Lately, I had been feeling very distant from my grandmother. Though we were domiciled in the same house for over a week, an awkward silence preceeded us. I was piqued by some of her actions and decided it was best to avoid her and keep my chagrin to myself. It was not the best approach to this situation. And I regret this action of mine often.

My grandmother's a lot like me in numerous ways. We share the love of books. One morning, as O saw her sit by the dining table, engrossed in a novel, 'The Dollar Bahu' I decided to break the ice and embark on a conversation with her.

Our tête-à-tête flowed from her book to Chanakya's chant to the book I was reading yesterday, Matched by Allie Condie. As I told her about the book, fascination , allure and wonder spread across her face.

I noticed her nose ring. We commenced a conversation about my juvenile aspiration to convince my father to permit me to get my ears pierced. She revealed her wish to me, " I have always wanted to buy a pair of diamond earrings . But alas! I have never been able to. If only...."
A scent of hope lingered in her last sentence.

I wished somehow that I could fill that void with joy. An idea struck my mind. I ran to my room and returned with a pair of silver earrings with a peace sign engraved on them in black and a owl ring I had purchased at a bustling shopping market.

I coaxed grandma to try it on. Her face flushed with embarrassment and she said, "Oh no! These frills are meant for you young kids!"
Vehemently refusing her mitigation, I forced her to try on the owl ring.
Quietly she said, "This looks far better on your long thin fingers than they do on my wrinkled ones!"
"Rubbish! I think it accentuates your beauty rather well!", I said. Her face was far more beautiful and expressive than she thought. In her eyes, I no longer saw an old hurt wrinkled woman. I saw a young nineteen year old, enjoying these accessories on the sly from the world.
"The next time I go to the market, I will definitely bring you one of these earrings with a peace sign on them.",I promised grandma.
And with that promise, I parted not only with a promise of buying her a pair of earrings but also with a promise of a lifelong bond.
Taking the ring out, we shared a h