Mrs. Khanna and Katherine

Mrs. Khanna did not really get to know Katherine much. The pre-wedding formalities, the hustle and bustle of first marriage function at home and then the frenzy of lunches and dinners that followed the wedding ...looking back, everything seemed like an event that had happened long long ago, though it had only been a year that her son Kabir had married Katherine Davis, his British colleague in London.

It's been a year already! She somehow seemed to marvel at the year gone by. The train of thought was picking up speed when she recalled that even at that time of Kabir's wedding, she did not know much about Katherine. All she knew and could understand was the fact that she was a pleasant girl from a good family and she and her son Kabir loved each other a lot. They wanted to get married and like all loving parents, Mrs and Mr Khanna and Katherine's parents Mrs. and Mr. Davis had all met and had found each other agreeable enough to allow their 'kids' to marry each other.

What followed was a full blown Punjabi wedding. Relatives and friends flying in, hotel bookings being managed, shopping, budgeting, gift packing and all the other jazz that Indian, specially Punjabi weddings are known for. While most of her time was spent planning and executing details about the impending wedding, there were moments when she had some time for herself - and it was during these moments that the idea of a foreigner daughter-in-law tried to intimidate her, which she would try and shrug off - more out of exhaustion than intimidation.

The wedding functions and the post wedding rituals and ceremonies - everything went off well, very smoothly in fact. The three weeks after the wedding had flown by in a jiffy - and soon it was time for Kabir and Katherine to report back to work in London. They left with promises to have Mrs. and Mr. Khanna come over to London as soon as possible. But for the Khannas, the 'as soon as possible' only came after a year, what with their full time jobs as banking professionals. 

Ans now, seated in her plush seat on-board the British Airways flight headed to London, Mrs. Khanna was again feeling the old tinge of intimidation. After all, for the first time she would be spending two months at a go with her British daughter-in-law Katherine. Seated next to her, Mr. Khanna was oblivious to her trepidation and seemed to be enjoying British Airways's hospitality - resting comfortably in his seat and indulging good food and good wine. 

They landed at the Heathrow Airport right on time and post the checking out formalities waited for Kabir to show up at the arrivals. He had messaged earlier to say he would be there to receive them. But what a pleasant surprise it was for both of them to find Katherine beaming at the arrivals! Dressed up in beautiful salwaar kameez, she had a huge bouquet in one hand and a lovely hand made placard in the other. Done up in bright colours, the placard read - 

WELCOME HOME!

Mrs. Khanna stood there, staring at the placard, the many wires in head and heart de-tangling themselves - tears filling up her eyes and love filling up her heart. So far away from India, so far away from home, she had discovered a daughter in a loving daughter-in-law. And standing there, at the bustling Heathrow airport, she knew she was going to love London.

Hope this story inspires all mothers-in-law to be friends with their daughters-in law, and of course vice versa. Hope you enjoyed reading this story, and if you related to it in any way, then please do share your thoughts.