The little girl dogged my footsteps. On a morning walk, i was pounding along, oblivious to the world, when i felt a gentle tug. It was her. The first thing that struck me were her eyes. Beguiling, blue and beseeching. She must've been about five, clad in a thin slip, her ribs clearly visible, the hungry look on her face, stopped me in my tracks. Her palm was stretched out in front of me, in expectation of a coin. I looked around, but at the early hour, most shops were closed, except a small multipurpose one. Heading there, with her still tailing me, i made to buy a packet of chocolate cream biscuits. Reaching out to take it, she changed her mind and pointed to a coconut crunchy instead. While i was paying for it, she took it and by the time i turned around, she was gone, running away as fast as her little legs could go. "Oi, " I yelled after her, wanting to proffer the first packet too, but she was gone. So i followed her this time. There she sat a little distance away, a little boy on her lap, feeding him the biscuits. So intent was she that when i did reach them, she jumped, when i called out. Holding out the second packet to her, i was surprised to see her shake her head, refusing it. " Why," i asked. "He's hungry, i wanted it for him." Putting it in her lap, i retorted, "To yeh tum kha lo."
As i walked away, i shook my head. Indian girls are amazing. Even a five year old had it in her to feed first the male member of the family, before she even thought of herself.
She was the best sweeper we had had so far. Middle aged, sari clad, buxom, her motherly face always lit up, when my kid greeted her with a "Hi Aunty, kem chho, (How are you) ?" every morning. Her job was to keep the entire building clean, including the communal toilets. She also collected the garbage.
It was my maid's habit to carelessly throw her slippers near the garbage bin every morning. That day, sunday, the maid was wearing new ones, which couldn't be found when she was ready to leave. After hunting high and low, she accosted the sweeper who had just come into the building. That day her husband had done her duties, so they went to ask him. A shifty fellow he denied it. Not convinced the sweeper went and rummaged amongst his belongings, found the slippers and returned them to the maid. There was hell to pay for her, as her husband beat her up when he found out she'd returned them, thus depriving him of the few bucks that would fetch him his day's drink. Bearing up stoically, she came to me and apologised for his wrong doing. Another Bharatiya Naari. The sacrificial goat.
Bringing up two kids alone is a big deal in life. Doing it while keeping the in laws' happy, serving them hand and foot is a mind boggling task. That she was brave enough to smile through it all.......... ! An accident on a highway, led to his death. Her two daughters were all she had left in the world. One was five, the other seven. What went through her mind i wondered when she found out, that she alone was responsible for two small lives, and two elderly ones ? Shifting base from a spacious flat in Aurangabad to a small dingy room in Mumbai was traumatic enough, without searching for schools, a job. Her dimpled smile never flagged, except when she was sometimes overwhelmed with the enormity of it all. Time went by, her daughters, now young, stood on the threshold of their own lives. Their mothers' strength and support, they were encouraging her to look for a groom for herself, rather than for them..
Indian Women. Hats' Off.
As i walked away, i shook my head. Indian girls are amazing. Even a five year old had it in her to feed first the male member of the family, before she even thought of herself.
She was the best sweeper we had had so far. Middle aged, sari clad, buxom, her motherly face always lit up, when my kid greeted her with a "Hi Aunty, kem chho, (How are you) ?" every morning. Her job was to keep the entire building clean, including the communal toilets. She also collected the garbage.
It was my maid's habit to carelessly throw her slippers near the garbage bin every morning. That day, sunday, the maid was wearing new ones, which couldn't be found when she was ready to leave. After hunting high and low, she accosted the sweeper who had just come into the building. That day her husband had done her duties, so they went to ask him. A shifty fellow he denied it. Not convinced the sweeper went and rummaged amongst his belongings, found the slippers and returned them to the maid. There was hell to pay for her, as her husband beat her up when he found out she'd returned them, thus depriving him of the few bucks that would fetch him his day's drink. Bearing up stoically, she came to me and apologised for his wrong doing. Another Bharatiya Naari. The sacrificial goat.
Bringing up two kids alone is a big deal in life. Doing it while keeping the in laws' happy, serving them hand and foot is a mind boggling task. That she was brave enough to smile through it all.......... ! An accident on a highway, led to his death. Her two daughters were all she had left in the world. One was five, the other seven. What went through her mind i wondered when she found out, that she alone was responsible for two small lives, and two elderly ones ? Shifting base from a spacious flat in Aurangabad to a small dingy room in Mumbai was traumatic enough, without searching for schools, a job. Her dimpled smile never flagged, except when she was sometimes overwhelmed with the enormity of it all. Time went by, her daughters, now young, stood on the threshold of their own lives. Their mothers' strength and support, they were encouraging her to look for a groom for herself, rather than for them..
Indian Women. Hats' Off.
Yes..do agree..brilliant pieces..such women deserve all the respect in the world..
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