Saroja Mami

 

My first introduction to Lakshmi was 60 years ago when I got married to her brother and entered the family. It was a large family, full of exuberant teen agers and very active kids. Lakshmi stood apart from the crowd. She was much quieter, didn’t talk that much, kept singing or humming a song most of the time and would spend hours on end just watching a tree or a flower! Sometimes she would be so engrossed in that, that she would not even hear if someone called out her name.

As I came to know her better, I understood how affectionate and loving she was and how she showed it in her quiet ways. She was also very bold, firm and stubborn in whatever she wanted to do and nothing would make her give it up.  She reminds me of my mother in law in that. Amma also would not budge an inch from what she believed in. Though it was very difficult to maintain her aacharam in a city like Delhi, she did whatever was possible very firmly. Lakshmi is like her in many ways. If she decided on something, she would not give in to any amount of persuasion or entreaties. She was the only one who refused to come to the US for her brother’s 80^th and Madhu’s 60^th birthday celebrations, when the whole family had got together. She had ‘seen’ the US and had no interest in travelling any more. But she readily went to Singapore, Cambodia and some other places which she had not visited earlier.

I remember how firm she could be when I went shopping with her to buy her a saree.  Lakshmi usually makes up her mind what she wants to buy and looks out only for that particular colour. On this occasion she wanted some kind of orange tinged with pink. We had to go to a few shops until she found that exact shade she had in mind. I think I would have given up and just picked up something that looked ok but not Lakshmi. She knew exactly what she wanted and would not give up till she got it. Though Lakshmi is quite firm with whatever she decides to do, if circumstances are such that she has to adapt and modify her plans, she is ready to do them too. After living with her nuclear family in Delhi for many years, she came to Chennai to take care of her parents in law and both she and Bashyam did that with a lot of care and attention.

Lakshmi is generous to a fault. You only have to admire something in her house and she would gladly give it to you. Her love for children, music, art and beauty is well known. She would go into ecstasy looking at some flower or a beautiful design or break into a song when she heard some known tune. Her child like nature makes her see beauty in all kinds of ordinary things. She gave expression to this by painting on canvas and painted many pictures, which she gave away. We still have a painting done by her. She took up music after a long gap so that she could go deep into music and enjoy its nuances fully and she is now an acknowledged music expert in our family.

She has had her share of misfortunes and life has not been always to her liking. But she would brush it off, make a joke of it and start laughing. I admire her for being happy and cheerful under all circumstances.  May God bless her to be happy like this always.

On this day, her 75^th birthday, I wish her all the very best. I thank God for bringing her into my life and for making it beautiful through her. May He bless her with a healthy and happy life.