Flashback I

On 08 Oct after another day at office I came back home to a huge meal. As was my habit I repaired to my bedroom for my afternoon siesta. Mobile connectivity was very much in evidence and after only a few minutes into my slumber I was woken up to the insistent ringing of the phone. I turned the other side in the hope that it would go away. But obviously this was a call I had to take. Grumpily cursing all and sunder I answered the phone. It was my sister . " It is all over venkat - your mother died a few minutes back" she said. " She had her lunch and when I went to wake her up at tea time , there was no response". I did not know whether to be relieved or to be sad. Now when I think back, my feelings were ambivalent. The dominant feeling was that of sadness of course - or so I would like to think. That day itself we left for Delhi to catch the flight. Thoughts of happy times while  growing up were predominant in my mind. And suddenly the knowledge that my mother was no more struck me forcibly. A part of my mind reasoned that she was old and it was only logical that this incident would have happened sooner or later. I had known her only since my birth. Now was the time to explore her past life ... This is the story of a lady who sacrificed all for her family - a lady who in the face of adversity was steady as a rock and who always saw positivity in setbacks and encouraged her brood and husband alike to continue to improve in life.
  
1920

There is a small village in the west Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh, on the banks of River Godavari. In this village lived a landlord along with his wife. In 1920 there was excitement in the air. The lady of the house had conceived and today was the day that the child was to be delivered. Soon the house was rent with the indignant cries of a child forcibly removed from the comfort of it mother's womb. The general feeling of celebration was in the air. No sadness in the family that it was a girl child - just that the child was born healthy and that the mother and child were safe. I do not know much about the childhood of the girl. Suffice it to say that her father died very early becoming prey to small pox which was rampant at that time. People - read relations - took advantage of the widow and relieved her of most of her lands and property. Education was practically non existent.

1928

As was prevalent she got married when she was 8 yrs old it was time for marriage. She was married that year into a household of 5 brothers and 5 sisters. When she got married they were all not yet born . She was married to the third brother of an affluent family close by in Ravulpalam. Although the marriage was solemnised , it was not until her 15th year that she actually took up residence in her in laws' place. When she did go there the , the responsibility of looking after the younger siblings of my father devolved round her. My father was away at that time , completing his higher studies. When she used to talk about it  - albeit reluctantly she used to tell us how she had to wake up at 0300 h in the morning, have a bath , decorate the courtyard with 'Muggu',(It was here that she gave vent to her creativity) draw the water for the rest of the household from the well , light the 'chulla' make the lunch look after the children , give them a bath, and be ready for whatever the life threw at her. It was a trying time for her and she came out of it in good shape.

1940 - 1958

By this time she had already spent a few years with my father and in 1942 she gave birth to the eldest son . The independence struggle was hotting up and she along with my father - though he was in a government job - actively supported it. In 1944 while Tiruchunapalli she gave birth to my second brother. They moved to Delhi . For an uneducated lady with no knowledge of the spoken language she was at the mercy of the local populace. She learnt Hindi on the go and in times to come she was table to communicate to get the job done.

While in Delhi in 1947 independence for the country was announced. Then started the bloodbath of the partition . She helped in saving lives of many who were the target of the riots and and hid people who were in fear of their lives. Matters settled thereafter and in quick succession she gave birth to sons and daughters. What was great about her was that in addition to her brood she also had to look after the kids of her husband's siblings. Since he was the only one in a city with access to education , these kids were put in his responsibility. Naturally , between a strict man who used to be impatient with stupid mistakes , and a lady who was soft and gentle, all the children graduated to her for love and affection. Independence also meant that my father had to travel all over the country to set up radio stations and transmitters at remote places. This was the reason that all my brothers and sisters were born all over the country. At around this time my parents realised that my eldest brother was special. This  was a heart wrenching development . In spite of being buffeted by fate, my parents took it in their stride.By 1958 they had moved to Bombay,where they were to remain for the next five years. Around this time all my grand parents had ft for their heavenly abode, save my grandmother who took up permanent residence with her daughter to help her cope with six kids , in addition to others who were transiting through for higher education. The stage was set for my arrival in to this world...