Our house help, a woman of indeterminate age, had almost half a dozen daughters. Some were married, a few engaged or going to be married and the youngest, Tara, was unmarried. Though older in age she was my playmate.
She used to often sing a particular song which went like this :
tamatar bade mazedaar
tamatar khane lage to
daant tutey chaar
Translated it meant :
The tomatoes are fun
When I ate them
I lost four teeth at once
Considering tomato is a soft vegetable how eating one four teeth can be lost raises a serious question as to the logic of the lyrics. But childhood has its own rationale. I loved this song and the way she danced on it and would often request her for a repeat performance.
Tara’s elder sister was Chandra – a rustic beauty – but an irregular worker. She’d often remain absent for days. Married and a mother of two she’d come to work when it suited her – the cuts and bruises on her body clearly visible. But she giggled a lot and hummed when she washed clothes and cracked jokes about how she got beaten up by her husband and mother-in-law. And then one day she eloped with a stranger leaving behind a drunkard and two small kids.
Sunita was a different cup of tea all together – unmanageable and quite a madcap. Sloppily dressed, hair unoiled and unbraided, she would announce her arrival by throwing the broom in the middle of the room with a loud, cheerful, singsong “main — aa — gayee” (“I — have — come”). Thereafter, she’d break into a dance and even in between chores making us all laugh.
However, Mother Nature swayed her magical wand at the appropriate time. Sunita attaining puberty stopped coming to our house. Soon she got engaged. The drastic change that came upon her thereafter was something to observe. The focus deficient girl with boundless energy transformed into a saree clad, shy, well behaved teenager!!
Keli came to work not because of want of money but because she wanted to keep herself busy. She maintained her dignity and freedom of choice and refused to work in any other household except ours. She was a good but moody worker. Not even my mother could tell her how to perform a chore. She would do it as per her own wish and will.
I don’t know where they are now. Tara must have got married. I wonder whether Chandra settled into family life given that nomadic streak in her. Sunita must be now doting over her grandkids while Keli must be heading a large family as a no-nonsense matriarch. Wherever they are I wish them all well – love and peace.
Your stories are so rivoting. I enjoy your stories so much GC! It is so iinteresting learning about countries and cultures I know little about. Xx
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Thanks a ton Carol Anne. Likewise I love your poems and posts.
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What a tender snapshot of lives that briefly intersected with yours each one so distinct and full. The way you hold these memories is beautiful: Tara’s infectious song, Chandra’s resilience wrapped in laughter despite the bruises, Sunita’s untamed energy suddenly contained by circumstance, Keli’s dignified independence. You give them their full humanity rather than just passing figures in your household. The ending your quiet hope that they’ve all found what they were looking for, is the most generous part of this story.
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Thank you Khadija for this deep travel through this post. Your kind appreciation brightens my day.
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Good Morning,Geeta Di
No anger,no complaints,no grievances.A beautiful way to write about them,they are human beings with all the emotions.
तारा,चंद्रा,केली और सुनीता
सब की पसंद गीता
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Hee Hee 😆😆
I was too small then to have any issues with them.
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We were close to our household help’s
growing up 🙂! They were part of the family right?
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Yes. That’s right. In fact, Sunita’s mother had entrusted her to my mother to teach her some manners and drill some sense into her. Smile 😊😊
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Your mom would have helped with all sincerity like her own daughter.
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I guess she did but still Sunita was a handful.
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I hope all these women are okay now. Chandra’s situation was worrying. They have a very distinct personalities.
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I hope so too. They all had very distinct personalities. Chandra, I believe was a survivor.
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So glad to hear. Thank God.
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Nice memories to mull over over a cup of tea while keeping an eye on the curtain of rain outside my window.
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Yes, reminiscences with rains.
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A heartfelt tribute to the power of memories. The people and moments that shape our lives remain with us, reminding us of the beauty of friendship, love, and shared experiences. Thank you for sharing. 💙✨
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Safiaji,
Namaste.
It’s a pleasure to have you on my post.
Memories are very precious. They give us an oversight of our life.
Thank you so much once again 🙏
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Thanks a lot for liking my post! I’d love it if you could like or leave a comment on the post itself, and following me would make my day even better!
Giving me a follow would be the ultimate bonus!
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Tender memories
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Thank you so much Derrrick 🙏
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Geeta ji, a nostalgic read that touched the heart.🤍 Beautifully narrated.🦋✨
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Thanks a ton Rajeshwari. Jeetey rahiye…
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Such sweet memories. Although, I admit to laughing at the tomato song. My first thought was, “that was probably an apple!”. 🙂
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Thank you very much Richard. Even apple won’t be so hard. 😊
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Such a beautiful ode to all the ones who made life beautiful and left behind memories to cherish. Isn’t it amazing to think of all the people who in their little ways leave behind an impact.
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Yes, when they are not around their memories stay on …
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What an interesting cast of characters, Geeta. Your storytelling about these young women would make a good sitcom.
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Dear Mary,
Yes , these slices of life have an element of drama but they are not fiction but hard hitting reality. Like Chandra, subject to domestic violence, leaving her husband and children. It was a very big step to take in her community as well as in the society we lived then and a girl like Sunita suddenly becoming aware of herself as a budding girl.
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