An Unsung Braveheart

In the picturesque little town of Kottayam, into a lower middle class Prabhu family, was born a lovely little girl, Vasantha. She was the fourth child of the family, with three older brothers and later on a younger brother. You would think she must have enjoyed the privileges of being an only girl. But no, it was far from it. Her life was monotonous, with most of her time being spent helping her mother in the kitchen and catering to the needs of her brothers.

This, in no way suppressed her zest for life. She was a bubbly, cheerful, friendly and talkative little girl. Like all other children she did go to school. She didn’t do too well there though. The household chores must have hindered her progress at school. Time passed. Little Vasantha blossomed into a pretty teenager. Meanwhile, her mother was diagnosed with glaucoma. Slowly the degree of blindness progressed. The entire burden of the house fell on her shoulders. Her education came to a standstill.

The search for a groom started in right earnest. Her father was eager to see his daughter married as early as possible. This would ensure the completion of his fatherly duties. It wasn’t easy. Though Vasantha was a beautiful lass, she came from a low socio-economic stratum and did not have an educational background to offset it. And with a mother who was almost blind. The odds were against her.

A prospective groom soon came into the picture. Gopi was a salesman in a book shop. His family consisted of three married sisters. He had no home to call his own. Everything fell into place. Gopi and Vasantha were married at the local temple. With just close family members in attendance. The newlywed couple stayed in the bride’s home for a period of time. Tongues wagged. The groom taking residence in the bride’s place? Ghar jamai? Tch …tch …It was the talk of the town.

Lady Luck decided to smile down at the couple. Within a few months Gopi received an appointment letter from the PWD. He had lost all hopes of an entry into a government job. And lo behold! With the lovely Vasantha by his side, he now became a peon with a steady salary, allotted quarters, medical reimbursement and the rest of the benefits that accompany this much sought after job. Life changed for Vasantha. She now became the target of envy by the gossip mongers.

A few years went by. Though smooth sailing, signs of turbulence surfaced. With a steady income, the hitherto dormant drinking habit raised its ugly head. Gopi soon turned into an alcoholic. Vasantha’s pleas fell on deaf ears. As did her prayers for motherhood. To add to her woes, her second brother started to show signs of glaucoma. Luckily for him, it was diagnosed at an early stage. Treatment was started to slow down the progression. Which brought solace to the family.

Vasantha’s life became listless. Every morning began with Gopi leaving home without breakfast. He just managed to overcome the hangover of the previous night’s drinking spree. He had no appetite. More often than not, neighbours would pick him up from where he had collapsed, after a heavy bout of drinking, and bring him home. It was an antithesis for Vasantha. Should she feel relieved that he is home alive or be angry with him for making her go through this ordeal of waiting up for him to come home? He was all she had.

Tragedy struck again. Vasantha started to show weakness of vision. She knew where it would lead to. After repeated pleas to Gopi to take her to the doctor, he finally relented. As was expected, it was glaucoma. A few tests later, the medicines were prescribed. She was asked to visit her doctor at regular intervals. That did not happen. Gopi said he had no money for these visits. Vasantha was at her wits end. She wasn’t one to give up so easily. She embarked on what she did best. Making papadams and instant pickles. Money did come in. She did make those trips to the doctors. But it wasn’t always possible.

In spite of these hardships, Vasantha never lost her cheerful nature and her faith in the almighty. Life went on. She did all she could. There were days when she wasn’t able to hold on. She would cry. Feel despondent. But it was transient. She would bounce back to her smiling cheerful self. Then one evening, her whole world just crumbled. Gopi had a massive stroke. And within a few hours was gone. Family, friends and neighbours came together to help her out. But finally, she was all alone.

Did she lose hope? For some time, she did. As usual, she bounced back. With Gopi’s pension, she was able to take care of all her needs. By now she was almost blind. That did not stop her from leading a life of dignity. With a few kind neighbours and family, she managed.

She is almost 70 now. She continues to be positive, cheerful and counts her blessings. As soon as she gets up in the morning, her radio starts. She listens to everything aired on it. You can have an intelligent conversation with her on current affairs, music, cookery…..She can remember mobile numbers of all she is in contact with. And she has quite a few! She calls them on the ordinary land phone. She loves attending functions, when any of her family are prepared to take her with them. She never asks to be taken, though.

Life hasn’t been too kind to Vasantha. She has no complaints. She says she has plenty to thank God for. Many a time, when life furnishes me a blow and I am low, I get inspired by this resilient lady. You see she is my aunt!