Maid Gauri, A Model Mother

 

This story might seem a straight lift from one of Salim- Javed’s Bollywood movies of the 1960s with Nirupa Roy at the centrestage. It is not. It is a fact, and it is about Gauri (name changed), the domestic help in the apartment complex we stayed earlier.

As a lass, Gauri lived a simple rustic life helping her father in his tiny agricultural land in a remote village in Karnataka. Her mother tended a cow to supplement the family income. Gauri’s elder sister was married off, and had children. A contended family, altogether.

But that was not to be. Her sister fell ill seriously. The village apothecary couldn’t reassure her survival. Two growing children and a baby in arms, this shattered the son in law. He asked his father in law to give Gauri in marriage to him while his wife was still alive, so that she could rest in peace that her children would be in safe hands. And so Gauri got married to him.

INTERVAL

As fate would have it, Gauri’s sister recovered, rather rapidly, and became fit like a fiddle. But she understood Gauri’s predicament, and their lives went on without much bitterness. Gauri bore a girl and a boy for him and, while they were still attending school, she moved with them to Bangalore to eke out a living. Her husband would visit her occasionally.

She took up domestic help’s job in a few apartments in our complex. Her work as such may not be gold standard, nor will she sparkle the utensils as an ad for a cleaning liquid would, but her sincerity, honesty and reliability won the hearts of housewives. Thus it became clear, “Once Gauri, always Gauri,” in any house. Yes, she has been working in houses for ten, fifteen or more years without break.

Not just that. As though with a missionary zeal, residents began to count on Gauri for assisted-living seniors. She would help my friend Narasimhan (name changed) to take a shower, put on his clothes, and would take him for a slow-motion walk around the complex in the evenings, till the family moved to Chennai to be with their children.

And now? Yes, she helps my 87-year old friend Krishna Kumar (name changed) who is afflicted with Alzheimer’s. I have known KK as one of the most active persons while the going was good. He was at one time a trapeze artist in a circus, as he shared the information with me.

Years rolled. Now time to admit the daughter to college. Gauri was particular that her daughter should pursue engineering. Many advised that with her good marks, her daughter would easily get a ‘free’ seat under the OBC quota. But Gauri didn’t want the OBC stigma to be attached to her daughter while she pursued the course. She opted for the ‘payment’ seat – whatever might be the loan amount she might have to avail from a bank.

The girl came out in flying colours in Electronics and Communications, accepted a campus-interview offer, changed for a better one, yet another one. And now? She is all set to marry. The boy? An engineer too. Last week his entire family flew from Hyderabad for the engagement ceremony. If only Covid is a little accommodative, Aunty and I would attend the marriage slated in a 3- or 4-star hotel later this week.

Her son? Well, not everything works one’s way every time. He too pursued engineering. But is stuck with some papers. But the incurable optimist that Gauri is, she is confident he will clear them. And let’s hope he lives up to her expectations, lands up on a good job and gives his mother some years of well-deserved rest.