Where did Murthy aunty's laughter go?

"You know Veena!" 65 year old Murthy aunty's voice was all animated. Her eyes were round and her expressive face was ready to share an "important" news. "The lady on the ground floor - she fights with her husband every evening for no reason. I sat with the lady and her husband and tried to make both of them see sense." And then with a satisfied proud look on her face she continued, "I think I was successful. But I cant help wonder why does the lady fight in the first place?" said Murthy aunty. 

Murthy aunty was this "all-friendly" neighborhood aunty. She was unbelievably talented and would easily manage functions and ceremonies organized in the apartment. And since she was so talented, she would want to make a difference in other people's lives too. However, I would find this very "caring" trait of hers a little interfering. But since she was very innocent and childlike, I would brush off her intrusions.

"Did you know about the Khannas downstairs?" Murthy aunty waited to watch the reaction on my face before she proceeded, "they have bought a two crore house in the heart of the city. They are planning to shift there in a month's time. However I am concerned about the children. I am not sure if the children will have a good company there. I have heard in that locality, people pretty much keep to themselves. I had a talk with Khanna. He asked me to not worry.. Lets see."

After a tired day, when I would walk down the garden with my daughter for our evening walks, I would spot Murthy aunty sitting on the garden chair. And as much as I liked the 15 minutes chat with her, I would honestly and sincerely wish that she would keep her thoughts to herself and not worry about people's matters. I would try to explain to her that people are power houses of energy and they were pretty much capable of solving their own situations. Once or twice when I had alluded to her that she might be interfering in people's life,  she had felt a little shocked and her eyes had filled with tears. I had let her be. I continued to enjoy the daily gossip along with my evening walks and would get back to my own life and world.

One particular day Murthy aunty was sitting on the garden chair looking a little forlorn. Apparently she had fought with one of her favorite sister-in-laws and she was lost for words. The pain that she was going through was very visible on her face. The next few days, she was unusually silent and somehow it looked as if this small incident had grown her up. 
She did not gossip too much and every time she spoke there was so much maturity in what she was saying. 

She sounded grown up and I should have been happy about it. But honestly I missed the old lively chattering aunt. I had never seen aunty so grim and I was concerned for her. But there was nothing much I could do and I let things be. Besides that weekend I was going on a long vacation to Mangalore with my family and that was more on my mind those days. 

I had a wonderful time at Mangalore and the day I came back from vacation, I met aunty again. The frantic wave of her hand showed me that she was excited. "You know I went to a party yesterday and the Sharmas and the Nairs were there. Sharma aunty and Nair aunty were avoiding each other." With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she added, "You know why? Nairs had proposed their daughter's hand in marriage to the Sharmas and even though Sharma uncle was OK about the proposal, Sharma aunty was not. Nair aunty had been very upset by that. hehehe :)" She was hardly able to speak out of excitement. Controlling her laugh, she continued, "The men had long forgotten about the proposal and were on one table with a glass of drink and laughing away. While the two women spent the whole evening avoiding each other. hahahaha " 

Murthy aunty was laughing so much by then, that she could barely stand. I myself couldn't suppress a small chuckle. I made her sit on the chair and smiled my way back my house. 

Murthy aunty was alive again. I knew that I no longer needed to worry about her.