After her retirement Bama was facing a difficulty in choosing among many options that were placed before her.Because of her nature , she always looked for a role to play than looking for options that would suit her in terms of a peaceful retired life. All the children were vying with one another to have Bama with them.Bama always had a feeling that she was not lending the kind of support to her children that she got from
her mother. Hence she chose the option of going to her second son Murali's house at Chennai.He had been transfered to Mumbai on transfer. His family was living in Chennai. The family needed support to take care of the two kids as Murali's wife was a working woman. (All her daughter in laws are working and she prefers it that way.). Moreover the family also wanted Bama to be with them.

By July 1994 she moved to Chennai. She had a good time with her grand children. But with in six months
Parthasarathy fell ill and hospitalised. It was a stroke and the neurologist saved him from paralysis.The Doctor found him to be having hypertension and advised Bama to keep him away from all provocations.Bama found out that he is becoming tense at the sight of anybody other than her and she could not live in any family. From then on she always had a seperate home wherever she was to facilitate the solitude that Parthasarathy needed.

After discharging him from the hospital, she conveyed her decision to go back to Turaiyur to her children. She explained that Turaiyur could provide the solitary and simple life that their oldage needed. The children were shocked. They pleaded her not to take hasty decisions. But once she makes
up her mind she would not listen to anybody. With a heavy heart they arranged for her return trip. She had a stop over of one month at Trichy in here last son Cheenu's home.( The writer's home.). He tried to convince her life at Trichy would be same as Turaiyur. But Bama somehow felt that her
presence is not required there as Cheenu's in_laws were living locally and could get help whenever needed.Cheenu thought that she could be retained at Trichy and she would respect his word. But nothing could stop Bama. Parthasarathy was not normal and started protesting the stay with son's family in
peculiar ways. Bama decided that he was a neiusance and resolved to insulate all her children  from him. She rather violently extricated herself from Cheenu's famil and landed in Turaiyur at the dawn of the New Year in 1995.

The moment news spread in Turaiyur that she was back, all her students thronged her and resumed her Tution Classes. Parthasarathy desired absolute solitude and even resented students. He would hurl abuses at students when she was not around. She had to shout at him and silence him. She could not remain idle and stare at a husband who kept  mum always. During her early marriage he was violent with blows and words. Now he was violent with silence and solitude.

Her grandson Narayana ( Vijaya's son) was back with her for two years 1995 and 1997 for his SSLC and +2.Children kept visiting her frequently. They were persuading her to be with them. In 1998 she gave in to their request and agreed to come to Chennai, but insisted that she would be with Parthasarathy in a seperate home. She moved to Chennai in 1998 - into  a seperate home which was close to all the three children living in Chennai.

..............Will be continued.