At a time when politicians belonging to different parties are busy trying to draw a line of demarcation between Hindus and Muslims, this mother, who is the embodiment of affection and love, with a beautiful, large heart, (that can shelter anyone, without any distinction of caste, creed and religion) has the ability to laugh at the ugly faces of politicians of our country, who ironically determine our collective fate. This, I guess, might appear to you like an exaggerated statement, perhaps being made by a son for his mother. I guess it’s natural for you to feel that way, considering the presence of such mothers is significantly rare in the current Indian society. The game “Hindu – Muslim” has perhaps compelled mothers to treat ‘sons’ with distinction. This attitude of mothers gives rise to hatred for each other, so much so that it ultimately ends up providing sustenance to the popular “Hindu – Muslim” game, which keeps getting consolidated further.
She is the mother of one of our classmates. On being invited by her to a ‘chai party’ at her house, we agreed right away. To be honest, I was a bit nervous initially as usual. I remember, during my school days, mothers of my friends were terribly reluctant to even touch me, for that could leave them ‘impure’. (This is an ugly form of untouchability. I have experienced it multiple times. These scars are still fresh in my mind, for being treated like that leads to an inferiority complex. Anyone who has witnessed it closely would certainly be able to understand this better than those who have not experienced it at all).
But after reaching Bebi Aunty’s home, my fear was gone in no time. Bebi aunty welcomed us with such warmth, that it felt like she had known us for a decade. Her benign, pure smile melted away my insecurities. We (most of us were Muslims) sat on the bed. Puffed rice with sweets and hot tea came in. We talked a lot, laughed a lot. The sound of the laughter and chit – chat filled the room with warmth, true affection, love and belief.
People like Bebi aunty are the need of the hour in these very crucial current times. The whole nation is being polarized on the basis of religion. Only people like Bebi aunty could stop this divide, teaching us the true essence of being Indian.