THE AUTHOR OF DIFFICULT DAUGHTERS - MRS KUMAR

 A few years back there was a question in the very popular TV show KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI--hosted by the one and only one -Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. The question was who is the author of the novel --THE DIFFICULT DAUGHTERS? We were all watching the episode. My husband's GK is pathetic. But this time, he did not even wait for the four options and immediately blurted out--Mrs. Kumar. I looked at him dumbfounded. 

I was at a loss for words and didn't have any idea as to how he knew the answer.

OHHHHH, wait a minute. Then realization dawned on me.

Mrs. Kumar happened to be my Mom's surname and when he said Mrs. Kumar, he was referring to the fact that my mother must have authored the book as she was the mother of four daughters and that he meant my sisters and me when he heard the title 'DIFFICULT DAUGHTERS'.

Yes, indeed my mother must have had a terrible time bringing up four daughters.

But she never complained, nor ever exhibit any special soft corners for anyone.

She was a woman --par excellence--I am not saying this because she happened to be my mother but she devoted her entire life to nurturing the four of us and never complained.

Every morning we had everything laid out for us-our ironed school uniforms, our bournvita milk, almonds, and water bottles filled up on the table.

Our lunch boxes never went with us, they followed us later. What I mean by this is --We always got freshly cooked lunches. Our mother would start cooking at 9 am and then the freshly cooked veggies, and chappatis (Indian bread) or rice would be packed into our boxes and our father was made to leave the boxes at the school office counter at 10 am on his way to the office. This was a circadian routine.

The worst time for the poor soul was EXAM TIME. Each one of us had a different routine. One slept late, the other slept early, one could only study late at night and yet another could only remember if she memorized early morning. So my mother performed the duty of an alarm clock.

'Mom I am going off to sleep at nine, wake me up at 3' one of us would say.

'Mumma wake me up at 12' another would demand.

So she would not battle an eyelid throughout the night. Watching TV was out of the question as we had exams. So the whole night she used to tell the beads of her rosary. And God forbid she did doze off a bit and failed to wake up the one who had demanded to be woken up at 3, if she missed by 10-15 minutes, then she perpetually would have lived in fear of what would be the verdict for her if the performance in that subject went down by a few marks.

The fact that a woman can go to any lengths can do anything for her offspring does not sink in while we are kids, but definitely yes we can relate only when we become mothers.

A woman may be weak, timid, and docile outwardly but her unwavering commitment to raising her kids is awesome.

She may or may not be a working mother but the non-renumerated job of bringing up her kids is performed by her diligently.

Her stoic strength makes her all the more dependable, admirable, and supreme.

So dear friends children may be difficult, but parents especially mothers are not. I have penned down my thoughts on celebrating a woman's contribution as a daughter, daughter-in-law, wife, mother, sister, or mother-in-law.

She is the epitome of love, empathy, hospitality, vitality, and magnanimity, always ready to give, share, shower love and affection, and not demand anything in return.

Today I am doing the same for my children. I find happiness in performing small things for my children, even though they are grown up and can fend for themselves.