The greatest woman I know of

Ammamma,

It's been almost 24 hours. I am yet to come in terms with reality, although I waited for this moment for fifteen years. Amma knows you are the one I love the most in this world. It'll never change. I'm not there beside you. I've to live with this choice I made. 

You single-handedly raised a community of wonderful, disciplined and kind people. You're irreplaceable. You've been a parent to me. You never expected anything in return. Anything. 

If there is any goodness in my nature, it's because of you. If tranquility can exist in a visual form, it will choose to be your smile. 

You were 70, when you first experienced signs of your health wearing away. You were walking from the kitchen, bringing a bowl of the wonderful enna vaazhakai you make, and you felt dizzy. Signs of old age.

The return drive back home with Amma was a painful one. I was sitting behind her on her scooty, she wept. "I don't know how I'm going to react when the old lady is taken away from me, forever."

                                                              ---------------------------------------------

Fifteen glorious years passed by. Fifteen years of nothing but selfless love and kindness. 

June 10, 2015. 3 am. I got a call from my mom. *Sounds of despair, hopelessness and cries*

"Ashwath... the person you love the most in the world is no more. She has left us".

Alone, in a far away country, in my room, on the bed, I sat up and let my emotions take over. I put forth a request to my dad, "let the people who come to pay their last respects, cry. Console them, but don't control them. Tears deserve to be shed because she is no ordinary soul!".

Imagine being the only grandchild who cannot be near her before she left us forever. Unlucky me.

She is indeed the greatest woman I know to have graced this planet.

Have you come across a person who never said no or 'mudiyadhu/mudiayala' to anyone?

Maybe you have.

Have you come across a person who never addressed another human in a disrespectful/ derogatory manner- (not even uttered the words 'chi/chei/adachi') in their lifetime?

Maybe you have.

Have you come across a person who brought up not only her five kids but her nephew/nieces - close to fifteen in total- at the same time, showering impartial affection to all? She cooked using the veragu aduppu, blowing at the fire that was lit on dry cow-dung (veratti) and fed them 3 times a day for many years. Do you know anyone?

Maybe you do.

Have you come across a person who never felt even an ounce of jealously that some of her kids haven't been as successful in life as her nephews and nieces?

Maybe you have.

Have you come across a hardworking member in your family who spent very little time for herself, like say watching a movie on TV and gave us, her grandchildren, the remote and told "it's time for your cricket match, right? Nee eduthukko!" with a smile, that was so divine and pure ?

Maybe you have.

But, I'm pretty sure you would not have witnessed all the aforementioned qualities and traits in one woman.

Her name is Vedavalli Venugopalan. 

My paati. 

The greatest woman I'll ever know.