Maa

           My mother was a working woman. With her earnings, which supplemented my father's income, we had enough to live a decent life. She would meet me in the hostel once a month with lots of goodies that we called 'tuck'. During our holidays, she would cook all our favourite dishes - barfi, gulab jamuns, pickles....she had the Midas touch. When we fell sick, she was our Florence Nightingale. During our exam preparations, she was up night and day, with coffee, tea and savouries on demand. As she waved us goodbye after our holidays, I could see her bravely trying to hold back her tears.  She was quite a disciplinarian but beneath this strict veneer was a person with a heart of gold. 

          One pearl of advice that she always gave me was that I should get educated and become financially independent. She would say that I should never be in a position where I would have to ask my husband for money even if I needed to buy a small supari (in our side it was commonplace then to eat betel nut which cost about 10 paise in those days). This invaluable lesson I held close to my heart.
         Yesterday, on Women's Day, I bowed my head in reverence before my icon for emancipation and empowerment - my mother. Thank you Maa....this valuable mantra you imparted, I will pass on to my daughter and to every woman.