Her persona is so diminutive that she is barely noticeable with people milling about. With a trowel in left hand, I identify her by short steps and a brisk walk, clad in a sari. On a closer observation, her face is quintessence of an aging appearance, more because of her struggles with abject poverty and less due to biological aging. Concentrated lines and wrinkles mark her small face making her beady eyes look even smaller, which give a flicker of a twinkle when she breaks into a smile revealing a stained row of teeth. Her small kindly persona belies a powerful voice when tongue lashing her grandchildren or hollering at no one in particular.
She is Ramkali. I fondly call her Ammaji; a migrant worker, one amongst several migrants eking out a living from a meagre salary, often not on time, tending the Bio Diversity Park.
Our encounter forged into a bonding over the course of a year while on my walks in the park. My walk starts or ends with a quick chat with Ammaji, and an occasional tete-e-tete. The conversation is about the mundane but genuine – each other’s well being, worries weighing on her mind due to survival struggles, complaint and pains of delayed salary, hesitatingly expressed lest it sounds disparaging and falls into supervisor’s ears, then there are somber conversations and sometimes tearful. The range of expressions we share is as wide as its human: laughter, as I pull her leg or tease her; a shy chuckle, on a naughty note; of joy in anticipation of cooking something special; or movingly giving her blessings to me; all of which instantly bonds me with her at a humane level.
Ammaji has made me aware of the very human nature in us – of giving and wanting to receive affection, of the potential in us of making anyone happy just by our company and lending an ear to someone irrespective of economic background, status or education. I thank destiny that brought this karmic connection and lessons to learn from: of gratitude, kindness, mindfulness about surroundings and people and for the simple joys of connecting spiritually with another fellow human being.
by Tripti Upadhyaya (EH3-006, Eldeco Utopia; 98103 39349)
