The get-together saw five generations celebrating the vast spectrum of life. A 95-year-old Meena Kumari, the oldest member of the family, travelled all the way from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, along with her 78-year-old daughter Pushpa Sharma, to meet the other generations at her great granddaughter Reena Rambani’s (30) house. The occasion was very special. It was the first birthday of little Riya, Reena’s daughter. Reena’s mother Sarita (56), too, came down to bless the one-year-old.
Reena played host to 40 relatives at the function. And according to the family, the number was very less as everybody couldn’t come. Meena Kumari has four sons and four daughters — all live in Saharanpur — with the branches of the family settled in other parts of the country.
Fifteen years ago, there was a similar get-together at the family’s ancestral house in Saharanpur that had brought four generations together. Meena Kumari stays there with her elder son.
“It was fun to see all five generations of our family together, which is otherwise a rare phenomenon. Though we make it a point of be in touch, meeting up in person was no less than a dream come true,” says Reena.
For Meena Kumari, it was the biggest achievement of her life to watch her four generations grow and prosper before her eyes.
As for Pushpa Sharma, the bond among them has got stronger with age. “Life took a full circle for us today. This was the first time that all five generations got together for a function in the family. When we met more than 15 years ago, we did not know God would give us an opportunity to be with our fifth generation too,” she says.
“Though my mother is 95 years old, she has the heart of a 30-year-old and loves watching cricket and latest Bollywood movies. And it is this spirit of hers that helps us all forget the generation gap,” Pushpa adds.
The family now plans to unite every year to celebrate the festival called life and enjoy the togetherness.