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Mai's Love who still pours her selfless love on the kids, but gets utter neglect in return. The
grown up children now don't need her any more; they are busy in their
mobiles, in their web-series, in their video games and with their friends. More
often than not I also noticed them nagging, niggling and neglecting her. I also
Mai was not her name. She was known by this name since the time she was found them insulting her in bitter tone.
given shelter in my neighbourhood. I saw her tending the garden, doing all the
One day when she cleaned up their room and kept certain things properly in
household drudgery, taking care of the two little kids of the owner of the
order, which they could not locate easily, I heard Rani shouting, “Mai, O Mai,
house. She was full of life and love, she was lively and cheerful. She was like
you always fiddle with my things unnecessarily. Where have you kept my
gentleness personified. I felt so relaxed to see her run around the little kids and
mobile charger and why on earth you mess up here? Listen you old woman,
serve them all they needed.
don't dare to enter into my room any more, or else I'll kick you.” Mai tried to
I came to know about her past from the neighbour who brought her to take pacify her and showed the things she was searching for. This infuriated Rani
care of her little children. She was a refugee from Bangladesh during the 1964 even more and her comment was just like molten lava into my ears, “You bitch,
riots. Her family, including her grandchild of two years, was killed in front of you are an orphan, an outsider, my parents have given you shelter. Stay in your
her eyes. She was lucky enough to survive, just to suffer life's atrocities a little limits. Don't cross it. I don't need your irritating love and itching care.” Mai
more. Rejected and dejected, she walked hundreds of miles to save her life with kept mum and walked outside her room with a fallen face. She came out
no hopes and no inclination to live any further. Many days of starvation and sobbing but hid her tears from other members of the family. I could not bear
thirst made her so weak and fragile that she collapsed near an unknown village. her grief and started praying God to save her from such a pitiable condition. It
Luckily, my neighbour's family was passing by in their car and noticed her is said love begets love, but it is not always so.
lying there. They helped her by giving food and shelter. Since then she became
a part of their family. It was really a good gesture on their part to provide
protection to such an elderly woman. She was caring and pleasant. She was
polite and patient. She had all the good qualities a woman should have. Soon
she took over most of the household work and started taking proper care of
both the kids of the family. She also talked to me sometimes lovingly when I
~ Jyoti Patil ~
used to play with Ravi and Rani, the neighbour's kids.
Time flew by and I went to city for higher studies. Now, few years later when I
returned after completion of my studies, I saw Mai still doing the same chores
taking care of the now grown up Ravi and Rani, watering the plants in the
garden, and helping in day-to-day domestic chores. Her love and passion for
her work is still unabated. Now the kids hardly need any help from Mai, but
Mai keeps tending and serving them with the same love and affection.
The only change I found is the bitter truth of today. The dryness in
relationships — the warmth, and intimacy have evaporated. It was just Mai

30 | Dr. K.C. Sethi & Sunita Sethi Never Cease to Amaze | 31