The chirping of the birds and the prayer call from the local mosque was enough to stir one from the bed! But I waited for the usual wake-up call from our milkman. It was a Sunday and I was in no great hurry to get up. Mentally, I went through the list of umpteen pending chores; some needed immediate attention and some could wait for another week or so. At the first ring of the bell I coaxed myself to get up.

Still half asleep I put my hand out of the grill door to collect the milk sachets. I was startled to see my maid's mother reporting so early! I looked enquiringly at her and let her inside. "Now what is the matter Shanty?" I asked her. "Sumathi has blossomed into a young girl, Amma," she replied. I was happy for the girl and the mother "It is an occasion to rejoice but remember this should not mean a full stop to her studies as is the normal practice among your people. She is a bright child and will make you a proud mother some day." I advised her. She merely smiled and took leave of me promising to send the girl after ten days.

Sumathi's education continued, as I had desired. Every evening I would find her studying under the Corporation Street light. Unmindful of the noise and distractions around her, she would finish her daily studies and then help her mother to string the fragrant jasmine flowers. In a jiffy her nimble fingers would bind a strand long enough to garland a statue! Her blind father sat beside them and the three of them seemed happy as ever. His constant encouragement helped Sumathi to toil day and night. On examination days her mother substituted her as I had strictly forbidden her from any other activities on those days.

Then came the deathblow to their family! The poor blind man was hit fatally by a lorry and the family was shattered. Their moral support was gone. No words could console the mother and daughter. I patted Sumathi and reminded her of her new responsibility. Wiping her tears she promised to be a pillar of strength to her widowed mother. Bravely she fought all odds and even performed her father's last rites, thus breaking free from all norms. After all she owed a lot to her dear father! It was then I reminded her of the higher secondary exam results that were due to appear on the net.

She hid her anxiety. Cheering her up, I helped her to browse the net and see her marks. All the while I sent up secret prayers-"Oh God let her harvest be a bountiful one!" My joy knew no bounds when I read out her marks! She had scored more than 90% in all the subjects. Again she had broken all norms.

Not sure of her potential and with a lot of uncertainty she had written the medical entrance examination just to please me. She was a girl of rare calibre indeed! Thomas Gray's lines came to my mind and I did not want Sumathi to lose her fragrance in the desert air. 'She was a gem of purest ray serene!' Needless to say she became the crowning glory of her mother.

In the days to come I saw less of Sumathi and more of her mother. The poor girl had to shift to the medical college hostel. Come Sundays and she would slip into her old working clothes and make a dash to my place to do some weekend cleaning. My affectionate chiding would be brushed aside as she continued to arrange the vessels after having cleared the shelves of dust and grime.

"You are aspiring to be a doctor dear and should be doing better things than dusting and swabbing!" I would remark. She would smile effortlessly and her pearl white teeth dazzled! I was quick to spot a sparkling tear. Was this her way of showing her gratitude or was she merely breaking free of all norms?

Soon I was preparing to attend her convocation. How fast time had flown, I thought to myself! Sumathi's mother had reported early that day and she quickly finished her work. In the evening she sported her red silk saree and small gold earrings. I accompanied her to the convocation hall and relished every bit of her joy and happiness. Sumathi, now a full-fledged doctor fell at my feet and I blessed her with all my heart and soul. Her mother was too excited and shied away from the grand occasion. The girl however did not hesitate to introduce her poor mother to many senior doctors present there.

It was then that she revealed her intentions of specialising in ophthalmology. As she clutched her hands in mine I could feel the urge in her to excel. I nodded in assurance and then she said "Amma it is a tribute to my blind father. He saw the world only through my eyes. I want to be instrumental in restoring eyesight to the underprivileged."

Again I sensed she was breaking free from norms. Why didn't she think of a cushy government job where all roads led to comfort and happiness? Undoubtedly she was a standing example of one breaking free from all norms!

Pushpa Balan

Post Comment

Name : Email : Password : Comments :