It was a bright
Sunday.
The clouds were
unusually blue.
The birds were chirpier
than ever.
And Lakshmi, my
maid stood smiling at my bedroom door. That was a usual sight on Sundays.
Oh, dear lord! Why do I have to wake up to my
maid! Such a bad omen! Wonder what's in stock for today!
"What's happening
Lakshmi? Is your husband back yet?", I asked knowing it would irritate her. One of those sadistic
pleasures.
"No Amma", she smiled again.
"Then, what's with the
smile?"
"It's just a nice day
Amma. It feels good."
That's true. It
was a Sunday. Sundays are supposed to be nice.
No client calls.
No meetings.
No deadlines to meet.
No deadlines to meet.
But would she
know! She just had to come in and sweep and mop and wash.
She had no targets
to meet.
No long appraisal
forms to fill.
No power-up
meetings.
She gets paid,
whatsoever.
Unaware of my
thoughts, Lakshmi continued to sweep the floor.
I was having
breakfast, when she was leaving. Mom told me that it was her birthday. She
turned 23. I tipped her with a 100 rupee note. Mom gave her a saree - something
I had bought for myself, but never worn. One of those 'spur of the moment'
purchases, which I regretted later on.
Her eyes beamed.
She seemed happier than she was a while ago.
I wondered what
would happen when a happy person became happier. I mean, what was the highest you
can reach in happiness? Was there any measure to it? Was there an end to
happiness?
Mom tipped her with
another 50 and sent her off.
"Mom! Do you have to be
so generous?"
"What about the Rs. 2,000
you spent on your friend's birthday party last week?"
"Well... errr....
Lakshmi is just a servant! And, my friends are different..."
"No, It's not! It's the
same! She deserves it more than your friends."
"Mom, you better keep
away from her. She is spoiling you."
"Geethu, I think you
should talk to her sometime."
"About what? Advertising
and strategic planning? Please! Gimme a break!"
"No my dear! About
life..."
"Mom! She is 23.
Stranded with 2 kids – a 2-year-old with a hole in her heart and a 4-year-old.
Her drunkard husband ran away with whatever gold she had, about a year ago. And
she totally deserved it! Who asked her to elope with her dad's driver, that too
at 18? She made her choices. Now she must face the consequences. She is a
loser. Whereas I – am an MBA graduate, working with a reputed firm, earning a 6-digit
salary, can speak 4 languages, have no kids to take care of, and yeah, I write blogs
too! What do I have to learn from HER?"
(Wait a sec! Just
this morning I was cursing my employer and complaining about my targets... But,
who cares!)
"You have to learn time
management from her. You have to learn negotiation from her. You have to learn
multi-tasking from her. Most of all, you have to learn to smile, from
her!"
"Oh! Mom! Please!"
"Geethu, have you realized
that you never smile? You don’t enjoy your food? You don’t talk to me because
you are busy on your phone always. You don’t ask me if I have eaten yet. You
expect my headache to vanish with a Crocin but will bring the house down when
you have one!"
"Now, now mom! That is
not true. I care for you. I love you. I am your daughter!"
"I know. But you have
changed. You just exist. You have stopped living."
"Hahaha! Now, that’s a
new one! I wonder what the difference is. Anyways, enough of Gyan. I need to go
for that school mates’ lunch meet at the Taj today. Have spent a fortune for
the reservations. I will be late. Don’t wait up."
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The car broke down. That too, in front of the government hospital.
I hate hospitals.
Thankfully, there was a mechanic shop nearby. I was waiting for it to get
fixed, when I saw Lakshmi pass by. Her 2-year-old on her hips and the 4-year-old
was dragging behind. The baby was crying.
Wonder what's up?
Do I ask?
No... I don’t want
to be late for my lunch meet.
Humanity knocked hard
on the doors of my conscience.
Fine! I will ask
her.
Lakshmi seemed
happy to see me.
"Amma, the baby has been
crying nonstop. Had to bring her in. Can you please come with me to the doctor?
I don’t understand half of what she says."
Oh, no no no! The
hole in the heart can wait. My lunch meet cannot!
Reluctantly, I
accompanied her.
Did I say I hate
hospitals? I really do!
The corridor was
crowded. Lakshmi seemed to know the place in and out. She led the way. As we
waited, patients – across varying age groups, skin tones, wounds kept walking
in and out. The only visible link amongst them all – poverty.
The wards were overflowing
with patients and houseflies. The sight was pathetic. Women crying as they fed
their near ones. Men who seemed lost looking at bills. When our turn came, we
walked into a small room. The Doctor looked familiar.
"Manjula!"
She looked the
same. Except for a little grey hair.
She looked
perplexed.
"Geethu?"
Not bad! She
recognized me, despite my 'rebonded’ hair, ‘green’ contact lenses and 'mild'
make-up.
"How come you
here?"
"Oh! I have come with my
maid, Lakshmi. Her kid is sick."
I didn’t have to
ask her the same. I always knew Manju would end up like this. At some NGO or orphanage
helping people.
"I know Lakshmi quite
well. So, you are who she works for! She
keeps telling me how you have been helping her financially."
(Is it so? That is
not me then. I need to keep a check on this! Mom! Let me get home.)
I managed to force
a smile.
The kid was still
crying.
She was given some
injection and medicines.
"That should ease the
pain for now..."
"What's wrong with the
kid?" I asked for
courtesy sake.
"Well, she seems to be
recovering well. A minor operation will fix it forever. Lakshmi has been
delaying it for want of money."
The baby looked
drowsy with the medicines. The elder one started crying now. Lakshmi looked at
me for help. I offered to hold the younger one. A sleeping devil is always
better than one that's awake.
The kid was pretty
weightless. She slept on my shoulder, clinging on to my hair. I felt her
heartbeat.
Her heart with a
hole.
"How much will it
cost?"
"Around fifty thousand
rupees for the surgery. A couple of thousands more for the medicines and
recuperation."
My phone rang,
"Where are you? We are all here. Waiting for you..."
"I will be late. You
guys can start with the lunch"
"Don’t tell us you work
on Sundays as well..."
"Listen, I will have to
call you back..."
Beeeep.
"How soon can we do this
operation?"
"I have spoken to my
friend who works with a private hospital. I have already made all arrangements
there. We can have it done, as soon as the money is ready. Lakshmi has been
saving money and handing it over to me for safekeeping. But that’s not
enough."
I remembered
vaguely how mom mentioned she was scared to sleep alone at her house, with men
scavenging around for whatever they could loot from her.
"Please arrange for the
operation soon. I will bear the expenses".
I thought I felt a
heartbeat skip.
Was it the baby's
heart?
Manjula looked
shocked.
Lakshmi's eyes
widened.
I was in a deeper
shock. What did I just say?
"This baby deserves to
live. Please leave the expenses to me".
I said it again.
"Right. I will have it
fixed soon".
I was holding the
baby as we walked back. The car was repaired. My phone kept ringing. I would
have thrown it away, had I not spent a good thirty thousand on it.
I drove back with
Lakshmi and her kids, and dropped her home. She cried as I handed over the
child. I asked her name for the first time.
"Punarjani".
It meant ‘rebirth’.
I smiled.
"Amma, you are a
goddess."
"No, I am not. You are.
You live happily. Despite your sorrows. You look forward to a brighter
tomorrow. Your targets in life seem unachievable, yet you never stop trying.
You never give up on your kids. And most importantly, you never stop smiling. Thanks Lakshmi!"
Mom was surprised
to see me home for lunch.
"What about your
friends?"
"They can wait."
She was moved when
I praised her sambhar and cauliflower fries.
I asked her what
she did all day and offered to take her out for a drive in the beach, something
she had been longing for months now.
She noticed the
difference.
It was Lakshmi's
birthday.
But it was I who
was reborn.
nice one geetha!
ReplyDeleteI don't have habits like reading news papers, books, magazines. But i started reading your blog regularly. Interesting!!! and Excellent!!!
ReplyDeleteThnk u very much Shwetha & Ragazoo :)
ReplyDeleteVery touching!
ReplyDelete- A friend from the past...
Hey Frnd from the past - Thnk U!
ReplyDeleten I thought "Friends" are "Forever" :)
Wld like to hv u back someday!
Nice! :)
ReplyDeletethnks Guru! looks like u were on a marathon readin n commenting session ystrday?? thnk u so much for ur time!
ReplyDeleteWell, when your job sucks and you're not in the mood to do ANY work, you gotta find ways to kill 8 hours. :D
ReplyDeletethts true! try writing a blog... it helped me :)
ReplyDelete