RIP Indra Mami

I was recipient of a series of messages in the last couple of weeks conveying the 'ends' of lives of persons some of whom I was  closely acquainted with and in some case for long.

One common thought through all these news items is no disappointment. Yes, the end has to come and that realization obviously comes with another stark realization of my age. I am old enough to accept that people with whom I have spent the better part of my life may be starting their last journey.

Among the names one stood out - 'Indira mami'. She was our neighbor in Chintamani Trichy. She had 4 children. Her husband Mr. Narayan Rao was a tall, well built individual with pleasing manners, who worked for the local electricity distribution company. Her elder daughter was the class mate of my sister and next son junior to me in school and we were all play mates.

Way back in 1967, tragedy stuck their family and Mr. Narayan Rao succumbed to tetanus. Those days may be there was no medicine to treat the virus or the knowledge of the virus was not well known in our town. The mother and children were forced to fend for themselves as the bread earner who lived his life as if there was no tomorrow and to the full hilt had no savings.

The family was uprooted from the comfort of the 'agraharam' and they moved on.

And our family moved on.

It was many decades later that we met each other, as my mother and 'Indira mami had remained in touch through their common friendship.

I was happy to see 'Indira mami the same bubbly person, with the naive enthusiasm and unassuming ownership of relationships which for the current generation would be outlandish. She was one moment celebrating our achievements and openly disapproving of something else; nowadays you wouldn't find many parents taking such liberty with their children even. 

Again a decade passed and I receive the news of her end. The message conveyed by her youngest son, and the first question which propped up from me ' I hope she didn't suffer in the end'. The reply -

'No. yesterday night she had as usual laughing about finished her chores. In the rest room she slipped and had hurt her. When she came out of the rest room she was conscious and then the end came'.

Here was a person who had lived life to the fullest. Her grand children are well placed and are scaling the corporate heights both here in India and across the oceans.

She was always cheerful and had immense inner strength to know that we are but witness to the events that unfold and there is no point looking too far ahead or too far back. I will always remember her as my mother's best friend and to me in a way a mentor, for unknowingly, such persons have moulded  me.