Life is long and makes us go through so many different paths, makes us meet so many different people and some of them really make a big impression on us,don't they? Some people truly teach us they are not mere mortals made of flesh and blood but are #madeofgreat substance, something that makes them impossibly brave and courageous.
Meet Ashakutty Aunty. I met her through a friend in college who is her neighbour. Then it turned out that her daughter was my senior in college, so we also soon became friends and I realized she spent so much of her time participating in charity endeavors. Soon thereafter I came to know her mother's, Asha aunty's story. Know those women who are shunned by their family when they give birth to a girl? Yes, the same stories that we read in newspapers. Asha Aunty is one of those women. She gave birth to a daughter and was immediately asked by her in-laws and husband to throw her away! She was supposed to forget her daughter and move on in the quest to give birth to a son! But she refused. She ran away from that society, took her newborn daughter, joined those teeming millions in Mumbai who live in slums and started her life as a single mother. She worked 3 jobs, 18 hours a day, cooking and cleaning houses as a maid in the morning, sewing clothes in evening, giving basic maths education to kids in late evening, some embroidery work late at night and whatever else she could get her hands on, to make sure that her daughter was able to go to school, be independent and live a life of freedom!
Thankfully, she was supported by her own mother and some of her relatives who also chipped in from time to time. Luckily, her daughter grew up to be a brilliant student who got scholarship as well as part time jobs to help Asha Aunty in running the household. And after decades of struggle, Asha Aunty met a kind, compassionate man who decided to support her, without worrying about her past or any associated taboo and also adopted her daughter as his own. Soulmates meet at the unlikeliest of times!
Today, Asha Aunty spends her time helping those who are stuck in a hopeless situation. It includes children from underprivileged backgrounds, giving them education and support, plus cancer patients plus homeless people who need a helping hand for a second start in life. It is her belief that we are put on this planet to absorb other's pain as much as possible and spread joy wherever and whenever we get a chance and this is exactly what she does.
I have had the pleasure of meeting her quite a number of times over the years and every single time, I am struck by how calm she is. Not a hint of anger or frustration! Her belief in Karma makes her strong enough to be forgiving of everyone, including her first husband! 'He did what he did, God knows everything, I have nothing against him or anyone else', is her answer every single time anyone asks her a question about her painful past. Her vision is of moving forward with only one aim-to help as many people as possible.
We all have troubles in our life and even the smallest of problems seem so gigantic,don't they? But meeting Asha aunty has helped me look at life in a new perspective. It has made me calmer too, and more inclined to use all my resources to help others in whatever capacity I can. That is why I consider myself lucky that I have been able to meet her and learn from her :)
I am thankful to Tata Motors for helping me bring this #madeofgreat story in front of everyone and so happy that they have partnered with Lionel Messi, one of my favorites, to be their Global Brand Ambassador. They have a brilliant contest going on where YOU, my dear readers, can Win an Amazon voucher worth 750 for simply answering the question 'What do you think of Tata Motors' association with Lionel Messi'? Hurry, as the contest closes on 26th November 2015 at 11.59 PM :)
