Wealth for Lakshmi

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ― Mother Teresa

‘Aayi’  refers to mother in Marathi, but Lakshmi had graduated from a mother, to a grandmother. Her daughter and her grandchildren loved calling her ‘Aayi’ in Konkani.  She was a native of the lush green Konkan. Aayi began her life with ‘abu’ Jagannath in the city of warangal in Andhra Pradesh. She was a tall, healthy lady and Jaggnath a good looking, lean and handsome man. Together they made a handsome couple not only looks wise, but also mannerism wise. Lakshmi’s family was a large one consisting of seven sisters and the youngest one was the much awaited sibling brother. Her parents were ecstatic over the birth of a boy after seven sisters. The sisters treasured their kid brother. Lakshmi and her sisters got married early owing to the social norms and customs.

Lakshmi was blessed with a daughter and a son. The daughter was a replica of Jagannath, the same chiseled features, fair complexion and wavy hair. Lakshmi believed that it was the will of the children that mattered  in reaching desired goals. She also believed that the Government Institutions were the best ones for schooling as they provided secure jobs to the best teachers. Her children attended the mediocre  vernacular  medium school that lacked the basic amenities, but the teachers could exercise a great influence that carved their future. They excelled in the local language, but failed to speak in English or sport the sophistication that the English medium schools gave. Their neighbours Usha and Puranik sent their children to the Kendriya Vidyalaya. Puranik was a dynamic man who excelled in all fields and took great interest in the studies of his children. They were blessed with two daughters and a son. The children, however, knew no barriers of language and were  the best as friends. The whole colony had children who studied in either of these institutions and together they were an army of forty four kids. Lakshmi had nothing lacking in life with a best friend in Usha. They had the ability to converse across the walls and the kids would join the conversation till everyone met under one roof to rejoice. Puranik got transferred to a nearby place, but Usha felt she would continue living in the house as Lakshmi was there to help her. 

Lakshmi saw her daughter grow into an angel as time flew, her son was a diligent boy and soon joined the engineering college. She wanted her younger brother to marry her daughter, but her brother had other plans. He married a local girl  who happened to be his colleague. This was the first setback in Lakshmi’s life. Even before she could actually return back to the normal state of mind, she came to know that Jagannath had become a prey to gambling. He lost a lot of money in his ventures. Lakshmi and Usha grew closer to each other with time as they shared their misfortunes. One day Lakshmi decided to get her daughter married to a government employee before Jagannath left them bankrupt. The boy was not very well placed, but was  hard working. Lakshmi’s son moved away to the hostel to pursue his studies peacefully. Lakshmi became religious hoping that God would have mercy on her. She also began to apply for jobs. Usha had bouts of Asthma, her health kept deteriorating and one day she slept never to wake up again.

Lakshmi felt terribly lost. Jagannath was transferred to another city for a year. Now, Lakshmi lived alone. Usha’s children too lived on their own picking  the threads  of life left by Usha. The kids grew attached to Lakshmi. Life moved on, and by the grace of God Lakshmi landed a job. Life took her back to a beautiful course. Her job brought back the lost riches and a transformed Jagannath back into life. Jagannath  after having incurred  a great loss, took to spirituality and social welfare. He was actively involved in the RSS group yet never forgot his duties towards Lakshmi.

Lakshmi gained her lost confidence and believed that life had various phases and it needed to be taken in the right stride. Her son was married off soon. Usha’s children flew away to their own nests. Lakshmi and Jagannath lived a retired life. They took utmost care of their health. They  now ate steamed idlis and other healthy foods for breakfast. They followed  the  routine  yogic exercise leading an extremely healthy life. The vigour was perhaps to overcome Diabetes for Jagannath, but for Lakshmi it was to live a fit life like her parents who had lived up to a ripe age of 95.  One of the days Jagannath did not wake up in the morning. Lakshmi wondered whether his health was bad. As she tried to wake him up, she felt the body still, life now stood still for her. 

As always she gathered her courage and began to lead her life in the right spirit. She saw many of the children in the colony had flown away and the parents were leading a lonely life, she was also a part but her children were near her in the same city. Many a times she remembered her friend Usha and her kids. There was an emptiness in life. Lakshmi was detected with cancer in spite of all the care she took. She wondered how  it could happen. People said cancerous cells multiplied  robustly in a body free of high blood pressure and Diabetes, she wondered whether she did a right thing by taking good care of her health. She recovered once yet fell prey the second time due to the sheer negligence of not going for regular checkups. She was brave and cared least about the painful treatments. She was able to locate Usha’s children who felt it was the worst to happen. Money was in abundance, yet it could not help Lakshmi to come back to herself. One day as she lay and looked up at the gleaming stars, she realised life had taken a whole circle. She knew she would carry nothing with her while leaving the world.  She remembered how she had deprived her maid’s son of education as she refused to pay the money for his fees. She felt the only way one  could live in the hearts of people was through kind words and deeds. Tears flowed in repentance. She called a lawyer and donated her treasured wealth to educate the orphans, she also registered herself for organ donation though she knew very few were actually functional in her body. She looked out at the vast blue sky in optimism, her wealth had given her a prospect of making another life rosy. The deed had definitely pumped a renewed fervour in Lakshmi.

 We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”  Winston S. Churchill