She is about three years old I think or possibly a bit
younger. Tiny and energetic with twinkling eyes and chubby cheeks, she grabbed my
attention the moment I first laid eyes on her. Of course I seemingly ignored
her for the most part – small children can never resist that – its how I have
most kids eating out of my hands fairly easily. This one was no exception.
Her mother was my maid’s neighbour. She came asking me for a
job. I eyed her doubtfully, wondering how she could manage to take care of the
child and do the dishes at the same time. I told her I didn’t have much
requirement for a second maid but she pleaded softly. She was very young and delicately
pretty. I couldn’t say no but I was sure my decision would come to bite me in
the near future.
The first day mother and daughter came in with big smiles.
The little one was chattering away constantly and I do mean non-stop. I tried
to suppress my grins as I went about my cooking and packing of lunches. She was
a bit shy with me and would keep quiet whenever I was in the kitchen. Sushanth
found the tiny girl adorable and he would openly show his admiration. She in
return bestowed her brightest smiles on him.
Soon she took to being more and more curious. She would
follow Mahi chirping ‘Didi, Didi” till Mahi could take it no more. She marched
up to me saying ‘Amma, she has way too much energy. I can’t play with her
anymore.” I raised my eyebrow and asked innocently “Oh really? Imagine having
that kind of energy!” Mahi wasn’t amused. Riya, as the little minx was called,
managed to adopt the entire lot of us. She would go on in Bengali about God
knows what while we stared with bewildered amusement. She wouldn’t leave her
mother for a second and kept getting in everyone’s way in the kitchen. Her
singsong “Maaa, Oooo Maaaaa” and “Kiiiii?” had me in splits. Sometimes for no
discernible reason she got into the mood for a dance and she’d be off shaking
her nonexistent hips and moving her head about in wild abandon.
She was a total entertainment package and I marvelled at how
clearly she spoke. I chatted to her in English so she could learn something new
and she would listen with her head tilted to one side and her eyes wide with
interest. Sushanth would come home from the office, cock a ear in the direction
of the kitchen and ask “Where’s the pixie? I don’t hear her today”. He would
greet her every morning and evening and wave goodbye and she treated him like
an equal. I must admit to being surprised that my normally undemonstrative
husband would melt like gooey chocolate over little Riya.
For both of us, what touched us most was the care with which
the young mother watched over her daughter. Unlike most women I know, she had
no issues about having a daughter instead of a son – nor did she curse the
child for being dark as night itself while she was fair. Her pride in her and
her affection was writ large on her lovely face. She told me she couldn’t get a
job anywhere because no one would let the child in. She then said she was not
so poor that she would leave her child elsewhere and go to work. Her mother had
asked her to leave Riya with her back in her village in Bengal and she refused.
“I know what it feels like to stay unwanted in another’s home even if the home
is that of your own grandparents’. I would never leave my daughter to anyone
else”, she said fiercely.
I smiled at her and told her she should make sure the
little one went to school. She replied that that was why she was coming to work
– to make enough money so that she could educate her daughter. I was moved. It
was beautiful indeed to see a mother such as her. Such a searing dedication to
her child. Such patience with her endless chatter. Such pride in her achievements.
I felt the emotion welling inside and sent a silent prayer that this mother and
daughter should forever be blessed with whatever their hearts yearned for.
Riya is lucky indeed – I know in my heart that with a mother
like that she cannot but succeed. Here’s to more wonderful mothers who unreservedly
cherish their daughters....
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