She was dark but docile, lean and tender , thin but strong .Her eyes were dark enough to hide evrything wthin them.Her voice was shivering as she banged the gate hard calling "Amma " "Amma".She must be some 20 odd aged.But surprisingly the big pouch in her arms had, a small baby, among the many other things.There was a tattered saree, small pieces of cloth,a plastic with some biscuits and much more because almost everything was visibly falling from the sides.This was just the scene from the window in my room .But it seemed as if she was endlessly calling Amma Amma .Or it could be her voice resounding in my ears since her first call.She was desperate and exhausted. I wanted to wake my Mom and go down to her. May be I was too scared to face her alone but then there was no reason why. I , still, couldn't prevent myself from attending her. Then there was pin drop silence of a scorching sunny afernoon ,which she had broken by banging on every gate she could reach.I thought may be she left, may be she didnt.....May be I should go and check that....I went down the stairs, peeped trough the vent of our main door.She had dissappeared.I opened the door to look through the roads and check if she truly went away hopelessly, which I didnt want.I was craving for that one look at her face , the one that mesmerized me.
Maaa!!! A voice came from some where.Oh!!!the pouch she left!!It wasn't just the pouch, a mini-bed for a some-month-old girl. She was sparkingly beautiful.It was the same pouch that the lady was carrying.Some thousand questions ran in my mind.Did she abandon this child?Did she leave it to die?Did she leave this as food to Dogs?WHy? All questions stopped as I could see her coming from far.I asked her daringly, where she had gone ,as if I wanted her to answer me all those question that ran through me in one breath. But she replied in her leek and tender tone,"didi !!!! Water" with a water filled half-broken plastic bottle in her hand . I felt bad for not attending her then when she was running desperately from one gate to the other.My bad!!I asked her about the kid, and who she was.With the question she understood I was more worried for the kid.But how could I say her I was worried for not just her but both.They became dear to me in the first sight.In the mean time, my Mom came down to have a look at what it all was.She was as surprised as I was.A half-naked woman with a very tiny, malnutritioned kid."Who is she ?" asked my Mom.Even I didnt know.What to tell her.Mom turned to her "Where are you from ?" May be she didnt like my Mom instantly.Ignoring her questions she started to feed her child with the biscuits in the pouch and water from that broken bottle.Mom went ahead saying " Did you get this from the dust-bin?"She said"I bought these!!!""No !! not the biscuits, the bottle I am asking",Mom.She batted her lashes foolishly and said "Ohh!! But she was crying for water".Mom said " You 'll kill her anyways, lady!!! The dogs shit on these".I was just a silent observer of this introductory conversation between my Mom and her when suddenly she threw the child off the lap and shouted at my Mom saying "Kill who??" "kill Whooooo" "kill her""Had I wanted it, I would have done it 6 months ago not now" "I came from so far .....to this place...... to kill her""How can you think so.You're rich,educated and have so many people, so you can think of killing, not I!!! I'm alone ,all alone!!I want her to grow like you all , so I came so far" We kept on listening like statues.
I wanted to ask her the obvious questions like where are others.Surely she could not be the lone guardian .There has to be a Father."Where is your husband ??" I asked scarily."Gone to Hell"she replied back immediately."Ohh I'm sorry "I said.I knew she wasnt expecting ettiquetes, but then that comes by default to us,we the Elite. "Hurrrgggggghhh!!!!!!! I wish he died.I could have lived in peace." I guess I understood somewhat,"Where is he then?"...."With that bitch "I was now sure of my assumption."He is a Dog, a drunkard , a thief , a robber ....and this child's father" "He left me with the child in a jungle, for the foxes, but we survived."I was dumbstruck.I had seen demons in TV serials, movies, but this was one real time.How could he??? I knew nothing of that man but just wanted to stab him for his devlish act.Isnt he a human like you and me.But such questions , philosophy and introspection couldn't help her now. She had come here to find work away from the devil's den and grow her child to a good human being.My respect quadrapled.I wanted her to be a role model for every woman .But that was just a dream which was more than just tough accomplishing. She didnt know civilized society, didnt know culture, moreover nothing.But she had a dream- to bring up the child like us.How could I tell her that the dream was very very far from Reality .All the more, I didnt want that. If God has given night and sleep , so has He given Dream. I had no right to snatch her from it.
My Mom arranged for a small house for them and paid for that initially ,gave old clothes for the mother , some new for the kid.The lady worked as domestic help initially.Now she stitches clothes and earns enough for their living. Her kid got funded and admitted to school by Mom. They sometimes visit us.The small kid has an amazing dazzle in her eyes and charm in her smile.She is living her mother's dreams.
I had now seen two strong women.One the lady who fought her destiny and one who helped her fight it , my Mom.Love you Mama. To all the Women,You have a "Heart of Gold".Live it :)
