The Last Envelope

 

March 10, 1990.

Ruby’s wedding ceremony was fixed. All of a sudden her father swing into full action and soon the whole house became active in finalizing all the necessary arrangements for the occasion.

She was the only daughter so nothing was to be left. Her father wanted to turn every stone to honour the occasion. How meticulous he was in his planning and its execution was going to be reflected later on.

He became terribly busy and got personally involved into every thing. From wedding cards to banquet hall  every thing was decided and he did it to ensure that every thing ran smooth and alive.

It should be memorable, he used to say every time, when someone interrupted him. She is my only daughter, he would say. In a matter of few days notwithstanding the hectic moments during those days, every thing was arranged. Ruby sat with him to finalize the list of guests. We are not favourite with any of our maternal as well as paternal families. she thought.

We should not include them. Her father said, “We can go without them.” Ruby looked at him then in disbelief. At last he smiled and relaxed. “We can have Rajinder and his family.” Rajinder was uncle from mother’s side. Some ceremonies are complete without these devils.” He said. This put to rest all their anxieties and they finished with the lists.

Invitations were sent and it started with the pouring in of guests and in a couple of days the ceremony was over. As destined, Ruby left her father’s house to live with her husband’s family. They were good. They received her well.

A whole week of marriage rituals and ceremonies left them exhausted. However, the thrill soon began to fade over the time they rejoined their normal routine. Life was a tough time for both of them. It required a lot of adjustments, adaptations and there was dearth of these in both of them.

Have you taken care of your bags? 
Her mother asked her one day she told her that one of the bags in her baggage contained all the gift money that their guests and friends had given her mother and my father. The bag was part of her baggage. “Come on Mom, I don’t have enough time to open all my bags. The schedule is so hectic. Now we are moving to our new place.” She told her mother and brushed aside her query with her usual laughter.

The year that followed brought many changes in their life. Rather it changed the course of their life. They shifted from one city to other and made themselves comfortable in a new house. Ruby needed some new electric gadgets for her new kitchen and she needed the money. She tried her debit card but it was just empty. Her salary was not transferred as yet. She became little anxious. In fact she had already ordered a few things.

Ruby called her husband but he was unable to help me. He was through an important meeting in his office. She felt being pushed against wall. These moments were very tense. She called her father. He was not at home and had gone to stay with his only son. She told her mother about her problem.

I don’t think that I can help you. We are already facing a cash crunch.

She told her. Then she asked what had she done with the ‘Shagun money’. 

“Shagun money?”

She at once remembered the bag. She threw the phone on the bed and rushed to store to find the bag. She was not sure where she had placed it. She searched through her baggage and at last she found it.

Yes I have got it. How lucky I am.

This is really a treasure hunt.

She told herself. She rushed through the bag and emptied it on the bed. Soon there was a heap of envelops piled on one another, all colourful some of them tied with red thread and with a curiosity she opened them one by one. She needed badly the money and there it was. She did not know it. Hurriedly she started opening them one by one not caring for name of the guest written on them. She took out all the money and counted it. She had got enough of it. She put back those unopened envelopes into the bag to be used for the next time.

Mom, I have found it and got all the money I needed.
She rang up her mother to tell her. She was happy and now she was sure that she would buy all that she needed and this she did.

Next time she reached for the bag when she had to admit her child into her first school. Money mattered most, she thought for a while. But she was comfortable with the thought that she had her own resources. While opening the envelopes one by one, one day, she found the one which bore the name of her uncle, the maternal uncle. She was curious to know what it contained. But when she opened it, there was another envelope with the words inscribed, “Please open when you need it.”  She put it aside as she had no high expectations from the only relative who attended her marriage. “Oh, Uncle, … poor good for nothing fellow.” She muttered to herself and left it unopened.

Months rolled on into years and time flew when one day suddenly Ruby found herself trapped in financial mess for which they were responsible partly. They faced the lay off. First her husband lost his job and it was her turn the next week. They would get another job, both of them thought, but things were not that easy until one day, it really became unmanageable.

Both of them tried to seek help from their respective relatives and friends but everybody turned cold shoulder. At last they decided they should open a small establishment of their own. The mess needs to be sorted and cleared, she thought. She began to get rid of things she did not need it. She enjoyed doing so until she came across the envelope, the last one. She had put it aside but today she needed to know about its content. She needed some help and she opened it. Instead of money, it contained a small piece of paper.

“Life is a struggle, real hard struggle, I wish you all the best. Go ahead and win it. May your success last longer.  Here is a small token of love for you.- Your uncle.”

Her tears welled up and she held it to her eyes and kissed the small piece of paper. With the slips was a gift cheque of fifty thousand.

“Oh, Uncle, thank you. This is what I needed most.” She called her Uncle to say.

She said to herself “At last I found it in my last envelop.”