I don’t have a close relationship with my grandmothers as is found in many Indian households. My paternal grandmother spoke mostly Sadri and was shy to speak in Hindi even if she knew it. We didn’t speak much as I mostly spoke Assamese with my uncles and aunts. However, she is a hard-working yet calm lady. She used to cook meals with organically grown food in the semi-urban area that they were at. Whenever my uncles visited Guwahati from Dhekiajuli (Sonitpur), I would request them to bring some rice rotis prepared by my grandma. My dad had a transferable job. As long as he was in service, it was difficult moving about dogs. So we kept our dogs at our grandmother’s place. She was incredibly affectionate towards them.

My materal grandmother was a nurse who worked till superannuation. When my sister and I were little children, she used to get us candies and give us some money before leaving, back to Hatiali (Chabua) from Guwahati. Unlike my paternal grandmother, there were no language barriers with my maternal grandmother. Even then, we spoke less and only to the extent that was required.