"Woman" who never gave up.

Time flies and every one grows older with its flight. When hair becomes grey with experience and age and hands start shaking,  everyone needs support. In the race of life we often forget those people who taught us how to run. They are neglected and left off like rag. Here is a story of a woman who kept struggling whole life but never gave up.

It was Sunday evening, I along with my friends went for having a cup of tea. When you have exams chai-sutta break becomes an important part of your daily routine.  We ordered three tea and three kings (cigarette). An old lady almost 70 years old brought tea for us with her trembling hands and kept on the table. We started making plans how to finish the entire syllabus in one night.

We finished our tea and one of my friend went for the payment. The lady came to us and started lifting the cups, we told her to stop and kept the cups back. “These cups give me food son” she said. We were a bit surprised by her words. Her English was fluent. She stood beside and asked about us. We replied, and suddenly out of curiosity I asked her “How you speak English so fluently?” The story which she told left us in a shock.

“I worked as a nurse in a private hospital in Chennai (she didn’t reveal the hospital’s name). My husband died when I was young and left me with my son and daughter. I worked throughout my life to make my children’s career.”

“Where are they now?” I asked.

“I don’t have any idea” she replied.

“After completing his studies my son wanted to go to London for higher studies. I sold all my assets which I had including my jewelries and a small house to fulfill his dream. He went away for his studies meanwhile my daughter got married to the man of her choice and I was left alone with nothing accept my job.”

“Then?” I asked. All of us were curious to know about her.

“I retired from my job. My son once came from London just to keep me in an old age home but I refused to live there. He went back. My daughter never came to me after getting married. Now I work as a maid in morning time and from afternoon I wash cups and dishes in this shop to feed myself thrice a day.”

There was pain in her eyes but no tears. For whom will she cry, she had no one in this world.

We said good bye to her but she told us to wait and said “Don’t smoke, I have seen so many lives destroyed by it. Leave smoking and please don’t leave your parents ever. Good night.”

We wished her goodnight and came back with lot of respect for her.

                                                                                                           ©Sarthak Sagar