Maa’s last picture in good times was taken when she was dating my father. That was taken on March 31st 1953.
Then the Indian Patriarchy took over, and a beauty of a woman was reduced to a pale shadow of herself. It would be me who would take her picture in 1982, all thirty years later. ( and I wud take thousands till her last night on this earth)
The hurt and insecurities that are visible on her face in 1982 are because her rights on her husband’s properties were taken away from her. She was betrayed and was thrown out to a 10feet x 10 feet pigeon hole. She
knew she was too weak to fight fight the powerful, so she concentrated on raising had no idea where the next meal is gonna come from – yet she never gave up. She her kids.
That 10x10 room was nothing short of a magic. It used to change its designation from Bedroom to kitchen to Study room to Bathroom to Dinner Room all in the same day…within hours. :)))
When I went to US and learnt the word ‘abuse’ I was shocked. It wud always bother me that my mother was abused by her in laws who ganged up against her.
Once I told her “ Maa you were abused by your in laws”
“My Shahid made if up for it…by sending me for Hajj and showing me the World”. She wud instantly demolish any regrets or anger developing inside me.
I grieve not just a mother but a fine feisty principled compassionate woman.
