The woman that never was….

The day could not have dawned more perfect, with birds chirping and the sunrise, all made a beautiful site. After a week full of rain, it had to shine today…The sweet smell of wet soil seemed beautiful. Yet I felt an emptiness in my heart. What else could it be other than her passing away?

She came with her mistress to her new home after marriage, as per many of the north Indian customs. She was a helpless soul, given support by her mistress. This is her story. Ganga was her mistress’s companion in her new world. Little did she know that this home would soon become hers too…for as long as she lived.
She wasn’t the least bit educated but had a good sense of judgment. She stood by her mistress through thick & thin, helped with the household chores, did the cleaning and the cooking.

Taking care of the children was her favourite chore, though she wouldn’t get any award for her manner of doing so. She had something in her which made everyone love her, despite her fits of anger at times. She was far from worldly worries, living her whole life within the four walls of her mistress’s home. She was her mistress’s friend when the children grew up, married & went ahead with their own lives.
Even her mistress’s grandchildren had a special corner in their hearts for her. Equipped with their modern knowledge & techno-know how, they would try to enlighten her. This would enrage her, for she found science ‘unholy’ & the form of the devil. During their vacations, the grandchildren had lots of fun teasing her & listening to her stories. Then one dreadful day, the grandchildren heard of her accident. She fell down the stairs n due to her age, she now suffered paralysis on both her legs.
This news had shocked young & old alike, for she was a loyal, mature and loved member of the family. After three years of this mishap, the grandchildren went to visit their grandmother & ‘Ganga Dai’. God doesn’t give anyone more than they can handle.

One only wished God would not trust her so much, for all her life she spent with her mistress & her family …not having one for herself. Now she faced this!
Spending those last days with her all that everyone prayed was for God to relieve her of this pain & suffering which she was enduring. Every day spent on that vacation was in fear of when she might pass away. Remembering her still moistens the grandchildren’s eyes. She was everything to them, yet nothing to anyone else. Her existence made no difference to the world…but her mistress & her family was the only world she knew.
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal…with this, in mind, the whole family bid farewell to her lighted pier. Like light & darkness succeeds each other …one could only pray for her soul to rest in peace.

She was a woman of compassion who taught everyone a lot through her religious stories. She was very special to her mistress, her children and grandchildren…yet she was ‘the woman that never was,’ for anyone else…