So to continue her story, I never mentioned her name. Her name is LAKSHMIDEVAMMA  I suppose difficult to pronounce; it is the name of the goddess of wealth.  But ironically she didn’t had any big wealth with her!!!!

She lost her husband at her 15 -16 years of age, and as per the traditions in those days she came back to her parents place.  Not as before but with total change of  Appearance…   It pains me a lot to tell this, in those days, as per the Tradition in a Brahmin caste (Brahmin is a caste in India which is considered to be the most upper caste and they are Priests and they were in the higher order in the society, they were at the top) when a women losses her Husband her hairs will be shaved off…..

And she is not supposed to wear bangles ( I.e. Rings women wear to their wrist in India) they are not supposed to wear KUMKUM ( I.e. Bindi or red color dot on forehead) and not supposed to wear good designed sari.  It is like they should

Live a life like a SAINT or NUN you can say……..

You know one thing…. They were not supposed to eat their meals twice a day… Only once in the afternoon and little snack at night……..  Is there any justification For this kind of discrimination? 

They were considered as unholy for all the good and auspicious occasion…. Why such a discrimination? All this because they don’t want her to enjoy life any further  Because she has lost her husband….. She just has to serve the people around her And die one day…….

My grand mother’s life’s new chapter started as a widow at 17 years of age in her Parents place again…….. Just imagine her re alive enjoying the life but this little daughter is a widow……. Not seen or experienced any thing in life…….. Just imagine how the scene would be her parents!!!!!!  But that was the fact then.So she was serving every one at house…  She used to get up at 5 am in the morning do all the house hold work till 2 Pm and At 2 Pm have her food and again start doing remaining work till 7 pm in the evening. That was her life….. 

She served the entire family her elder brothers her sister in laws, and her sisters and their families……..
You know one thing these widows in those days were free nurses when any Women in the family had to deliver…….  As told by her my grand mother had Assisted in about 50 to 60 deliver in her life span!!!!!!!!! Amazing!!!! Hats of to her!!!!
She knew that technique and also she was very well versed in bringing up the infant baby… no matter she didn’t had her own but she has brought up many…

My father in law is one such child whom she brought up with her love and affection and he really paid her back in her last days…….
My fathers in law's father was her elder brother and he looked after her with lot of love and care……. No doubt she served him and his family but at the same time she had sense of belonging with her brother.  My Father in law lost her mother at his age of just 7 and he had three younger brothers.  So she took care of all those kids and served them selflessly.

Through out her life.  She served one and every body in the family….  No one has escaped from her love……..
 
She didn’t had any thing of her own.  When I got married and came to my in laws house, first day itself she showed me so much of love……. I still remember that… That was really a UN forgettable experience….   I can’t just express in word the care and love she showered on us….  She never used to sleep till all had returned home and had theirfood and slept….. In fact when my son was born she felt so happy... It was the third generation for her and she played with him and enjoyed every moment of it even though she was around 90 years then, she never cribbed in the life for things which were not in her luck…. She accepted life as it came and enjoyed it the way it came…  This I suppose a great value we should adopt in our lives too…..Probably her life situation taught her this….

My son still has very blurred memories of her….. 

In her last days she slipped and fell in the bath room and from then on  she could not walk and she was moving on wheel chair for about one year or so….. It was really a great opportunity for us to serve her in her last days who served entire family selflessly for about 80 years of her life……..

I always call her as Mother Teresa of our family……..

At last on 21^st December 2001 at her 91 or 92 when no body was near her, She breathed her last breath……..  Very sad to tell that we were away from the town On that day and only my in laws were at home and she had her afternoon lunch and She was sleeping,,,,,,,, when my mother in law went to her at 6 pm to give her some coffee she didn’t get up……..  Don’t know at what time she died……..Very silently she Made her journey into heaven…..  Yes definitely into heaven if it is there…….  Because she had seen hell on this earth………

Believe me or not there were about 300 and odd people on her funeral……. Her entire Family……… everyone she brought up, every one who shared her love……..

On that day one thing that would have come to every one’s mind was her self less love and care………

 Great Grand ma……… hats off to your selfless service and love and affection you have given to the people around you…….. I miss you a lot…..