My first touch of the world I live in today has been through You...My first feel of love, my first feel of affection...my first feel of all that I am today, has been You.
I remember those cold, dreary winter evenings, lit up by the touch of your love...and warmed up with two bowls of hot, steaming maggi...How much I loved listening and re-listening to all those Snow- White, Cinderella and Hans Anderson Fairy Tales. I remember the story of the Snow Queen in particular. How much I loved it, and how endlessly, how untiringly you had always narrated the story to me again and again.
I remember visiting the first departmental stores of the city with you when Papa used to be busy with work...I remember the cozy lunches - just you and me, after Papa used to go out for work.
I remember how Bonu and me used to wait for you to come back from work with tit-bits everyday, how you used to plait our hair, choose our dresses and shout after us to make us sit down at the study table every evening.
How you introduced me to the world of story books, to the world of literature...to the world of romantic poets and Victorian philosophy. How you taught me cursive handwriting in the most elegant way, how you taught me to arrange the bookshelf in the proper way.
How much creativity did it take to cook 5 different types of tiffin on 5 different days of a week? How much effort you must have been putting in all these years to prepare so many types of delicacies, keeping in mind that we don't get bored of eating the same stuff? How patient of you to put up with all our tantrums and yet, being sensible enough to stop us at the right time!
Know what? I have always loved getting wet in the rain, paddling through the dirty cold waters and returning home fully drenched...more because I knew you will be ready with a towel at home to dry my hair, come rushing with a bowl of boiling mustard oil and garlic to rub my feet so that I don't catch cold...to say nothing of the plate of hot fries and cups of coffee!
I love going out shopping with you, as I trust your choice of clothes blindly...as you know what looks best on me, and which one looks best on the mannequin!
I don't remember the number of times I have been tensed before exams, but I remember your long speeches about staying calm, about the assurance and about your trust in me...
I remember your anger, of how much I used to be scared of telling you whenever anything went wrong...yet I remember about telling you every detail, everytime, getting the support and the right advice.
I remember how strong you were when I left home for work...of feeling proud of such a strong mother...yet, I remember, you could not hide the tears of a soft mother behind the strong heart of a woman!
I love coming back to the warmth of a cozy home, coming back to the delicious smell from the kitchen...coming back to your lap, coming back to the place and love I grew up in.
I admire you, I love you, I look up to you...for all that I have seen in you. I wonder for the hundredth time how could you manage all these years? To rear us two sisters, to always have the best food in the kitchen, to always keep the home clean and smelling good...to always have all things in place, to always know what is right...yet being a working woman, balancing home and work so perfectly that you will always be our perfect example of an ideal mother, a perfect wife, a perfect professional...a perfect woman!
From scorns to glares, from affection to love, to more love...steaming coffee during rainy evenings, chilled juice on summer afternoons...coming home to warmth and love...you have been the one who introduced me to the world of fairy tales, yet taught me to look through the window of reality...of a great friend in you...a strict teacher before exams...you taught me the first stroke of painting, read out the first Browning poem...
You taught me to be a girl, to be a woman, to be a human...
You made Me...I love you Ma...
Today is your day...but my love, forever yours!
