The Last Gift

Sitting in the dark room of my hostel I was trying to recollect the golden memories of my life, the time I had spent at  home with my family, my mother and most important with my “Amma”. I was in love with her; she was my mother, my father, my teacher and above all my friend. If you can bring the world together it would form my “Amma”

Before I go ahead with the story let me first explain to you little bit more about her. She was 60 years old, head covered with white hair, hardly any teeth in mouth but an innocent smile. I had met her in my school when I was hardly seven years old. She was a maid there and used to clean the classrooms. She must be 47 then and used to watch us play in the ground. Once it so happened that she was having her lunch and I suddenly went to her and asked if she could share her Tiffin with me. I was bored of the usual “roti” and “bhujya” which my mother had given me for lunch so I thought of exchanging it with that of hers. Amma looked into her small bowl and said, “Beta how will you eat this, this is not good for you, I only have “sattu” and onions in my bowl.

“Never mind Amma”, I said “you eat my lunch and I will eat yours”

And so, it all started this way. We used to exchange our Tiffin regularly. Amma made sure that she brought good food for me. She had only one son and after he got a job in the city and got married, he never came to see her. She used to bring a piece of “gur” every day for me. And sometimes she used to buy me ice – cream during the lunch time.

Once I fell ill at home and could not go to school for quite a few days. Amma was very upset and came to see me. She brought a piece of “gur” and a one rupee coin to buy me ice-cream. Since I was ill I could neither eat “gur” nor could she buy me Ice-cream but my mother accepted them as gifts for me. After that I never spent a day away from her. She used to visit me everyday till I recovered.

I finished my school and then got through the JNU entrance. I was very happy as I was excited to join the University for my Higher Studies. I went straight to Amma and gave her the news of my selection in JNU. She was very happy first but when she heard that I will leave the town and stay in the hostel, she became very sad.

“Who will take care of you there, how will you manage your studies if I am not around, she said. I knew she was sad because I would go away from her.

“I will keep coming Amma, to meet you and my family”, I said.

Amma didn’t say anything and went home. I was almost ready and had to catch the train to Delhi. My father and my mother came to see me off. As I was at the station waiting for the train to arrive, I saw Amma. She came running and had a small “potli” in her hand. Handing that over to me she said, ‘beta I have kept some ‘gur’ and honey for you in this “potli”. Don’t forget to have “Roti” with ‘Gur’ and one tea spoon of Honey once you finish your meal everyday.”  Tears strolled down my cheeks and I promised that I will come twice a year to meet them. After that I used to travel frequently to meet my parents and specially my Amma.

I was in my 6^th Semester and had to really work hard to be among the top rankers in my class. I had not gone home for almost a year. Though I used to talk to my parents, I never got a chance to speak to my Amma. Once I called up my mother and asked about her. My mother informed me that she was not well and wanted to meet me. I then told my mother to inform her that I would be traveling right after my exams to meet her.

I was studying quietly in my room when I heard a knock at my door. It was eight o’clock in the evening. I opened the door and was shocked to see my Amma standing with a potli in her hand.

Amma, you here, but how did you manage to come so far all the way from town to meet me? I asked.

“I came by the morning train beta, I was not well and thought of meeting you before I die, you never know when my life would come to an end”, she said.

“But how did you get my room number and who helped you to catch the train, my mother never told me that you are coming,” I asked surprisingly.

Amma didn’t reply anything. She gave me the potli and said, “I have brought something for you, I had saved it just for you”. As I touched Amma’s hand to take the potli I was shocked. Amma had high fever and her body was burning like fire. I was very nervous. “What happened Amma, aren’t you well”, I asked.

“I just want to take some rest, have been very tired as I traveled the whole day in Train”, she said.

Don’t worry Amma you sleep on this bed here and I will get you some food from the cafeteria, I made Amma lie on the bed and was about to go to Cafeteria to get some food for her when I met one of the hostel staffs who informed me that my Mother would call me in 5 minutes at the reception. I went straight to the reception and was waiting for the phone call. My mother called me up.

“Amma is no more, she died today in the morning, she wanted to meet you and kept on calling your name till her last breath”, said my mother.

I was stunned and could feel an utter silence in my mind.

I rushed into my room and as I reached there I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was utter silence. The “potli” was lying on my bed but Amma was not there. I slowly opened it. There was a piece of “gur” and a one rupee coin.

 -KGS