Tumhi ho mata pita tumhi ho - You are the mother you are the father.

#PapaSaga 

It’s been over seven weeks since Amma's passing. All of us are able to move forward with our lives, and a big credit goes to Papa. He has become our strength. Surprisingly, he has taken over many of the things Amma used to do for us, checking on us every day, calling, and supporting us in ways he never had to before.

I cannot even fathom what he is going through. Losing a partner of 56 years is not easy. I feel he is hurting more inside, but he leads us to believe he is better than yesterday or the day before.

Our Amma used to make phone calls, video calls, and leave us voice messages. Papa was always a guest appearance in those calls; Amma would continue the talk. She left a void in our lives in many ways, and this was one of them.

The day before I left, I sat with Papa to teach him how to make video calls and leave voice notes. Papa turned out to be a quick learner and mastered it in one day. Now, Papa does video calls and leaves beautiful messages. Amma used to send standard couple of lines, but Papa’s messages are interesting and longer than a few seconds, unlike Amma’s.

I used to talk to Papa about history, current events, and many other usual topics, but now I also add conversations about packing and shopping for a trip. I love him even more for making us feel doubly loved and cared for on Amma’s behalf too.

A cotton paithani for a day in NYC. 

Papa sitting on his usual spot reading his news papar. That goodness for election season, he has plenty to watch, read  and listen