My marriage took place at the age of thirty, without any mention of my name. My wife’s family was not particularly well off either;
Her father, the elderly Mr. Sharma, approximately 70 years old, was characterized by his frailty, quietness, and former laborer who lived in a boarding house. The family vacation package offers includes vacation packages designed to be shared. After the wedding ceremony, he moved in with my husband and me, remaining with us until his final days.
Over a period of 20 years, not a single rupee was paid for essential services such as electricity, water, food, or medicine. They didn’t take care of the grandchildren, nor did they do cooking or cleaning. Some people even called it “the best gift.”
I often felt annoyed, but later I reflected: “This is an old man, my father-in-law; if I complain, who will take care of them?” However, to be honest, I frequently felt inner resentment. Sometimes, I would come home exhausted from work, open the empty refrigerator, and watch others sip their tea in peace, as if it had no connection with the situation.
Thus, on one occasion, she passed away, thinking it was all over… Her passing was peaceful at the age of 89. No serious illness, no need for hospitalization. That morning, my husband gave her porridge and noticed she was no longer breathing. I didn’t notice her presence significantly, partly because of her seniority, partly because… I had grown accustomed to her presence as a shadow in the house.
The funeral service was simple. None of my wife’s family possessed considerable wealth, so my wife and I assumed responsibility for all the arrangements. Three days later, a man in a suit showed up at our door, and a glass of water fell from my hand. Family vacation packages include vacation packages designed to be shared. It was a lawyer carrying a collection of documents in his hand. After confirming my identity, he handed me a red notebook and said, “According to Elder Mr. Sharma’s will, you are the sole heir to all his personal property.”
The piece of land constituted his ancestral property, which he had kept completely secret, and he had never issued a declaration about it. The savings account represented the capital accumulated throughout his life derived from pensions and government benefits, with interest, without undergoing a single monetary change.
They chose to bestow it on me, who at one point considered himself a “gift,” even wishing he would leave home. That night, she stood alone in front of her altar, lighting incense sticks. Gazing at her smiling reflection, I whispered, “I made a mistake, Father.” “You lived silently your entire life, allowing no one to consider you a debtor, even the individual who once considered you a burden.”
