Ramani Aunty

Ramani aunty was our family cook for over two decades . In fact , when we look back , we feel that she was an angel sent down to earth for us at the right time for the right job.
Pa had led a busy active life for over 4 decades . His job took him a lot on transfers outside our town . Mum managed to bring us up single handed . He had retired a short time ago . He was slowly getting used to a relatively slow paced family life with mum . Transition time is never easy .
My mother fell ill due to heavy diabetes at the tender age of 58. Her leg had to be cut due to gangrene . My brother and I were far far away busy with our lives . She was totally bedridden during her last few months . Pa had a tough time managing alone .
Household chores like cooking , cleaning, dressing including feeding mum was too much for him . Finding proper help was not easy . This was before the internet and smartphone days .
One day , one aunt brought a lady home . She was in her late 40s . Our far off relative , She was homely and domestic to look at . There was an immediate trustable quality about her .
Pa agreed to keep her as a housekeeper partly because he had no choice .
In just a matter of days she became a part of our family . She managed cooking , cleaning plus feeding mum. Pa still had to change her nappies and dress her up .
Ma passed away in a couple of months. Pa was devastated . A lot of long lengthy rituals followed. Ramani aunty was every where then helping our every one with every thing . We tried our best to divert his attention . Our own families were growing . Both my brother and myself had to shift countries and continents for our careers .
Despite our pleadings he refused to move in with us . His house in Hyderabad was his abode and heaven . He would often visit us but preferred to keep his base in his own house . Ramani aunty became an essential part of his single life . She was the link between yesterday and today for him.
She was cooking in other homes too . But ours was the main home for her . We trusted her blindly and she repaid us with gratitude . She was the natural inheritor of a lot of clothes, vessels and even some jewels of ma . We handed lot of mum's hand me downs over to her without a second thought .
Each time we went to Hyderabad , she would regale us with stories about our mum in her final days . Since both spent their childhoods in Chennai they had a lot in common . She told us things about mum which we ourselves didn't know .
We visited Hyderabad regularly some times twice an year. The earliest memories of our kids in their grandpa's house was Ramany aunty feeding them . She had no children of her own but she had great patience . She would take our kids for walks , feed them meticulously , take care of them while we were away on shopping trips .
Of course she had minus points. She would often ask for money citing some health or family problems . We obliged but usually had to write that off .
She was never an outsider . Be it buying some designer clay pots for our new homes , going to the bank for some finance transaction , investing in costly new furniture , shopping for our family rituals and functions ... We consulted her by default . She was a ubiquitous presence in our pa's house in Hyd .
Sad , she was not designed to have a happy family life . Filled with economic and health problems, her worries were mounting . She lost a couple of family members very close to her in quick succession .
A few years back she was diagnosed with a throat tumor . Probably for the first time , She took a long leave of necessity. She was well known and liked by all of us in our community . Financial help poured in from hundreds of houses .
To our relief , she returned back all jubilant in a few months fully cured of cancer. The new Ramani aunty became a bit more fragile and got tired more easily . But she was very much welcome in our home . Neither of us saw any difference in the others' attitude .
Some of her employers stopped calling her for cooking due to this . She started some small tiffin service to keep her home fires burning .
Ours was one house which was her second home . She herself used to say - " I feel more free in this house " .
All our relatives knew her very well . After all , 2 decades is a very long time . I remember her making more than 100 rotis unflinchingly during a family function. Our house was swarming with guests . Lunch .. condiments .. snacks .. refreshments were flying non stop hither thither . She was so quiet that not many noticed her . Her hard work showed in her tasty cuisine . Though not highly educated , she was very mathematical in her approach . When any new patron came asking her to cook , she would draw her time table , bus and train agenda and plan her visits meticulously . If home cooking was not possible , she would cook from her home and carry it to their house . She never refused any new home ..new work .
She was given a free hand in grocery shopping in many homes. In return , She would try new recipes from TV and books in our kitchens. We were amused and consumed them though not all culinary trials culminated into a success. She would often confide her problems in us . We could only help her financially .
Sadly a few months back the tumor returned. Since her job mainly involved cooking , again , she lost some houses because of her ailment . Already slender framed, she began shrinking even further . A couple of sudden fainting spells later , pa asked her to take rest at home with full pay .
We don't even remember when and how she became bedridden. It was a gradual sad shift . Her limbs gave away. Then she lost her speech . One by one her senses betrayed her . We often compared her to our own mum . It is not always a question of only money or medicine . It's about bond and care . I think one fine day she woke up and realized there's no reason to live . No children , a missing husband , mounting debts , her remaining family trying to milk her ailment for money ... The very people she worked hard for , left her , deserted her during her final days. In fact ,we used to pray that she leaves this selfish world soon . Every time we visited her house to check her condition, a dozen creditors would be swarming nearby .
Out of the blue , we got news that yesterday she passed away. Finally her strength gave away . How long will she fight for herself in this greedy world? Our first feeling was of great relief. She had suffered enough . All's for our good . She is now at peace . She is getting all the rest she deserves finally . She's with mum - both old girls chatting about their childhoods again .
Bye Ramani aunty . Say Hi to mum .