambari stood nervously before her huge ancestral house. She rang the door bell shaped like a tiger’s head. She remembered the childish pranks she played on her grandpa, rattling the bell at odd hours and receiving ample hugs from him in return. Memories of her late grand-parents and her parents cuddled her. She hoped her uncle would not sell this beautiful old house. She knew she didn’t stand a chance with her blotched past and obvious legal points. The only thing she yearned was for her grandma’s betel leaf box. Kadambari requested for this as her inheritance. Her uncle had exploded with disgust in his letter. She was only required to sign the papers.


She leaned on the pillar on the verandah. She longed for the bonding she was never a part of. Her uncle and his lawyer completed all the official matters swiftly. She had to leave as she wasn’t invited inside. As she walked back towards the bus-stop, the old loyal maid came running to her. Handed her a carefully sealed plastic bag. 


“Kadambari ma, this is for you. Your grandma asked me to give it you. Please don’t mention this to anyone”. When she sat in her seat, Kadambari’s eyes welled up feeling the lines of the betel leaf box.


That night, in her chawl, she opened the box. She took a few leaves in her hand. And right beneath the bunch of leaves, to her surprise, she found her grandma’s emerald studs and necklace set. It was more than enough for this lifetime!

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