A very good evening to you all & welcome to another incredible episode of maa kasam.
since it's mother's day we have a special guest today. you may or may not know her, but I know her very well. before I introduce her let me tell you this joke that I received today on whatsapp.
teacher: Tell me, Johnny. Do you say prayers before eating?
Johnny: No, ma’am, I don’t have to. My mom’s a good cook.
my mom's a good cook too. now without any further ado let's call our guest on stage. she is a mother...yes... the world's toughest,unpaid, full time job with no retirement & no expectation of benefits.
(I-interviewer)
I-welcome mam.
mam- please call me ma.
I- ok ma. before we chat we have some pics from your childhood.
I- wow you look like yesteryear heroines from the black & white era.
ma- thank you for the compliment. I used to take good care of myself back then.
I- how were you as a kid? shy or naughty?
ma- I was naughty. me & my friends at midnight would steal potatoes from other people's farms and then make some delicious dish. we were cautious to not make the smoke from the chulha noticeable as people would get suspicious.
I-oh you were naughty. what about your daughter? has she inherited this quality of yours?
ma- the naughtiness has only multiplied. she was a talkative kid who used to often get in trouble. once she just stormed into home from school, threw her bag & wasn't saying anything. after much prodding she told that she had a fight with a girl. the girl called her mother into school who scolded her in front of the class. she said she wouldn't go to school unless I accompany her & scold that girl back.
I- how did you handled it?
ma- i went with her the next day. the girl was scared looking at me. I asked her name & talked nicely , smilingly.
I- your daughter must not have been very happy with you?
me- she wasn't. I told her to shake hands with her & make friendship. she did as I told but back home she was furious. she couldn't understand why I didn't took a stand for her. I told her you had two choices either to make a friend or an enemy and I am glad you chose the former. being sensible as she is, she quickly understood my point.
I- since you are from a rural background how hard was for you to manage in a metro city like Mumbai?
ma- it was definitely not easy but I met some wonderful people here who helped me gel in this city. back in village I used to wake up early morning, milk the buffaloes, collect firewood, cut grass in forest and carry it back to home, take cattle for grazing and do ordinary household chores. but here I had to learn how, where,what of shopping, making budgets,cooking different types of dishes etc. it was a lifestyle change for me.
I- your daughter says she loves both of her parents but is closer to you than her dad. how did you built this rapport with her?
ma- as my husband works in Indian navy his job required him to stay away from us. my daughter has seen a little less of him so she became closer to me. it was a huge responsibility but I was all up for it. she was a mom crazy kid. she used to bring the house down if she woke up from deep slumber and didn't find me beside her.
I-from our trusted sources we have learnt that you have some unusual talent. why don't you tell us about it.
ma- haha. I have a talent of re(verse)- remixing songs. I can sing any new funky song in 60s style of music. this talent of mine was discovered my daughter who happens to be your 'trusted source' too.
I- haha. on this note let's have a look at another photo of yours.
ma- I feel so embarrassed.
I- why? you look so good.
ma- actually one day I was talking to my daughter about trying new things and to never be afraid of new situations. she asked me to wear jeans. so following my words I changed into my husband's t-shirt and jeans. result is in front of you.
I- what was your daughter's reaction?
ma- she was surprised at first then she told me to wear only jeans from now on. I asked her "did this jeans made be a better mom? "
I- what are some best moments you have spent with your daughter?
ma- I cherish every moment being a mother. I loved late night champi time. giving her coconut oil hair massage. she has long & thick hair.
I- does this champis still continue now?
ma- they do only the roles our reversed now. she helps me dye the greys in my hair. she's keeping me young.
I- we have some more photos. these look very special.
ma- the first one is my wedding photo. I was camera shy. my daughter had a habit of trying out my stuffs like walking in my sandals stumbling a few times, wearing my bindis and Bengals which waited for the moment when her hands were down to slip away. but it was my wedding lehenga which got the most appreciation and attention from her. I dressed her up in my wedding dress. she looked like a gift all wrapped up. she used to suddenly go under a transformation in that dress. the mischievous kid changed into a shy girl.
I- you are such a lovely mother. what's your secret?
ma- no secrets. I've also made some mistakes. I learnt a lot from my mother & mother-in-law. they are both exemplary & were very strong women. I don't believe in comparisons. I never draw comparison between my kid & some xyz person. I consider it a humiliating practice having zero motivation.
I- our sources which you know who, has shared with us a lifeguard moment. why don't you share the story.
ma- as a trouble seeker kid during one of her daily evening swimming sessions my daughter swam to far too the deep end and was close to drowning. I quickly reacted and pulled her out. I got really scared for her. it's one of the most toughest moments of my life. I still get shivers thinking about it. the fear of losing is disastrous. I thank god that everything turned out right.
I- another photo. what do you have to say about that.
ma- aren't we a cool mother- daughter pair.
the tea had finished leaving some tea leafs behind. the sky had turned darker signalling too much time had passed. surfing through photo albums, we lost the track of time.evening turned into night. so this was a one to one with my mom in the balcony of our house with only mom and I in attendance. talking about moments we created moment of moments.
